WVU Set to Hire SEC Assistant Who Coached Former No. 1 Pick Jadeveon Clowney

For the second time this offseason, Rich Rodriguez has made a hire to help lead the group of pass rushers on defense, First it was Larry Knight, whom he hired away from Arkansas State. Before Knight even really got settled into his new role with the Mountaineers, he packed his bags again, landing a job with the Georgia Bulldogs.

Now, it appears West Virginia has found his replacement in Deke Adams. According to Matt Zenitz of CSB Sports, the Mountaineers are expected to hire Adams away from Arkansas.

Adams has been in the coaching space for quite a while now, dating all the way back to 1997, when he got his start at Jacksonville State. He never crossed paths in terms of being on the same staff as head coach Rich Rodriguez or defensive coordinator Zac Alley, but he did face off against Alley's team (Oklahoma) when he served as an assistant at Ole Miss in 2020.

He has done a magnificent job of developing talent over the years, coaching up some big-time playmakers, such as former No. 1 overall draft pick Jadeveon Clowney, albeit for one season. He's helped produce multiple All-Americans along the way in addition to Clowney, such as Kelcy Quarles (South Carolina) and Sylvester Williams (North Carolina).

Over the past four seasons, he's been the defensive line coach at Arkansas, where he helped Landon Jackson to become an NFL draft pick a year ago. He also played a hand in the development of Jamie Collins, who spent 10+ years in the league, primarily with the New England Patriots.

Two years ago, the Razorbacks ranked 44th in rushing yards allowed per game (139.7) and 74th in sacks per game (1.8).

This move is not official just yet, but it should be formally announced in the coming days.

Deke Adams' coaching experience

1997 Jacksonville State (Defensive Line)

1998-2000 Pearl River CC (Linebackers)

2001-02 Pearl River CC (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Secondary)

2002-04 Ouachita Baptist (Defensive Line)

2005 Ouachita Baptist (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line)

2006 North Carolina A&T (Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line)

2007 North Carolina A&T (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)

2008 Louisiana-Monroe (Linebackers/Player Development)

2009-11 Southern Miss (Defensive Line)

2012 North Carolina (Defensive Line)

2013-15 South Carolina (Defensive Line)

2016 East Carolina (Defensive Line)

2017-18 North Carolina (Defensive Line)

2019 Mississippi State (Defensive Line)

2020 Ole Miss (Defensive Line)

2021 Florida International (Defensive Line)

2022-pres. Arkansas (Defensive Line)