Published: January 25, 2008 03:13 am      

West Virginia announces Jeff Mullen’s hiring

MORGANTOWN — It became official Thursday evening.

Bill Stewart announced the expected appointment of Jeff Mullen as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Stewart’s new coaching staff at West Virginia University.

Mullen, who has spent the last seven years at Wake Forest, is the sixth addition hired by the man who was promoted to the head coaching position on Jan. 3 after guiding the Mountaineers to the 48-28 upset of third-ranked Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Just one more assistant coach will complete the staff. He will tutor the wide receivers.

Jeff Casteel and Bill Kirelawich were retained from the staff of former head man Rich Rodriguez, now at Michigan. Casteel will remain as defensive coordinator and Kirelawich as defensive line coach.

“I’m really excited that Jeff is joining the Mountaineer football family,” Stewart said. “He has superior knowledge of offensive football, is a great teacher, and does an outstanding job as a motivator.

“He will install motion and movement within the framework of our spread offense, which will make our offense even more efficient. Jeff is a man of tremendous character, and I can’t wait for him to get here and work with our offense and especially our quarterbacks.”

Mullen joins these new staff members announced earlier: John “Doc” Holliday, associate head coach, recruiting coordinator and tight ends and fullbacks; Steve Dunlap, assistant head coach and safeties; Chris Beatty, running backs; David Johnson, offensive line coach; and David Lockwood, cornerbacks.

“I am excited to be part of the West Virginia football program,” Mullen said. “I am so fortunate and grateful to have worked for such an outstanding coach as Jim Grobe for the past 14 years.

“It is very difficult to leave him and Wake Forest, but the biggest reason I am leaving is to work for coach Bill Stewart. Coach Grobe and Stewart are two of the best coaches in our profession today.

“I want to come and be a part of the storied tradition already established at West Virginia. And I am hopeful to have a pat in continuing it for years to come.”

Mullen called it “a thrill” for him and his family and said he can’t wait to get started.

From Winston-Salem, N.C., Grobe sent this comment: “Jeff is really excited about coordinating the offense at West Virginia. It is a great promotion for him and a wonderful opportunity for both Jeff and his family. We will miss the Mullens and wish them the very best.”

Mullen coached the quarterbacks at Wake Forest the past four years and also worked at several other positions on both sides of the ball during his varied coaching career. He coached the exterior linemen his first two years at Wake Forest, developing them into one of the best such groups in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

In 2001-02, Mullen coached the tackles, tight ends and fullbacks.

This past season, he tutored quarterback Riley Skinner, who completed a school-record 72.4 percent of his passes and led the nation in completion percentage. Skinner guided the Demon Deacons to 20 wins over the last two years (11 in 2006, nine in 2007), an ACC championship in 2006 and a Meineke Car Care Bowl victory in 2007.

Before that, Mullen also coached quarterback Cory Randolph, who finished his career with 3,883 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 741 yards and seven scores. He started only 25 games.

He spent nine years with Grobe as Ohio University before accompanying him to Wake Forest. In 1991, he served as a defensive graduate assistant at Hawaii. He had begun his career at Hamilton Township High in Ohio in 1990.

A native of Lima, Ohio, Mullen was a four-year letterman as a defensive back at Wittenberg University in Ohio. He made All-America there in 1991.

He has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Wittenberg and a master’s degree in athletic administration from Ohio U.

Mullen and wife Andrea have three children — son Nate and daughters Rami and Maggie.