West Virginia University Athletics

Jeff Koonz is in his fifth year on the Mountaineer coaching staff. He was named defensive coordinator on Oct. 29 for the remainder of the 2024 season. He has served as the special teams coordinator and the inside linebackers coach since 2020.

In 2023, the punt return defense once again had a stellar year, ranking No. 5 nationally, giving up an average of 0.23 yards per return. WVU ranked No. 27 in net punting, averaging 40.8 yards and No. 39 in punt returns, averaging 10.23 yards per return and returned one for a touchdown against UNC in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. 

The Mountaineers were responsible for three blocked field goal attempts last season, ranking No. 10 nationally, which included two to seal the win at TCU.

Kicker Michael Hayes II was 17-for-21 on his field goal attempts, No. 2 in the Big 12 and tied for No. 34 nationally. Returner Preston Fox averaged 8.1 yards per punt return and was ranked No. 28 nationally and averaged 21.5 yards per kickoff return.

Oliver Straw averaged 43.0 yards per punt, had eight punts of 50 yards or more, placed 19 inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and had 20 result in a fair catch. 

Linebacker Lee Kpogba finished No. 9 in the Big 12 Conference with 7.5 tackles per game.

In 2022, Straw earned Freshman All-America honors, finishing with an average of 42.3 yards per punt, had seven punts of 50 yards or more and placed 17 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Kicker Casey Legg connected on 14-of-15 field goals, including hitting his first 13 of the season. He was No. 8 nationally in field goal percentage and No. 5 in the Big 12 in field goals made per game. He finished his career No. 7 in program history in field goals made (40) and is No. 8 in kick scoring (208).

Linebacker Lee Kpogba earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors after leading the WVU defense with 92 tackles and was No. 8 in the league.

In 2021, Legg was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, signifying the top kicker in college football. He hit 19-of-23 field goals and all 35 extra points and led WVU in scoring (92). He was first in the Big 12 Conference and No. 18 nationally in field goals made per game (1.6), No. 4 in the league and No. 26 nationally in field goal percentage. Punter Tyler Sumpter was No. 2 in the Big 12 Conference and No. 36 nationally in punting, and Winston Wright Jr. was No. 19 nationally in kickoff return average per game. Wright was named an All-Big 12 Conference First Team selection by PFF College.

WVU’s defense finished No. 5 nationally in red zone defense, an improvement of 67 spots from the year before, was No. 18 in fewest defensive first downs allowed and in fourth-down percentage, No. 29 in third-down defense (.347), No. 37 in total defense (350.1) and No. 39 in tackles for loss (6.5), an improvement of nine spots from the 2020 season.

The WVU defense had an outstanding year in 2020, leading the nation in pass defense and ranking No. 4 in total defense (291.4), No. 21 in scoring defense (20.5), No. 23 in interceptions (11), No. 24 in pass efficiency defense (121.52) and No. 28 in rushing defense (131.8).

Tony Fields II led the Mountaineers and the Big 12 with 88 tackles, ranking No. 27 nationally. He was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and the Reese’s Senior Bowl  All-American team and was drafted in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

WVU’s kickoff return defense was the best in the Big 12 and No. 39 in the nation, and the punt return defense was No. 3 in the Big 12 and No. 17 in the nation.

Koonz came to West Virginia after serving as the inside linebackers coach at Ole Miss for the 2019 season. 

Prior to that, Koonz spent two years at North Texas, coaching the linebackers, before being promoted to co-defensive coordinator for the 2018 season. 

Koonz spent three years at Cincinnati, coaching the safeties in 2014, and linebackers in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, he mentored second-team All-AAC selection Eric Wilson and freshman standout Bryce Jenkinson, who finished first (106) and third (59) on the team in tackles, respectively. Before his tenure at Cincinnati, Koonz spent four seasons at Louisiana Tech. During the 2013 campaign, Tech’s first as a member of Conference USA, he coached the linebackers, led by Conference USA honorable mention player Daniel Cobb, who finished the season with 82 total tackles. In 2011, Tech’s starting linebackers Adrien Cole and Jay Dudley accounted for 230 total tackles - 65% of Tech’s tackles for the season. Cole led the team with 128 tackles and 13 tackles for a loss as he was named first team All-Western Athletic Conference and the WAC Defensive Player of the Year. Dudley was responsible for 102 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and four interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. In 2010, his first year at Louisiana Tech, three of his linebackers finished the season in the top four on the team in tackles, with Cole earning second-team All-WAC honors. 

The Wallkill, New York, native previously served as a defensive quality control assistant at Texas, helping lead the Longhorns to a Big 12 title and an appearance in the 2009 BCS national championship game against Alabama. He also served at Texas as a graduate assistant from 2005-06 and linebackers’ coach toward the conclusion of the 2006 season. The Longhorns won the Big 12 championship and national championship in 2005.

Prior to his second stint at Texas, Koonz was the secondary coach at Iowa State for two seasons under Gene Chizik, while also assisting with special teams from 2007-08. Koonz was also a graduate assistant coach at Auburn during the 2004 campaign under Tommy Tuberville, coaching the secondary. While at Auburn, he worked on staffs that led the Tigers to the 2002 Capital One Bowl championship, a 2003 Music City Bowl victory, the 2004 SEC championship and a win in the 2004 Nokia Sugar Bowl.

He graduated from Auburn in 2004 with a bachelor’s of science degree in physical education and his master’s degree in educational administration from Texas in 2006. 

Koonz, and his wife, Maura, have two daughters, Mary Margaret and MacKenzie Rae, and a son, Jameson Jeffrey.

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