Jeff Casteel

Last updated

Jeff Casteel
Current position
TitleOutside Linebackers coach
Team West Virginia
Conference Big 12
Annual salary$305,526.63 (Nevada: 2019) [1]
Biographical details
Born (1962-02-01) February 1, 1962 (age 62)
Paden City, West Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater California University of Pennsylvania
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1984–1986 California (PA) (GA)
1987 Miami Palmetto HS (FL) (DL)
1988–1990 Shepherd (DL)
1991–1999Shepherd (AHC/DC)
2000 UTEP (DE)
2001 West Virginia (DL)
2002West Virginia (co-DC/LB)
2003–2011West Virginia (DC/LB)
2012–2015 Arizona (DC/LB)
2017–2019 Nevada (DC/LB)
2020–23West Virginia (OLB)

Jeffrey Allen Casteel (born February 1, 1962) is an American football coach. He was the defensive coordinator for Nevada Wolf Pack.

Contents

Early life and education

Casteel was raised in Paden City, West Virginia and graduated from Paden City High School where he was a football stand out and member of the Paden City 1979 West Virginia Class 'A' State Champion Football Team.

Coaching career

Early years

Casteel earned bachelor's and master's degrees from California University of Pennsylvania. After graduation, he served as a graduate assistant for his alma mater from 1984 to 1986 and also served in the training camp for the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). However in 1987, Casteel was defensive coordinator at Miami Palmetto High School. He then served as defensive line and strength coach for Shepherd University from 1988 to 1990. He was then moved to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator from 1991 to 1999. During that time period of being assistant head coach, Shepherd won six West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) championships.

After his tenure at Shepherd, Casteel moved to University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and coached the defensive ends for 2000. During that season, UTEP won the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) title and a berth to the Humanitarian Bowl.

West Virginia

After his one season at UTEP, Casteel moved to West Virginia University to join head coach Rich Rodriguez and coach the defensive line for the 2001 season. He was elevated to co-defensive coordinator alongside Todd Graham in 2002 and eventually became the full-time defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2003.

In 2005, the Mountaineers defense ranked 15th in the nation in total defense and 13th in points allowed under Casteel. In 2006, the Mountaineers pass defense ranked #109 out of the nation, 119 teams. The next season, 2007, the acquisitions of safety Ryan Mundy and freshman defensive backs helped the Mountaineer defense to a top 10 defensive ranking. [2] His 2007 defense also ranked in the top 30 in eight categories. The Mountaineers finished seventh in the nation in total defense, eighth in scoring defense and 14th in pass efficiency defense. Following the season, Casteel was named the Defensive Coordinator of the Year by Rivals.com. [3]

When former head coach Rodriguez departed West Virginia to accept the head coaching job at the University of Michigan, Casteel originally planned to follow Rodriguez. But after interim head coach Bill Stewart was promoted to head coach following Mountaineers' victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, Casteel decided to stay at West Virginia. [4] For the 2008 season, Casteel and the new defensive staff helped the young Mountaineers defense to a #1 redzone defense national ranking, a #11 scoring defense national ranking, a #11 fourth down defensive national ranking, and a #16 passing efficiency defense national ranking. [5] These Top 20 ranking were despite starting a true freshman at safety, Robert Sands, and the loss of all-conference linebacker Reed Williams to a medical redshirt.

