Virginia
Alley checks all boxes as West Virginia defensive coordinator
West Virginia made a major commitment at defensive coordinator by adding Zac Alley.
Alley had been serving as the co-defensive coordinator and play caller for the Sooners and has ties to Rich Rodriguez after spending two years as his defensive coordinator at Jacksonville State in 2022-23 and then previously working with him at Louisiana Monroe in 2021.
“Zac is one of the top young defensive coordinators in the country and has proven his ability to lead and be an innovator at different stops during his career,” Rodriguez said. “I have worked with him several seasons, and he constantly impresses me with his ability to blend schemes with his personnel and develop winning results.”
At Oklahoma in 2024, Alley helped lead the Sooners’ defense to a No. 3 ranking in defensive touchdowns, No. 5 in fumbles recovered, No. 10 in team tackles for loss, No. 11 in first-down defense, No. 19 in total defense, No. 23 in rushing defense, No. 25 in sacks and No. 30 in scoring defense.
Alley coordinated a 2023 Jacksonville State defensive unit that ranked 33rd out of 133 teams in scoring defense (21.2 points per game) and 43rd in total defense (352.8 yards per game). The unit also ranked fourth in the country in 2023 in opponent yards per rush (2.8), eighth in tackles for loss yardage (414), ninth in turnovers gained (25), 10th in interceptions (16), 12th in opponent yards per play (4.8), 13th in sacks per game (2.9) and 15th in rushing defense (111.5 ypg).
The 2022 unit also was stingy as it played a key role in helping to lead Jacksonville State to 9-2.
Rodriguez made it clear that outside of a really good coordinator he wanted one that met some clear requirements in his introductory press conference.
“Other than that, I want us to be really, really aggressive and I want to force the issue on the other team,” Rodriguez said.
Alley certainly checks both those boxes.
Alley’s defenses have been known not to play it safe and he keeps offenses off balance with shifting formations while dialing up pressure from unexpected places per OUInsider.com, the Oklahoma Rivals site.
The unit was described as “all gas and no brakes.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Alley’s defense blitzed on 169 of 412 passing downs against the opponent’s starting quarterbacks which was 41-percent of the time.
His defensive units have been known for their adaptability to the personnel as well as plenty of pre-snap movement and creative pressures to force the action. At Jacksonville State, Alley used a lot of odd-stack configurations and mixed in some four-down looks while at Oklahoma used a four-man front and sometimes elected to go with three-down linemen for a different look.
Essentially the model that Alley has used has boiled down to being fast, physical and aggressive which is what Rodriguez sought to find when he began the search.
West Virginia wanted to invest in its future defense and securing Alley is a major start in that department for a lot of different reasons.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?
The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.
-
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution -
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.
On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.
While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.
That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.
“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”
The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.
But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.
“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”
On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.
“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.
The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.
Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.
Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.
Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.
Follow
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.
The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.
In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.
SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues
John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.
Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.
“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.
Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.
City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.
-
Boston, MA10 seconds agoICE Boston arrests Barbados national during targeted operations in Attleboro
-
Denver, CO6 minutes agoDenver Broncos training camp is 2 weeks away
-
San Diego, CA18 minutes agoDaily Business Report: July 17, 2026, San Diego Metro Magazine
-
Milwaukee, WI24 minutes ago‘You can see God’s hand in it’: How Milwaukee women are building a double Dutch community through sisterhood and fitness
-
Atlanta, GA30 minutes agoOne Of Atlanta, Georgia’s Safest Suburbs Is An Irish-Inspired Town With Tasty Restaurants And Golf Greens – Islands
-
Minneapolis, MN36 minutes agoRoho Collective opens a gallery and business hub for artists of color
-
Indianapolis, IN42 minutes agoSee inside Indianapolis Public Library’s upgraded, accessible bookmobiles
-
Pittsburg, PA48 minutes agoPittsburgh’s air quality considered “unhealthy for everyone” on Friday due to wildfire smoke
