Rick Trickett has returned for his third assistant coaching stint at West Virginia University, the school announced on Mar. 25. Trickett, a Masontown native and Glenville State graduate, first coached the Mountaineer defensive linemen from 1976 to 1979 and later served as offensive line coach from 2001 to 2006 under Rich Rodriguez. He now rejoins the program after four years at Jacksonville State, three of which were also with Rodriguez.
Trickett said he was motivated by his connection to West Virginia and conversations with Rodriguez about helping improve the team. “I just turned 78 (Monday) so a lot of things are flying by right now,” Trickett said yesterday. “When college football was changing so much the last three or four years, I didn’t know if it was a good fit for me to be up on this level or not… but I’m from West Virginia, and after talking with coach, I felt like we needed to come back and help get this thing right.”
During their previous time together in Morgantown in the early 2000s, West Virginia’s rushing offense ranked second nationally in 2002 and helped lead the team toward an outright Big East title in 2005 and a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia in January 2006. Trickett is credited with recruiting quarterback Pat White during that period.
Rodriguez described how he met Trickett through mutual friend Ike Morris while organizing a coaching clinic at Glenville State: “Rick came to speak…and then we got to be friends,” Rodriguez recalled. Now reunited on staff again, Rodriguez said: “It helps to have a couple of old dudes in here with gray hair… I’ve got a lot of good young coaches, but I’m an old guy now, and Rick is an old guy too.” He also praised Trickett’s demanding style: “The biggest thing about coach Trickett…there is nobody who looks after his guys more than Rick Trickett… there is a reason why so many of his guys who have gone on to play in the NFL and have had success still keep in touch with him and appreciate what he’s done for them.”
Trickett brings more than five decades of experience across several major programs including Mississippi State, Auburn, LSU, Florida State—where he won a national championship—and Jacksonville State. His reputation as both disciplinarian and mentor continues as he works with new players transferring into WVU along with some former Jacksonville State athletes.
Looking ahead at WVU’s prospects under his guidance this season, Rodriguez concluded: “I think we’re going to be better up front. The running game has got to be better.”
