If West Virginia is to improve its sieve-like defense from the past couple of years, that help will apparently come from within.
While the team has yet to formally announce any move, Bruce Feldman of CBSSports.com reported late Wednesday night that Tony Gibson is set to be named as Dana Holgorsen‘s new defensive coordinator. Gibson spent the 2013 season as WVU’s safeties coach in his second stint stint in Morgantown (2001-07).
Gibson would replace Keith Patterson, who left earlier this month for the coordinator job at Arizona State. As previously noted, Holgorsen will be hiring his fourth defensive coordinator in as many years since coming to the Mountaineers.
If Gibson does take over at WVU, he’ll have his work cut out for him.
In two years with Patterson as coordinator, the Mountaineers finished 99th (33.3 points per game, 2013) and 114th (38.1 ppg, 2012) in scoring defense. In total defense, WVU finished 2013 101st (455 yards per game) after ending 2012 114th (472.5 ypg).