Report: WVU finalizing deal to make Oklahoma’s Alley defensive coordinator

West Virginia is finalizing a deal to make Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Zac Alley their defensive coordinator according to report.

Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that West Virginia was in the process of finalizing a three-year deal to take over the defensive coordinator spot in Morgantown.

Alley had been the key target of the search.

Alley was hired by the Sooners in January of 2024 but spent the two seasons before that working under Rodriguez as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Jacksonville State. Those ties made him an immediate candidate for the position and his addition gives Rodriguez a strong building block for his initial coaching staff in his return to Morgantown.

Alley had signed a three-year contract with the Sooners which had a base pay of $850,000 this past season and was set to see $50,000 raises in 2025 and 2026. That was a significant jump from the $213,800 that he was under contract for in his final season at Jacksonville State.

That signals a significant investment from West Virginia on the defensive side of the ball.

As the play caller on defense, Oklahoma was ranked 21st in total defense this past season allowing 318.2 yards per game and was tied for 18th in yards per play allowed at just 4.87. The Sooners were ranked 34th in scoring defense permitting just 21.58 points per contest.

During his time at Jacksonville State, Alley’s defense ranked 33rd in scoring defense at 21.2 points per game and 43rd in total defense helping to lead the Gamecocks to a 9-4 overall record in 2023. His unit had success in holding opponents to 2.8 yards per rush, or fourth nationally, was ranked eighth in tackles for loss with 414 and ninth in turnovers gained with 25.

The 2023 Gamecocks defense also held opponents to just 4.8 yards per play, good for 12th nationally and was able to get off the field on third down ranking 22nd in conversion percentage at 32.7.

The 2022 unit led the nation at the FCS level with 15 fumble recoveries and was 11th in red zone defense. The Gamecocks gave up 21 points or fewer in seven of 11 games.

Prior to his arrival at Jacksonville State, Alley was the youngest defensive coordinator in the country at Louisiana-Monroe and improved in every statistical category on defense from the previous season.

Alley also previously served as the co-special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Boise State as well as a defensive coaching internship with the Carolina Panthers where he assisted with the linebackers. He got his start as a student assistant at Clemson in 2011 and spent four years in that role working under Brent Venables and graduated from the school.

WVSports.com will have more on Alley in the near future.