MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — With his top choice apparently off the table, it’s on to another option at offensive coordinator for new West Virginia coach Neal Brown as he fills out his coaching staff.
Minnesota offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca has elected to stay with the Golden Gophers after receiving interest from West Virginia about the position, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. Ciarrocca turned WVU down on Tuesday, choosing instead to stay in the Twin Cities with head coach P.J. Fleck. Ciarrocca and Fleck have coached together since 2013 at Western Michigan. Ciarrocca had worked with Brown at Delaware in 2005.
A West Virginia team source confirmed that Brown’s sights are now set on Chad Scott as a co-offensive coordinator. Scott, like Ciarrocca, has a history of working with Brown, though his is even deeper. Scott worked as a running backs coach with Brown at Kentucky, Texas Tech and Troy. The two were also teammates at Kentucky in 2000.
Scott spent the last three seasons as North Carolina’s tight ends coach before being hired as Louisville’s running backs coach just last week. The position would be a promotion for Scott, who has not previously served as a coordinator. Scott is a native of the Tampa, Fla. area — a connection seen as an asset in recruiting, particularly with current running backs coach Marquel Blackwell expected to follow Dana Holgorsen to Houston.
If Scott is hired, there would remain a need for a quarterbacks coach that would presumably fill the title of co-offensive coordinator along with Scott.