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First staff under Rodriguez coming together at West Virginia

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First staff under Rodriguez coming together at West Virginia


The first on-the-field staff for new West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez is starting to come together and thus far it’s been a mix of experience and familiarity.

Rodriguez has a salary pool of at least $5 million for his on the field assistants in every year of his five-year contract and while none of the hires have been made official yet we’re starting to get an idea of what some of the group is going to look like due to various reports.

The biggest piece of the puzzle was luring co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley from Oklahoma after only one season to reunite with Rodriguez in Morgantown. The pair worked together for two years at Jacksonville State and gives the Mountaineers a high quality coordinator on that side of the ball.

Alley, who called the Sooners defensive players this past season had the unit 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 the regular season.

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He had similar success during his time working under Rodriguez at Jacksonville State as the Gamecocks 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.

Alley was making over $900,000 with a three-year contract with the Sooners, so there is obviously going to be quite the financial commitment here from West Virginia and Rodriguez.

While there have yet to be any designated assignments with press releases by the university, Rodriguez is expected to retain former offensive coordinator Chad Scott and tight ends coach Blaine Stewart. Those two combined were already under contract for $950,000 until 2026 with the program.

In terms of potential new hires, Rodriguez is expected to bring in a number of other assistants from his time at Jacksonville State including defensive line coach William Green, tight ends coach Michael Nysewander and wide receivers coach Ryan Garrett.

All three of those are young coaches with Garrett working under Rodriguez as a graduate assistant at Louisiana-Monroe and then joined the coaching staff in Jacksonville. He is expected to coach the wide receivers. Meanwhile, Nysewander was in his second season with the Gamecocks after time on the Mississippi coaching staff as an analyst. Finally, Green spent three seasons as the defensive line coach under Rodriguez at Jacksonville State after previously working at Louisiana-Monroe.

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Outside of that net, Rodriguez is expected to bring in some veterans that have worked with him in the past in former Wisconsin offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. on offense and former West Virginia defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel on the defensive side.

Aside from Wisconsin, Bicknell previously coached offensive lines Boston College, Mississippi, Auburn and Louisville during that time. He was on the same staff as Rodriguez at Mississippi in 2019.

Bicknell also has spent time at the NFL level as the assistant offensive line coach with New York Giants (2009-11), offensive line coach with the Kansas City Chiefs (2012), offensive line coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2013) and assistant offensive line coach with the Miami Dolphins (2014-17).

Casteel needs no introduction for West Virginia fans as he was the coordinator on the defensive side of the ball from 2002-11 after being brought to Morgantown by Rodriguez on his initial staff in 2001. Casteel, who hasn’t been assigned any specific role on the staff, has over 30 years of coaching experience and 27 as a defensive coordinator at multiple stops including time at Arizona and Nevada.

He had last served as a defensive analyst with the Mountaineers when he returned to the program in 2020 and remained there until 2023.

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That’s a good mixture of both youth and experience as well as ties to either Rodriguez himself or the West Virginia football program at large. Clearly at this stage we don’t know all of the roles that some of this group of coaches will ultimately fill, but the makings of the initial staff is coming together.

As far as the rest of the staff, sources have indicated that Louisiana Tech defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson is a name that is expected to make the move to Morgantown as well in an unspecified role. That would be quite the pull as well if that falls in place as well as a few others.

Still, while the pieces of the puzzle aren’t quite fit together yet, we’re getting an idea of what the coaching staff under Rodriguez could look like in several different areas at the start of his second tenure in Morgantown.



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BYU Cougars at West Virginia Mountaineers odds, picks and predictions

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BYU Cougars at West Virginia Mountaineers odds, picks and predictions


The No. 23 BYU Cougars (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) visit the West Virginia Mountaineers (16-12, 7-8) Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. ET (FOX) tip from WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA basketball odds around the BYU vs. West Virginia odds and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.

BYU has dropped 2 of its last 3 games after falling 97-84 against UCF on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 13.5-point home favorite with the Over (162.5) hitting. F AJ Dybantsa led all scorers with 29 points and G Robert Wright III added 20 as only 3 Cougars players scored in double figures in the upset loss.

West Virginia has dropped 3 games in a row after falling 91-84 in overtime against Oklahoma State on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 1.5-point road underdog with the Over (143.5) hitting. G Honor Huff scored a game-high 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from 3, while the Mountaineers overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to force OT before running out of gas.

– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

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BYU at West Virginia odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 10:20 a.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): BYU -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | West Virginia +110 (bet $100 to win $110)
  • Against the spread (ATS): BYU -1.5 (-115) | West Virginia +1.5 (-105)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 142.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

BYU at West Virginia picks and predictions

Prediction

BYU 81, West Virginia 74

PASS.

There is better value on the Cougars to cover the spread.

BET BYU -1.5 (-115).

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A win all but guarantees a cover for the Cougars in this matchup with such a slim spread. They have covered in 2 of their last 3 and 3 of their last 5, including back-to-back road games.

