DeForest was offered “the position of Associate Head Football Coach/co-Defensive Coordiator [sic]” in an email from Luck, which detailed the terms of DeForest’s employment at WVU.
BlueGoldNews.com obtained the document on Tuesday through a Freedom of Information Act request, which was filed last week.
As both DeForest and New York Jets outside linebackers coach Mike Smith were hired by West Virginia in recent weeks, official press releases said the duties of each coach would not be officially announced until after the staff was complete.
However, there was no such ambiguity in Luck’s emailed offer to DeForest -- which, once signed by DeForest, began to function as his contract. The email refers to DeForest as Associate Head Football Coach/co-Defensive Coordinator on six separate occasions.
The longtime assistant coach at Oklahoma State will make an annual base salary of $500,000. Further, DeForest’s moving expenses up to $12,000 will be paid by WVU.
The contract is effective for three seasons, with a term that ends on Jan. 30, 2015. It was sent to DeForest by Luck on Jan. 12, and signed by DeForest on Jan. 14.
West Virginia still has one vacancy on its football coaching staff. DeForest and Smith were the first two hires by head coach Dana Holgorsen, who is replacing defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel, defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich and cornerbacks coach David Lockwood. Those three coaches joined Rich Rodriguez's staff at Arizona earlier this month.
Document: Joe DeForest's WVU Contract