The West Virginia Mountaineers have tried just about everything to get their defense moving in the right direction, including relocating defensive coordinator Zac Alley from the sideline to the coaches’ booth.
Unfortunately, Saturday’s 52-31 loss to Arizona showed that a change of scenery wasn’t enough to solve WVU’s defensive problems. The Mountaineers have now surrendered at least 40 points in three consecutive games, leaving Alley and head coach Rich Rodriguez searching for answers.
During Tuesday’s media availability, Alley explained why he made the move upstairs and revealed one particularly frustrating drawback that came with it.
According to Alley, the decision was made after conversations with other coaches who had experience calling games from the booth, including Rodriguez.
WVU’s Zac Alley Explains Unexpected Problem From Coaches’ Booth
“We were trying to see it better and trying to get us into better situations,” Alley said, according to BlueGoldNews.
Alley explained that the elevated perspective allows him to recognize offensive formations, player alignments and potential problems before the snap. From upstairs, the game appears to move more slowly, giving him additional time to process what opposing offenses are preparing to do.
However, identifying a problem and getting it corrected are two entirely different challenges.
“The negative to that is I’m freaking out in the box trying to get a guy off because I see the problem and we can’t get it communicated fast enough,” Alley admitted.
That comment is particularly revealing considering WVU’s defensive struggles. Even when Alley recognizes something that needs to change, the communication process can prevent his players from making the necessary adjustments.
“It’s a give and take that way,” Alley explained, adding that the staff wanted to try something different to help the defense improve.
Alley indicated he will probably remain upstairs against Cincinnati, although he still intends to discuss the decision with Rodriguez before making anything official. For Mountaineers fans, however, the coordinator’s location is becoming increasingly irrelevant.
WVU surrendered 41 points against Oklahoma State, 45 against Iowa State and another 52 against Arizona. Those performances have placed enormous pressure on the defensive staff to demonstrate meaningful improvement. Whether Alley calls plays from the sideline, the booth or anywhere else inside the stadium, the expectation remains the same.
West Virginia needs to tackle better, communicate more effectively and stop allowing opposing offenses to dictate games. At this point, Mountaineers fans aren’t asking for a perfect defense. They simply want one capable of giving their team a realistic chance to win.
WVU’s Zac Alley Admits Frustrating Problem With Coaching Booth Experiment