Here today, gone tomorrow … literally.
Ron West, who was hired by WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez on Wednesday to become the Mountaineers’ new offensive line coach and assistant head coach, has had a change of heart and on Thursday decided to instead remain at Clemson.
"Ron West called today to inform me that he has changed his mind and has decided to stay at Clemson,” said Rodriguez in a statement released Thursday afternoon. “Coach West cited family considerations as his reason, and I understand his decision."
West has been a member of the Clemson coaching staff for the past eight year – the first five as the Tigers’ offensive line coach and the past three as an assistant coach for the CU defense. Rodriguez, who worked with West in 1999 and 2000 when both were assistants as Clemson as well as in 1997-98 when they were together at Tulane under current Clemson coach Tommy Bowden, had offered West a spot on WVU’s staff recently, hoping to fill an opening left when offensive line coach/assistant head coach Rick Trickett took a similar position at Florida State.
West’s decision to remain at Clemson, his alma mater, pushes Rodriguez’s coaching search back to square one. Not only must he find a new offensive line coach, but he is also looking to fill two other coaching vacancies following the recent departure of Butch Jones (wide receiver coach who was hired as the head coach at Central Michigan) and Herb Hand (tight end coach who was hired as the co-offensive coordinator at Tulsa.