West Virginia hires ex-USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell to run Mountaineers’ offense
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Unhappy with an offense that was next-to-last in touchdowns (39) and eighth in total offense (371 yards per game) in the 10-team Big 12 in 2021, West Virginia coach Neal Brown did something about it Monday.
Brown, who is 17-18 in three seasons at WVU while also serving as offensive coordinator, hired Graham Harrell as the Mountaineers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Harrell handled those two jobs for the past three seasons at USC. He was not retained under new USC coach Lincoln Riley.
Also, Gerad Parker, who had been WVU’s offensive coordinator in 2020 and ‘21, assumes a new title of co-offensive coordinator while continuing to coach the Mountaineers’ wide receivers. Chad Scott, who had been co-offensive coordinator, will be run game coordinator and running backs coach.
“Since the end of the season, I have spent time reflecting on the program, and take responsibility, knowing we have to be better offensively,” Brown said in a statement. “I’ve been serving in a dual role as the offensive coordinator and head coach, and we need to bring in another voice for the offense.
“Having Graham as the offensive coordinator and working with Gerad as the No. 2 lead in the offensive room, as he has done, will make us a better, more efficient offense and move us in the direction we need to head. In turn, that will allow me to be a more effective CEO of the Mountaineer football program.
“I have followed Graham’s playing and coaching career for quite some time, and there’s no question he is a talented coach with a bright future. He has a successful track record as a play caller, has done an outstanding job of developing quarterbacks and is a proven winner.”
While at USC, Harrell helped develop quarterback Kedon Slovis before he transferred to Pitt at the end of the ‘21 season. Slovis could be the starting quarterback when Pitt opens the 2022 season against West Virginia at Heinz Field.
Slovis was Freshman All-American and Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in2019, completing a school-record and NCAA freshman record 71.9% of his passes. Slovis also set a USC freshman record by throwing for 3,502 yards, with 30 touchdowns.
Last season, USC led the Pac-12 and was No. 17 nationally in passing offense (298.3 yards per game) and No. 24 in total offense (443.9). All-America wide receiver Drake London was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year.
“This program has a long and successful history with a lot of tradition,” Harrell said in a statement, “and I have so much respect for the state of West Virginia, its people and their values. I believe this is a great fit for me and my family as Neal and I know or have worked with a lot of the same people. I grew up in the Big 12, played in it, and I look forward to getting back to competing in it. I can’t wait to get to know our players and help this program make its mark.”
Harrell, 36, was a record-setting quarterback at Texas Tech, also a Big 12 member, from 2005-08, finishing his career with an NCAA-record 134 touchdown passes, the second-most career yards in NCAA history (15,793) and the third-highest career passing average (351.0). He also set NCAA career marks for pass completion average (31.2) and most games gaining 400-plus passing yards (20). He was inducted into the Texas Tech Hasll of Fame in 202o.
Prior to his three-year stint at USC, Harrell produced back-to-back top-25 offenses as the offensive coordinator at North Texas.