Candidates That Could Replace Al Pogue at WVU

Neal Brown is back on the hunt for another assistant

West Virginia is looking to replace an assistant coach for the third time this off-season as outside linebackers coach Al Pogue is headed to Auburn in a yet to be specified role.

Luckily enough for the Mountaineers, Neal Brown has a history of working with outstanding assistant coaches, many of whom can fill the shoes of Al Pogue on staff. It takes a special kind of coach to combine the skill development and recruiting prowess of Pogue, but these are a few candidates that may be looked at for the open position.

Jon Sumrall

The 36-year old Sumrall is currently employed as the inside linebackers coach at Kentucky, where Neal Brown coached from from 2013 to 2014. When Brown was named head coach at Troy following the 2014 season, Sumrall was offered and accepted the position of assistant head coach in addition to his duties as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.

His resume is rather extensive for as young as his career is with other stops including Tulane, where he spent time coaching both linebackers and defensive line, and San Diego where he served at various times as defensive line coach, recruiting coordinator, linebackers coach, defensive coordinator, and assistant head coach.

Sumrall began his coaching career at Kentucky, his alma mater, and returned there in 2019 after a one-year stint coaching linebackers at Ole Miss. Not only is he familiar with Neal Brown, but Sumrall worked directly under Vic Koenning and understands the inner workings of West Virginia’s unique defensive scheme.

Combining this with his history as a recruiter, Jon Sumrall looks like a strong candidate to replace Al Pogue.

Bam Hardmon

Former NFL linebacker Bam Hardmon began his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Koenning at Illinois following his five-year pro career. In that time, he helped to develop a pair of NFL first round draft picks in Whitney Mercilus and Corey Liuget.

From there, earned his first full time coaching position at Charleston Southern, overseeing special teams and outside linebackers before moving on to coach defensive line at Idaho.

Hardmon joined the staff at Troy in 2015 and remains on staff to this day. Currently coaching defensive line and bandits, he also holds the role of defensive run game coordinator and served as a major part of the success of Koenning’s Troy defenses.

This has included outstanding player development, with Troy’s starting bandit being named first-team All-Sun Belt in four of Hardon’s five years, including 2016 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, Rashad Dillard. Additionally, he is largely responsible for the success of two former walk-ons, Hunter Reese and Carlton Martial, receiving first-team all conference honors.

Bam Hardmon has proven to be an outstanding developer of talent and is intimately familiar with West Virginia’s defense. His candidacy is something to look out for moving forward.

Brian Turner

Turner is another former Troy assistant, having been on staff during Brown’s first stint on staff with the Trojans. Currently, he is co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the South Alabama Jaguars.

He assisted in the launch of the South Alabama program in 2009 and has coached at least one all-conference selection in each of the school’s six years in the Sun Belt. Additionally, Turner has worked as recruiting coordinator early in his time with the Jaguars and during his time at Troy.

With the Trojans, he initially worked on the offensive side of the ball with tight ends and wide receivers before switching to defense, moving on to safeties and later defensive line. Other coaching stops include a stint at the high school level, a stop at North Alabama, and an initial graduate assistant position at Troy.

Brian Turner has a rather diverse background and familiarity with Neal Brown and his influences. His experience coaching a variety of positions would serve him well under Koenning and his time as a recruiting coordinator would certainly help replace Al Pogue’s impact.

Jeremy Rowell

Rowell is another Sun Belt stalwart, currently serving as outside linebackers coach at Georgia Southern. He is in his fourth year there with the first two coming as defensive backs coach.

This is a combination that could make him a favorite for the job due to the hybrid nature of the outside linebackers in Vic Koenning’s system. Ties to Neal Brown again stem from his time as a Troy assistant when Rowell served as defensive backs coach, and later defensive coordinator, over a fifteen-year period under long-time head coach Larry Blakeney.

Between his two college stints, Rowell became one of the top high school coaches in the nation. He led Georgia’s Colquitt County High School for three seasons, winning two state 6A championships while having his team named national champions by High School Football America and receiving a No. 2 national ranking from USA Today in his final season.

Rowell played quarterback at Troy in the mid-1990s, going 19-3 as a starter, including a perfect 11-0 season. He has also coached as a part of defenses that have finished in the top five in the country, as well as four NFL draft picks with No. 11 pick Leodis McKelvin among that group.

Jeremy Rowell has vast experience in coaching and comes from many of the same mentors as Neal Brown. His high school ties, in addition to years as a coordinator, will make him an interesting candidate to replace Al Pogue due to his unique resume.

It will not be easy for West Virginia to replace Al Pogue, but Neal Brown has the background to find some outstanding candidates. As a result, it would not be surprising to see this position filled quickly with a quality coach who can make hay on the recruiting trail as well.