Ashton Derico joined the Mountaineer coaching staff as a defensive analyst in April 2025.
Derico returned to Morgantown from Western Illinois, where he served as the defensive line coach and professional liaison for one season. The Leatherbacks improved from six sacks in 2023 to 21 in 2024.
Prior to Western Illinois, he was the assistant defensive line coach at Notre Dame for one season and helped a group that included an All-American and three all-conference performers. He also handled preparation for position meetings, assisted with recruiting and oversaw the scout team meeting.
Derico previously served as an assistant defensive line coach at West Virginia from 2021-23, helping to develop three all-conference players (Dante Stills, Akheem Mesidor, Jordan Jefferson).
He spent time as a graduate assistant at Troy from 2020-21. Derico worked with the interior defensive line, assisting with recruiting and helped mold interior defensive linemen (including TJ Jackson II, Will Choloh and Shakel Brown). He also ran the scout team offensive line and assisted the staff with weekly game planning.
Before working at Troy, Derico was at Shorter from 2018-20, where he served as a graduate assistant, working with the interior defensive line before being promoted to defensive line coach in 2019.
The Montgomery, Alabama, native was a four-year starter at West Alabama from 2013-17, where he played defensive end and tackle under coach Roberto Pinilla. During his career, the Tigers won two Gulf South Conference championships.
Derico graduated with his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from West Alabama in 2017, received a master’s degree in business administration from Shorter in 2019 and earned a master’s degree in communications from Troy in 2020 and a master’s degree in sport management from WVU in 2022.