Arizona

Following West Virginia's victory in the 2012 Orange Bowl, Casteel departed to join the staff at Arizona under Rich Rodriguez, who was hired as head coach in November 2011. An official announcement and Casteel's formal introduction to the Tucson media was made on January 11, 2012. [6] [7]

On January 4, 2016, Jeff Casteel was fired as the Arizona Defensive Coordinator. [8]

Casteel was offered the defensive coordinator position at UTEP prior to the 2016 season, but turned it down. [9] Instead, Casteel spent the 2016 season watching his son, Jack, play linebacker for Northern Arizona. It was the first time in 31 years that Casteel took a year off from coaching. [10]

Nevada

On December 19, 2016, Casteel was announced as the new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the University of Nevada, Reno under head coach Jay Norvell. [11] Casteel earned $225,000 annually, the most ever for a Nevada Wolf Pack football assistant coach. [12] Nevada and Casteel used the 3-3-5 as the base defense. [13]

Personal life

Casteel and his wife, Rosemary, have two children, Jack and Sarah. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees from California University of Pennsylvania. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rich Rodriguez</span> American football player and coach (born 1963)

Richard Alan Rodriguez, also known as Rich Rod, is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Jacksonville State University, a position he has held since the 2022 season. Rodriguez previously was the head football coach at Salem University (1988), Glenville State College (1990–1996), West Virginia University (2001–2007), the University of Michigan (2008–2010), and the University of Arizona (2012–2017). His career head coaching record stands at 181–125–2. In 2011, Rodriguez worked as an analyst for CBS Sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Wildcats football</span> University of Arizona football team

The Arizona Wildcats football program represents the University of Arizona (UA) in the sport of American college football. Arizona competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Big 12 Conference. They play their home games at Arizona Stadium, which opened in 1929 on the university's campus in Tucson, Arizona, and has a capacity of 50,782. The Wildcats head coach is Brent Brennan.

Christopher Joseph Tormey is a former American football coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Graham</span> American football player and coach (born 1964)

Michael Todd Graham is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head football coach at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (2020–2021). Graham has served as the head football coach at Rice University (2006), the University of Tulsa (2007–2010), the University of Pittsburgh (2011), and Arizona State University (2012–2017).

The 2007 Cincinnati Bearcats football team represented the University of Cincinnati in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team, coached by Brian Kelly, played its home games in Nippert Stadium, as it has since 1923. This was Kelly's first complete season with the Bearcats, having coached them to a 27–24 win against Western Michigan in the 2007 International Bowl.

The Nevada Wolf Pack football program represents the University of Nevada, Reno in college football. The Wolf Pack competes in the Mountain West Conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NCAA Division I. It was founded on October 24, 1896, as the Sagebrushers in Reno, Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Stewart (American football)</span> American football coach (1952–2012)

William L. Stewart, nicknamed "Stew", was an American football coach. He was named interim head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan in December 2007. After leading the Mountaineers to a 48–28 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl, he was named the school's 32nd head football coach on January 3, 2008. Stewart resigned in the summer of 2011. He was previously the head coach of Virginia Military Institute for three seasons.

The 2008 West Virginia Mountaineers football team competed on behalf of West Virginia University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bill Stewart, who took over after he led the Mountaineers to a 2008 Fiesta Bowl victory over the #3 Oklahoma Sooners as the interim head coach after the departure of former head coach Rich Rodriguez. The team finished the season with a 9–4 record and a win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Ken Flajole is a retired American football coach. He was the defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams from 2009 to 2011. He won Super Bowl LII as the linebackers coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 as well as Super Bowl LVII in 2022 and Super Bowl LVIII in 2023 as the outside linebackers coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doc Holliday (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1957)

John "Doc" Holliday is an American former college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Marshall University from 2010 to 2020, compiling a record of 85–54.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 UNLV Rebels football team</span> American college football season

The 2010 UNLV Rebels football team was the 43rd varsity football team to represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Rebels played in the Mountain West Conference and compete each season against the remaining eight members of the conference and one permanent interstate rival: Nevada. The Rebels played a 13-game schedule due to their non-conference road game at Hawaii. The Rebels also had non-conference games against Wisconsin and at Idaho and West Virginia. Bobby Hauck was in first season as the head coach of the Rebels football program, having previously coached at the University of Montana. The Rebels played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada.

