WVU Assistant Jake Casteel Named Head Coach at Glenville State

West Virginia University football defensive assistant coach Jake Casteel has been hired as the head coach at Glenville State.

Casteel joined WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez from Jacksonville State, where he served as a defensive analyst and coached the SAM linebackers. In 2024, his linebacker unit combined for more than 240 tackles, helping power the Gamecocks to the No. 11 red-zone defense nationally. JSU also ranked No. 16 in the country with 24 turnovers forced.

Prior to arriving at Jacksonville State, Casteel earned his first full-time role at Cal Poly in 2022 as the linebackers coach and co–special teams coordinator, following graduate assistant stints at West Virginia (2021) and Boise State (2020).

Casteel was a linebacker at Northern Arizona from 2014-18 before launching his coaching career as a defensive graduate assistant at his alma mater in 2019.

He played in 44 contests over four seasons, making 250 tackles (125 solo), including a team-leading 90 in 2018. In 2017, he was instrumental on a defense that helped the Lumberjacks earn an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs, the program's first postseason berth since 2013.

He appeared in 44 games across four seasons, totaling 250 tackles (125 solo) and leading the team with 90 stops in 2018. A year earlier, he played a key role on a defense that helped Northern Arizona secure an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs, the program’s first postseason trip since 2013.

Jake is the son of WVU Bandits coach Jeff Casteel, who was with on Rodriguez’s staff in his first tenure in Morgantown, serving as the defensive line coach in the first season in 2001, was elevated to co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2002, and was the architect of the defense from 2003-11.

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