MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Cornerbacks coach Doug Belk is in line to remain at West Virginia after recently interviewing for a post on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama.
The Crimson Tide on Wednesday reportedly agreed to hire Louisiana-Lafayette defensive coordinator Karl Scott as its new cornerbacks coach, according to FootballScoop.com.
Belk just finished his first season on the Mountaineers’ staff after working three years as a graduate assistant at Alabama.
Saban’s recommendation last year carried considerable weight toward Belk landing his first Division I job at West Virginia. The two met in Tuscaloosa last week to discuss the vacancy created by Tide cornerbacks coach Derrick Ansley leaving for Colorado State (and subsequently joining Jon Gruden’s new staff with the Oakland Raiders).
A source called Belk’s interview “a great opportunity” to relink with a program that has won five national titles in nine years. Simply landing a serious interview after only one full-time season at the FBS level speaks to the trust Belk developed as a GA under Saban.
Scott had spent the previous two years as the defensive backs coach at Texas Tech after a year at Louisiana Tech. He agreed to become Louisiana-Lafayette’s coordinator a month ago.
Belk would be a boon to WVU’s staff continuity, where Tony Gibson could return the same set of assistants for the first time since becoming defensive coordinator in 2014.
Belk is recruiting in the Atlanta area this week, joined at several stops by head coach Dana Holgorsen.