Rich Rod's Eyes in the Sky: Travis Trickett Is a Major Piece of the Future for WVU Football

WVU offensive line coach Rick Trickett got his start in coaching 53 years ago at Glenville State and eventually became one of the best, if not the best, offensive line coaches in college football. Each of his three sons — Travis, Chance, and Clint — followed in his footsteps and made a name for themselves in football, with all three having made an impact at WVU.

Clint, obviously, was the starting quarterback for the Mountaineers for two years (2013, 2014), putting up some big-time numbers throwing it to the likes of Kevin White and Mario Alford. He has quickly climbed the coaching ladder, now serving as the offensive coordinator at Maryland.

Chance Trickett spent several years in the NFL in the scouting department with the Los Angeles Rams and has played a major role in his brief time in Morgantown, teaching the staff what NFL front offices are looking for in a player while understanding the cap side of it as well.

For Travis, this is his third stint in Morgantown. He was a student assistant here from 2003-06, the inside receivers/tight ends coach from 2019-21, and returned last year as a senior offensive assistant.

Rich Rod's eyes in the sky

Dec 28, 2021; Phoenix, AZ, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers tight ends coach Travis Trickett against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez is the offensive play-caller, and as long as he is in charge in Morgantown, that will likely remain the case. That being said, he does rely on Travis Trickett a lot throughout the game, who is up top in the booth and can get a good look at what the defense is doing and how to attack it. He'll suggest certain calls or inform Rich Rod that a certain action might create a big play. In a lot of ways, what he does is similar to an offensive coordinator.

“Travis will see some stuff and call some plays or tell me this is what we need to work on, and I always need somebody really good to do that," Rich Rod said. "Rhett (Rodriguez) has got a great feel for it. He’s up there. I used to have Calvin Magee. Calvin was great. Calvin could finish my sentences. Calvin knew exactly before I would say it; he would call the play out. Travis and I are getting to the same thing where it’s like, we’re thinking the same thing. The more games we have together, especially this year, the more all three of us in particular will be on the same page.”

Calvin Magee was with Rodriguez from 2001-07 at WVU, 2008-10 at Michigan, 2012-17 at Arizona, 2019 at Ole Miss, and 2022 at Jacksonville State. Together, they helped create some of the most explosive offenses in college football. With a little more time and player development, Rich Rod and Travis Trickett could make it happen again at West Virginia.

Back when Trickett was a student assistant at WVU, he used to signal in the plays that Rich Rod would call. He knows this offense and its style like the back of his hand, and that's part of the reason Rodriguez feels so comfortable with him in that role.

“He’s been in that role before at different schools at a high level, and he’s also been in our system and our program and knows that really, really well too. But part of it too is also knowing whoever you’re communicating with, you got to have a feel for what we like to do, and I don’t want to say the attitude we have, but who we are. Who we are is a little unique. And I’ve always called plays based on who I think we are as a program, and then you have a variety within there.”

Trickett is a great football mind, just like his dad, and is terrific at developing relationships with people, which is why he has been so successful as a recruiter throughout his coaching career. I'm not sure if becoming a head coach is something he would like to do one day, but if it is, there's no doubt in my mind that he would flourish.

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