Zac Alley

Co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley Jr. during Auburn pregame.

 Annie Davenport/OU Daily

Oklahoma’s co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley is leaving after his first season in Norman. West Virginia has hired Alley as its defensive coordinator, as first reported by ESPN.

After the Sooners’ loss to Navy on Dec. 27, Alley was asked about his future at Oklahoma during OU’s postgame radio interview.

“Every year, there’s going to be something that comes up with jobs and whatnot man, but I’m just excited about our team,” Alley said. “I think coming back next season, we’re going to have a great opportunity to be successful, be a top defense in the country, and hopefully we got some young guys who can come along to help us do that.”

Head coach Brent Venables will now have to hire a new defensive coordinator for the 2025 season, making this consecutive seasons that he has had to replace both coordinator positions.

In 2023, Oklahoma's defense was ranked 79th in the nation. In 2024 under Alley, the unit improved to a top-25 defense. His position at OU brought him back under the leadership of Venables, who he worked with as an assistant for seven years at Clemson.

Now, Alley will reunite with West Virginia's head coach Rich Rodriguez. The pair worked together at Louisiana Monroe and Jacksonville State before Alley joined the Sooners' staff. 

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