MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Arizona assistant Matt Caponi has agreed to become West Virginia’s new safeties coach, sources confirmed Tuesday.
FootballScoop.com first reported the hire.
Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen and defensive coordinator Tony Gibson made Caponi, 33, their top target last week after deciding against renewing the $375,000 contract of safeties coach Joe DeForest. Sources said West Virginia also contacted a second candidate from an FCS program in case Caponi was unwilling to leave Rich Rodriguez’s staff at Arizona.
Rodriguez last week fired defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Jeff Casteel and defensive line coach Bill Kirelawich but planned to retain Caponi.
The Pittsburgh native worked as a graduate assistant with Gibson at Pitt during 2011 and at Arizona in 2012. Rodriguez promoted Caponi to Wildcats safeties coach in 2013 after Gibson returned to West Virginia.
A source said Gibson was moving quickly to hire DeForest’s replacement before Thursday, which marks the start of a new recruiting contact period.
At Arizona, Caponi’s recruiting territory included California junior colleges, contacts that could pay dividends with West Virginia’s defense mining the juco ranks to replace eight departing starters and four key second-team contributors.
After playing safety at Division III power Mount Union from 2000 to 2003, Caponi coached at his alma mater for two seasons before spending 2006 to 2010 at Washington & Jefferson College—three of those seasons as defensive coordinator.