The 2011 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers were led through the regular season by first-year head coach Todd Graham and played eight home games at Heinz Field. Defensive coordinator Keith Patterson was named interim coach for the season-ending bowl game after Graham resigned in favor of a head coaching position at Arizona State.

Robert J. Rodriguez is an American football coach and former player who is the outside linebackers coach for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He most recently was the defensive line coach for the Arizona State University Sun Devils football team of the Pac-12 Conference in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Rodriguez is a graduate of UTEP, where he played linebacker during the early 2000s and later return to coach the defense in 2008. Rodriguez would then coach in the National Football League as an assistant defensive coach for the Minnesota Vikings in 2015.

Tim Kish is a retired American football coach. Kish previously served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at the University of Arizona before being promoted to interim head coach upon the firing of head coach Mike Stoops on October 10, 2011. He was succeeded as Arizona's head coach by Rich Rodriguez. Prior to his retirement at the end of the 2018 season, Kish served as linebackers coach for seven seasons at the University of Oklahoma.

Art Kaufman is an American former college football coach. He was the defensive coordinator for the California Golden Bears. He had been employed as the defensive coordinator for the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

The 2012 Nevada Wolf Pack football team represented the University of Nevada, Reno in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolf Pack were led by Chris Ault in his 28th overall and 9th straight season since taking over as head coach for the third time in 2004 and later resigned from coaching at the end of the season. They played their home games at Mackay Stadium and were first–year members of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 7–6 and 4–4 in Mountain West play to finish in fifth place. They were invited to the New Mexico Bowl where they lost to Arizona.

The 2012 Gildan New Mexico Bowl was a post-season American college football bowl game that was held on December 15, 2012, at University Stadium on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the United States. The seventh edition of the New Mexico Bowl began at 11:00 a.m. MST and aired on ESPN. It featured the Nevada Wolf Pack, who represented the Mountain West Conference in their first year as a member, against the Arizona Wildcats, who represented the Pac-12 Conference. The Wolf Pack accepted their invitation with a 7–4 record in their first eleven games of the season, while the Wildcats accepted their invitation after finishing the regular season at 7–5. The bowl was the first of 35 played in the 2012–13 bowl game season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Polian</span> American football player and coach (born 1974)

Brian Stewart Polian is an American college football coach and former player. He is the Athletic Director at John Carroll University. He is the former head coach of the Nevada Wolf Pack football team. He is the son of former National Football League (NFL) executive Bill Polian.

The 2019 Nevada Wolf Pack football team represented the University of Nevada, Reno in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolf Pack were led by third–year head coach Jay Norvell and played their home games at Mackay Stadium. They were members of the West Division of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 7–6 and 4–4 in Mountain West play to finish in third place in the West division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 West Virginia Mountaineers football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mountaineers played their home games at the Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, in Morgantown, West Virginia, and competed in the Big 12 Conference. They were led by second-year head coach Neal Brown.

References

  1. "Multiple records for Jeffrey A. Casteel". Transparent Nevada. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  2. "Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Team Report Pass Defense". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  3. "WVSports.com - Rivals.com coordinators of the year". Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
  4. "West Virginia Sports News, Scores and Coverage". Archived from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2008.
  5. "FBS Football Statistics". web1.ncaa.org. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  6. Ryan Finley (January 10, 2012). "UA football: Wildcats to hire WVU's Casteel, three other assistant coaches". Arizona Daily Star . Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  7. "Arizona Wildcats football: UA officially hires DC Casteel, three others". Arizona Daily Star . January 11, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
  8. "College Football News, Videos, Scores, Teams, Standings, Stats".
  9. "After season off, Jeff Casteel ready to run Pack 'D'". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  10. "After season off, Jeff Casteel ready to run Pack 'D'". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  11. "Pack hires veteran defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  12. "After season off, Jeff Casteel ready to run Pack 'D'". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  13. "Improving the Nevada football team's defense starts in spring camp". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
  14. "Jeff Casteel - University of Nevada Athletics". nevadawolfpack.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017.