Ron West joined the Mountaineer football staff as a senior analyst (defense) in July 2019. He came to West Virginia after serving as the co-offensive line coach at Georgia Tech for the past three years.
At West Virginia, West is responsible for organizing, implementing and maintaining all aspects of game analysis, including direct oversight of the game planning for the defense. He will analyze game film and formulate game plans to assist the coaching staff with game preparation.
West brings 38 years as a collegiate coach, including coaching at four of the five power five conferences. He coached 19 years on offense, 19 years on defense and 11 years in coordinator roles. During his career, he coached in 19 bowl games, including 10 victories. West also coached and/or recruited 17 players who went on to professional careers.
In 2018, the Yellow Jackets led the nation in rushing and finished second in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division. In his first two seasons in Atlanta, he helped guide an offensive front that paved the way for Georgia Tech to lead the ACC and rank among the top 10 nationally in rushing offense both years (258.1 ypg in 2016 and 307.4 ypg in 2017).
In addition to leading the ACC and finishing fifth in all of NCAA Division I FBS in rushing offense in 2017, the Yellow Jackets featured two 1,000-yard rushers for only the second time in school history (TaQuon Marshall – 1,146 and KirVonte Benson – 1,053) and set a school record with four 400-yard rushing games on the season.
West joined Georgia Tech's coaching staff in 2016 after two years (2013-14) at North Carolina, where he served as co-defensive coordinator and linebacker's coach.
After graduating from Clemson in 1979, he began his coaching career as offensive line coach at North Texas in 1980. His coaching resume also includes 16 years coaching offensive lines, including stints at Texas Tech (1981-85), Baylor (1993-96), Tulane (1997-98) and Clemson (1999-2008). During his four years at Baylor, West worked for head coach Chuck Reedy and helped the Bears win a share of the Southwest Conference title in 1994. At Tulane, West helped guide the Green Wave to a perfect 12-0 season in 1998. West spent seven years as the defensive coordinator at Louisiana-Lafayette (1986-92), including serving as the assistant head coach in 1992.
Ten years of his career were spent at Clemson (1999-2008). He joined the Tigers' staff in 1999 as offensive line coach, moved to the defensive line in 2004 and spent his final four years with the Tigers coaching outside linebackers.
In 2006, West coached one of the greatest players in Clemson history, the late Gaines Adams – the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Adams was named to all five All-America teams in 2006 and was recognized as one of seven unanimous first-team All-Americans that year.
Since leaving Clemson, West coached on the defensive side of the ball at Tulsa (2009/Co-DC/LB), Illinois (2010-11/OLB-ST), Arizona State (2012/Co-DC) and North Carolina in 2013-14 (Co-DC/LB).
West began his collegiate career, earning junior college All-American honors at Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama. before transferring to Clemson prior to his junior campaign. At Clemson, West was a reserve offensive lineman in 1977 and 1978. He started two games as a senior and helped the Tigers post an 11-1 record and earn a No. 6 national ranking in the final Associated Press poll of the season.
West and his wife Becky, have two adult children, Brad and Lori, and two grandchildren, Wyatt and Lily.
