Oklahoma DC Zac Alley Spoke on Speculation Connecting Him to West Virginia After the Armed Forces Bowl

FORT WORTH — Oklahoma defensive coordinator Zac Alley got asked if he was going to be a man on the move after the Sooners’ Armed Forces Bowl defeat to Navy.

Rumors out of Morgantown indicate that Alley may be a candidate for West Virginia’s defensive coordinator gig, but the current OU coach said he was just focused on the future after Friday’s 21-20 loss.

“Every year, there’s going to be something that comes up with jobs and whatnot, man, but I’m just excited about our team,” Alley said on Oklahoma’s postgame radio broadcast. “I think coming back next season, we’re going to have a great opportunity to be successful, be a top defense in the country, and hopefully we got some young guys who can come along to help us do that.”

Rich Rodriguez returned to helm the Mountaineers this offseason, and he’s yet to announce his defensive coordinator.

Alley worked on staff with Rodriguez as his defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023 at Jacksonville State before he rejoined Brent Venables in Norman for the 2024 campaign.

Alley got his start in coaching working with Venables.

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He served as a student assistant at Clemson from 2011-2014, and he was promoted to a graduate assistant with the Tigers from 2015-2018.

His first job as a position coach came at Boise State, where he served as the inside linebackers coach in 2019. In 2020, he was elevated to outside linebackers coach and co-special teams coordinator for Boise State.

In 2021, Alley moved to Louisiana-Monroe where he was both the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach before linking up with Rodriguez at Jacksonville State in 2022.

OU’s defense took a big step forward this past season with Alley in the fold.

Led by consensus All-American linebacker Danny Stutsman, the Sooners finished the regular season 11th in rushing defense, 13th in first down defense, 21st in total defense, 16th in sacks per game, 34th in scoring defense and 55th in passing defense.

Losing Alley, who also coached the linebackers as well as calling plays, would see Venables again have to replace both coordinators.

He entered 2024 with a new pair of play callers, both Alley and Seth Littrell.

Littrell only lasted seven games.

Venables tapped up Washington State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ben Arbuckle for the same role at Oklahoma, and Arbuckle even coached OU’s quarterbacks in the Armed Forces Bowl after Kevin Johns departed to join Oklahoma State’s staff.

Along with Stutsman, the Sooners will also lose safety Billy Bowman, defensive end Ethan Downs, defensive tackle Da’Jon Terry and defensive back Woodi Washington in 2025.

But Alley believes in the depth that Oklahoma already has on campus, and he said he’s excited to start building into a second season in Norman.

“We had a lot of guys get a lot of experience this year,” Alley said. “We return a majority of the defense, which should help us to be better. I wish we could’ve won this one, obviously, but man just the relentless effort and determination that our guys have shown all season, through all the hardship, the ups and downs, the adversity, obviously.

“I’m just proud of them, and I’m ready to get to work.”