Neither side has played particularly well recently, with both teams being 4-6 straight up (SU) and 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. This matchup will give Dybantsa, the nation’s leading scorer (25.1 points per game) who earned USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors last week, an opportunity to take over the game.

BET OVER 142.5 (-110).

The Mountaineers have scored at least 74 points in 2 of their last 4 games while allowing 67 or more in 3 of their last 5.

The Cougars have hit the Over in 7 of their last 10 games. They have scored 79 or more points in 4 of their last 5, including 90 or more twice in that span. They have scored 82 or more points in 7 of their last 10 and have allowed at least 86 in 6 of their last 9.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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As Mountaineers try to move forward from recent struggles, freshman sensation Dybantsa awaits – WV MetroNews

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As Mountaineers try to move forward from recent struggles, freshman sensation Dybantsa awaits – WV MetroNews


MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia is mired in a three-game losing streak for the first time under head coach Ross Hodge.

To make the slump a thing of the past, the Mountaineers have to find a way to be successful Saturday against No. 19 BYU when the teams battle at 5:30 p.m. Saturday inside Hope Coliseum for a matchup airing on FOX.

That means contending with freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa, the leading scorer in the Big 12 Conference at 25.1 points and one the top pro prospects in all of college basketball in recent memory.

“He’s definitely worthy of all the praise and attention that he’s gotten,” Hodge said. “What impresses you as much as his talent, which is very impressive, is his commitment to his teammates and how he celebrates those guys and his leadership for a young player on top of what he can do individually.”

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At 6-foot-9, Dybantsa has a surplus of size for a primary ball-handler. It’s part of what makes his skill set so unique. He shoots north of 53 percent from the field, averages almost seven rebounds and four assists and shoots more than eight free throws per game thanks in large part to an ability to consistently draw contact.

Feb 21, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) drives while being defended by Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) during the first half at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

“He’s a problem in every facet of the game,” Hodge said. “He certainly can distort you in ways that a lot of people can’t because of his size, versatility and fluidity. Typically, in your transition defense, your guards are going to be the ones stopping the ball and he can create an automatic mismatch from the jump because he has the ball in his hands so much.”

The Cougars are relying on Dybantsa even more at present after Richie Saunders suffered a significant season-ending injury. Saunders averaged 18 points and has missed three straight games, and in essence four, as the injury occurred in the first minute of what amounted to an overtime victory against Colorado. Saunders’ 64 three-pointers remain a team high, but Dybantsa has the luxury of another consistent scorer in guard Robert Wright III, who averages 18.1 points and has 50 triples.

BYU averages 84.6 points, good for second among Big 12 teams.

“Do you play [Dybantsa] individually and live with if he gets 35 or 40, or try to shrink gaps and live with are these other guys going to make shots? That is the challenge,” Hodge said. “He’s shown the ability that he can beat you both ways.”

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The Cougars (20-8, 8-7) have dropped two of their last three and six of nine since a 17-2 start. Most recently, Central Florida had its way offensively and cruised to a road win over the Cougars, 97-84, on Tuesday.

WVU (16-12, 7-8) has lost three straight by a total of 18 points, most recently suffering a 91-84 overtime setback at Oklahoma State on Tuesday.

The Mountaineers struggled to get stops for much of the contest, with Hodge referring to the first half of that game as his team’s worst defensive half of the season.

Still, much like the game before at TCU, the win was there for the taking late and the Mountaineers were unable to close strong.

West Virginia continues to put itself in position where it’s required to overcome significant second-half deficits, and while the Mountaineers have often caught up or led late, they’ve been unable to pull through recently.

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WVU has played eight straight games decided by 10 or fewer points and recorded a 3-5 record over that time.

“The initial aftermath of any loss you’re going to be disappointed, but we’re mature enough and from a leadership standpoint,” Hodge said. “It’s hard not to just fall into the trap of you win and you’re great, you lose and you’re terrible. We’ve been fortunate enough to win some one-possession games that easily could’ve went the other way and the last three games we were in easily could’ve went our way, but they didn’t. 

“But you’re not looking at an insurmountable mountain to climb. A block out here, a free throw there, a rebound here, a made shot here, a missed shot here, that’s the difference in what you’re dealing with. Do you have the emotional intelligence and maturity to stay the course and stay together, which this group does better than anybody I’ve been around, and still find a level of excitement in what you’re doing every day. That’s where if you love basketball and love each other and love challenges, then you’re going to be in the right place. There’s going to be a certain level of excitement even in the midst of disappointing times.”



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West Virginia Lottery results: See winning numbers for Daily 3, Daily 4 on Feb. 26, 2026

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The results are in for the West Virginia Lottery’s draw games on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.

Here’s a look at winning numbers for each game on Feb. 26.

Winning Daily 3 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

1-1-7

Check Daily 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Daily 4 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

3-8-8-2

Check Daily 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 25 numbers from Feb. 26 drawing

02-03-09-11-13-19

Check Cash 25 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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When are the West Virginia Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 11 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10:59 p.m. ET Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lotto America: 10:15 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Daily 3, 4: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday through Saturday.
  • Cash 25: 6:59 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a USA Today editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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