New CB Coach Addae a Familiar Name to Mountaineer Fans
March 04, 2019 04:30 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Neal Brown recently had a meet and greet inside the team room at Milan Puskar Stadium for his new coaching staff.
It was an opportunity for him to introduce his coaches and then let them spend some time with the media.
Among his new coaches, there is one who needs no introduction to Mountaineer fans – Jahmile Addae, a hard-hitting safety on West Virginia's 2005 Big East championship team that went on to upset Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl.
Addae once tied the school record for the most pass breakups in a game during his freshman season in 2002 against Rutgers, but he is best remembered for the one pass break up he had at Virginia Tech during his senior year three years later.
That one immediately put Hokie tight end Jared Mazzetta to the turf.
The Valrico, Florida, native was one of the most productive safeties in school history with more than 250 tackles and 25 pass breakups during his four-year career that included twice being named All-Big East.
After spending a couple of years as a graduate assistant coach for Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia and Michigan, Addae hooked up with Butch Jones for a couple of years, coaching the Cincinnati Bearcats running backs, before rejoining Rodriguez at Arizona in 2013.
Last year, Addae spent a season coaching Minnesota's defensive backs for coach P.J. Fleck.
"I was blessed to get on at a few spots that were big-time, premier programs," Addae said recently. "Working for Butch, working for Rich and working for P.J., those are three guys that have done really well in the profession, along with a lot of coordinators that have done well."
Although Addae only spent one year at Minnesota, he admits it was a very difficult decision for him to leave.
"A lot of times people misconstrue a coach's move as maybe being easy when a lot of times it's harder than you would think, but was maybe the best thing for you, your family and your career," Addae said. "That was the situation here."
The allure of returning to his alma mater was certainly appealing for Addae, but getting to work for one of the game's brightest, up-and-coming coaches in Brown was equally appealing.
"I had a good situation at Minnesota, and it wasn't just coming back home that brought me back," Addae admitted. "It was also the fact that I will be working for a guy who has upward mobility within the profession who stands for the things I stand for as a coach and who really understands what it takes to win.
"He's won quite a few ball games (at Troy) and beat some really, really good talent by doing a lot with a little. That said a lot, along with being a great family man. It was just a good fit for me."
Addae admits he didn't know Brown before discussing the West Virginia job with him during the interview process.
He said there was a mutual friendship with Minnesota offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca and some other coaches he worked for, but that's it.
"It was a lengthy interview process, most of it being done over the phone," Addae said. "It was really a two-way conversation because I got a chance to know who he is."
Addae is in charge of West Virginia's cornerbacks, an important task considering the high-powered offenses the Mountaineers will be facing in the Big 12.
All four players listed at the top of the depth chart at the two corner positions for the Camping World Bowl return – Keith Washington Jr. and Hakeem Bailey on one side, and Josh Norwood and Derrek Pitts Jr. on the other side with Pitts and Washington getting the starting nods against Syracuse.
Addae said he is still getting familiar with the guys he will be working with on a daily basis.
"I will say I have a group of guys who are working their butts off, and they will work as hard as they can to get what you're asking of them done," he said. "That's all we can ask of them as coaches."
What Brown is asking of Addae, in addition to coaching the Mountaineer secondary, is to reestablish West Virginia's recruiting presence in the talent-rich, Delaware-Maryland-Virginia area.
Players such as Tavon Austin, Wendell Smallwood, David Sills V, Terence Garvin and Brandon Hogan were once outstanding performers for the Mountaineers from that region. Current wide receiver Marcus Simms also hails from Bowie, Maryland.
Addae said this will be the first time he's ever recruited the DMV.
"I know a few people there just from some common friends, so I'm excited to get into that area as well," Addae said. "We'll all have a little bit of (West Virginia) as I work my way out of the state."
He will also handle parts of Florida and will cover some uncommon territories for WVU he once recruited when he was at Arizona and Minnesota such as Las Vegas.
Addae said he's already been meeting many of the coaches at some of the top high school programs in the National Capital Region.
"The good thing about that area is it is close enough but yet far enough that (recruits) can still develop themselves as a man and grow into their own while still being able to get home during breaks and whatnot," he said. "With the amount of talent there, it's going to be really exciting because it is so close to us."
Once Addae establishes deeper relationships with some of the top prep programs, he said it will become a matter of selling himself, Neal Brown and West Virginia University to their top prospects.
"I think that comes naturally if you do a good job with a kid, but also I think you need to get some help from the coaches and people within that community that may have known you when you played or watched you when you played or sent you a kid before," Addae explained. "We're going to lean on some of those coaches and even some of the players that played for us in the past that come out of those areas to somewhat help us."
One aspect of Mountaineer football that won't need much help is West Virginia's membership in the Big 12 Conference, an interesting alternative for East Coast players typically considering SEC and ACC schools.
Providing the opportunity to play in the most explosive offensive conference in college football will be an easy sell for Addae.
"The Big 12 isn't a hard sell," Addae noted. "The conference is what it is, especially with my position group. If you want your skillset to be put on display, then come to the Big 12, right? It's a straight air show and with that being said, I think guys see that as an awesome opportunity to really put themselves on display.
"They will be doing it at a place where football is a big deal, and I think when you marry those two together it makes for a really good situation for guys wanting to come in and make a splash," he concluded.
