MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Doug Belk landed a job as West Virginia’s cornerbacks coach Friday based on a gamble he made during the spring of 2014.
Back then he was wrapping up his second year working with the defensive backs at Valdosta State, a mid-20s coach with a Division II national championship on his resume in the hometown where he quarterbacked Lowndes County High to two Georgia state titles.
When Belk learned of an opportunity to join Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama, he hesitated because the graduate assistant position in Tuscaloosa was a step down in pay from his full-time job at Valdosta State.
“He had some reservations,” said former Valdosta State head coach David Dean. “But we both realized it was the best thing for him. Sometimes when you get into Division II you get stuck there for a while.
“He was still single, he was young, and he could afford not to have to worry about the extra burden of supporting a family and not getting as big a paycheck as he did before.”
Dean, now the head coach at West Georgia, said Belk’s stint inside the Alabama football machine — where the Crimson Tide three-peated as SEC champions and twice played for the national title — provided invaluable access to a powerful coaching network.
“He made the right decision, and he made a lot of contacts that were going to be very beneficial for him,” Dean said.
Belk worked under coordinators Kirby Smart and Jeremy Pruitt, helping shape defenses stockpiled with NFL draft picks the never finished worse than No. 6 nationally in points allowed. The young coach also developed under direct exposure from Saban, according to Travis Reier of BamaOnline.com.
“It’s funny because Saban actually refers to himself as Alabama’s ‘graduate assistant coach’ in the secondary,” Reier said. “In addition to serving under secondary coach Derrick Ansley, who is considered a rising star in coaching circles, Belk worked very closely with Saban on the practice field.
“That tells me Belk’s promotion at another Power 5 program came with a stamp of approval from not only the top head coach in the game, but also a guy who, at heart, still considers himself a corners coach.”
Saban’s recommendation proved persuasive in West Virginia hiring an assistant who had never been a full-time FBS coach.
Dean foresaw big-time openings for Belk years earlier.
“Back at Valdosta State, I knew I was going to have a hard time hanging on to him because he was so good,” Dean said. “He was a very smart coach, very articulate, did a great job of teaching and he got the best out of our players.
“I think West Virginia is going to be very excited once they see him on the field and how good a coach he really is.”
Belk’s recruiting ties to the South could help the Mountaineers rebound from the departure of Ja’Juan Seider. At Valdosta State, Belk’s territory stretched along the western edge of Georgia, from Columbus to Newnan, with an area in Atlanta and a portion of north Florida included.
“If he gets in the home, he’s going to sell the mamas,” Dean said. “They’re going to like him, they’re going to like his approach.
“He’s going to understand that area and he’s going to understand those kids.”
Profile: Doug Belk
New position: West Virginia cornerbacks coach replacing Blue Adams, who left South Florida
Previous jobs: Graduate assistant at Alabama (2014-2016); defensive backs coach at Valdosta State (2012-2013)
Playing career: Played quarterback, receiver, running back and defensive back at Division II Carson-Newman (2006-2010)
Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer information and business management from Carson-Newman in 2010; master’s degree in sport management from Alabama in 2015
Quoting Dana Holgorsen: “We would like to welcome Doug to the West Virginia football program. He comes highly recommended and brings several years of successful secondary experience at high-level programs.”