After news broke on Tuesday that WVU Defensive Coordinator Jordan Lesley was going to be let go from the staff, it will officially bring a close to Lesley’s five year career as a Mountaineer coach.

Lesley was hired at WVU back in 2019 from Troy as part of Neal Brown staff’s taking over in Morgantown. At the time, Lesley was brought to WVU to coach the defensive line, the job he had the season prior to coming to WVU. However, before he took over the D-Line at Troy, Lesley was just the defensive tackles coach for the two seasons prior at Troy.

After a year of coaching the defensive line, Lesley was promoted to co-defensive coordinator with Jahmile Addae in 2020. Lesley would ultimately win the play calling duties on the defensive side of the ball and be named the team’s full defensive coordinator in 2021. Addae would go on to coach DBsfor multiple teams in the NFL.

That 2020 season was one of WVU’s best defensive seasons put together, specifically in the secondary. The Mountaineers led the country in passing defense and was fourth in total defense. The team was also top-25 ranked in interceptions and pass defense efficiency. Many fans saw a bright future for Lesley in Morgantown.

In 2021, Lesley’s first season as the DC, WVU finished No. 5 nationally in red zone defense, but saw a big drop in both total defense, and passing defense. Safety Aubrey Burks received All-Big 12 Conference Second Team selection, and Phil Steele named linebacker Lee Kpogba to the all-conference second team as well as defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson to the third team. Dante Stills was also named to First-Team All Big 12 in 2021, and 2022.

The first two seasons as defensive coordinator at WVU, Lesley was a nominee for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach.

It would be in 2022 where the defense started to take a drop-off statistically, not being ranked in the top-25 in most major categories. Stills, one of Lesley’s D-Line prospects, would go on to be drafted in the 6th round of the NFL Draft, finishing with the most games ever played at WVU and sacks with 23.5 total throughout his career.

After being doubted by most and expecting a very disappointing year in 2023, WVU’s defense under Lesley had a better year that saw a lot of improvement from a year prior. The team finished 1st in the Big 12 for sacks (19th amongst Power 5), and 2nd in the conference for tackles for loss.

Lesley was able to coach one year transfer Beanie Bishop Jr to an incredible season in 2023 that led to Bishop being signed by the Steelers after the NFL Draft and starting week one. Bishop became WVU’s 13th consensus All-American and 112th All-American ever. He led the nation in passes defended and breakups, and was second in forced incompletions. The 20 pass breakups were good enough to finish 2nd in WVU history for single-season pass breakups.

This season however has not been pretty for the WVU defense and specifically the WVU secondary. Lesley’s defense has produced one of the worst passing defenses in the country, allowing 261 yards per game through the air and only forcing three interceptions.

After five seasons at WVU and four and a half seasons as the team’s defensive coordinator, Neal Brown did not have much of a choice other than to let Lesley go.

Jeff Koonz, inside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator, will finish out the season as the team’s acting defensive coordinator for their final four games of the year.