WVU Football Adds Derek Dressler as Extra Coach to Help Lead OL

Knowing the importance of the offensive line to a Rich Rodriguez offense, the WVU football program is adding an extra coach to help lead the group.

West Virginia announced the hiring of Derek Dressler as assistant offensive line coach on Thursday morning.

“I am thrilled to have Derek join us in Morgantown,” Rodriguez said as part of the press release. “He has a great love and familiarlity with the state of West Virginia and how I run my offense and will continue to be a big part of developing our offensive lines.”

Dressler revealed that he was departing Jacksonville State to join Rodriguez’s WVU staff on New Year’s Eve, granted he did not disclose which portion he would hold at that time.

Dressler will work under WVU offensive line coach Jack Bicknell, who was officially announced on Jan. 5.

More background information can be found below from the WVU press release: 

Dressler arrives from Jacksonville State where he served as the offensive line analyst and defensive scout team coordinator. In his three seasons, the Gamecocks’ offense had three all-conference linemen, the No. 5 FCS rushing offense in 2022 (251.0) and the No. 3 FBS rushing offense in 2023 (236.7) and 2024 (251.2).

Dressler played offensive line for Concord University from 2015-2018. During his career, he earned All-Mountain East Conference First Team as a senior and Second Team as a junior. As a senior, he was named to the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-Region Third Team after starting all 11 games at center and not missing any of Concord’s 684 offensive plays during the season. He was a member of a Cougar offense that averaged more than 27 points per game.

Prior to Jacksonville State, he had a brief stint at his alma mater as the offensive line coach, run game coordinator and tight ends run game coach.

Dressler also had stops at Bryant University as the interior offensive line coach, offensive graduate assistant and video coordinator, and at West Virgnia State University as a graduate assistant coach, head equipment manager and video coordinator before being promoted to defensive line coach in 2020.

He graduated with honors from Concord in December 2018 with a bachelor of science degree in recreation and tourism management, earned his master’s degree in sport studies from West Virginia State University in May 2021 and a master of science in sport management from Jacksonville State in August 2023.

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