Just as he once did as a Mountaineer player more than a decade ago.
It was an opportunity for him to introduce his coaches and then let them spend some time with the media.
Among his new coaches, there is one who needs no introduction to Mountaineer fans – Jahmile Addae, a hard-hitting safety on West Virginia's 2005 Big East championship team that went on to upset Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl.
Addae once tied the school record for the most pass breakups in a game during his freshman season in 2002 against Rutgers, but he is best remembered for the one pass break up he had at Virginia Tech during his senior year three years later.
That one immediately put Hokie tight end Jared Mazzetta to the turf.
The Valrico, Florida, native was one of the most productive safeties in school history with more than 250 tackles and 25 pass breakups during his four-year career that included twice being named All-Big East.
After spending a couple of years as a graduate assistant coach for Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia and Michigan, Addae hooked up with Butch Jones for a couple of years, coaching the Cincinnati Bearcats running backs, before rejoining Rodriguez at Arizona in 2013.
Last year, Addae spent a season coaching Minnesota's defensive backs for coach P.J. Fleck.
"I was blessed to get on at a few spots that were big-time, premier programs," Addae said recently. "Working for Butch, working for Rich and working for P.J., those are three guys that have done really well in the profession, along with a lot of coordinators that have done well."
Although Addae only spent one year at Minnesota, he admits it was a very difficult decision for him to leave.
"A lot of times people misconstrue a coach's move as maybe being easy when a lot of times it's harder than you would think, but was maybe the best thing for you, your family and your career," Addae said. "That was the situation here."
The allure of returning to his alma mater was certainly appealing for Addae, but getting to work for one of the game's brightest, up-and-coming coaches in Brown was equally appealing.
"I had a good situation at Minnesota, and it wasn't just coming back home that brought me back," Addae admitted. "It was also the fact that I will be working for a guy who has upward mobility within the profession who stands for the things I stand for as a coach and who really understands what it takes to win.
"He's won quite a few ball games (at Troy) and beat some really, really good talent by doing a lot with a little. That said a lot, along with being a great family man. It was just a good fit for me."
Addae admits he didn't know Brown before discussing the West Virginia job with him during the interview process.
He said there was a mutual friendship with Minnesota offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca and some other coaches he worked for, but that's it.
"It was a lengthy interview process, most of it being done over the phone," Addae said. "It was really a two-way conversation because I got a chance to know who he is."
Addae is in charge of West Virginia's cornerbacks, an important task considering the high-powered offenses the Mountaineers will be facing in the Big 12.
All four players listed at the top of the depth chart at the two corner positions for the Camping World Bowl return – Keith Washington Jr. and Hakeem Bailey on one side, and Josh Norwood and Derrek Pitts Jr. on the other side with Pitts and Washington getting the starting nods against Syracuse.
Addae said he is still getting familiar with the guys he will be working with on a daily basis.
"I will say I have a group of guys who are working their butts off, and they will work as hard as they can to get what you're asking of them done," he said. "That's all we can ask of them as coaches."
What Brown is asking of Addae, in addition to coaching the Mountaineer secondary, is to reestablish West Virginia's recruiting presence in the talent-rich, Delaware-Maryland-Virginia area.
Players such as Tavon Austin, Wendell Smallwood, David Sills V, Terence Garvin and Brandon Hogan were once outstanding performers for the Mountaineers from that region. Current wide receiver Marcus Simms also hails from Bowie, Maryland.
Addae said this will be the first time he's ever recruited the DMV.
"I know a few people there just from some common friends, so I'm excited to get into that area as well," Addae said. "We'll all have a little bit of (West Virginia) as I work my way out of the state."
He will also handle parts of Florida and will cover some uncommon territories for WVU he once recruited when he was at Arizona and Minnesota such as Las Vegas.
Addae said he's already been meeting many of the coaches at some of the top high school programs in the National Capital Region."The good thing about that area is it is close enough but yet far enough that (recruits) can still develop themselves as a man and grow into their own while still being able to get home during breaks and whatnot," he said. "With the amount of talent there, it's going to be really exciting because it is so close to us."
Once Addae establishes deeper relationships with some of the top prep programs, he said it will become a matter of selling himself, Neal Brown and West Virginia University to their top prospects.
"I think that comes naturally if you do a good job with a kid, but also I think you need to get some help from the coaches and people within that community that may have known you when you played or watched you when you played or sent you a kid before," Addae explained. "We're going to lean on some of those coaches and even some of the players that played for us in the past that come out of those areas to somewhat help us."
One aspect of Mountaineer football that won't need much help is West Virginia's membership in the Big 12 Conference, an interesting alternative for East Coast players typically considering SEC and ACC schools.
Providing the opportunity to play in the most explosive offensive conference in college football will be an easy sell for Addae.
"The Big 12 isn't a hard sell," Addae noted. "The conference is what it is, especially with my position group. If you want your skillset to be put on display, then come to the Big 12, right? It's a straight air show and with that being said, I think guys see that as an awesome opportunity to really put themselves on display.
"They will be doing it at a place where football is a big deal, and I think when you marry those two together it makes for a really good situation for guys wanting to come in and make a splash," he concluded.
Just as he once did as a Mountaineer player more than a decade ago.
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