West Virginia Sports Roundup: Football Coaching Changes and Championships Ahead

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia sports teams are making headlines this week with significant coaching changes and championship pursuits across multiple disciplines.

West Virginia University is set to bolster its football staff with the addition of veteran running backs coach Larry Porter, as reported by John Brice of Football Scoop. Porter replaces Chad Scott, who recently departed for a role at Texas. With an extensive resume at the Power Four level, including tenures at LSU, Auburn, and North Carolina, Porter is known for developing notable talents like Omarion Hampton, a projected top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

The Mountaineers recently donned pads for the first time this spring during their third practice session. Head coach Rich Rodriguez is focused on implementing his style of football at WVU. Rodriguez noted, “There’s plenty to clean up as we adapt to contact techniques that are typically deemed less intense during practices than in games.”

In basketball, West Virginia’s men’s team improved their postseason position with an 85-69 victory at Cincinnati over the weekend. This win, combined with Iowa State’s triumph over Kansas State, allowed the Mountaineers to leapfrog the Wildcats in the final Big 12 standings, finishing with a 23-6 overall record and 13-5 in the conference.

The Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship will feature a revamped format this year, including all 16 teams, set to take place from March 5 to March 9.

On the baseball front, West Virginia University’s baseball team extended its perfect season record to 11-0 after defeating Queens (N.C.) 11-1 on Sunday at First National Bank Field. The Mountaineers achieved their second consecutive double-digit run victory in what was an unexpected offensive outburst after a slow start.

In swimming, West Virginia’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams finished strong at the 2025 Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championships in Federal Way, Washington. The Mountaineers secured the top aggregate score, surpassing second-place Kentucky with a total of 4728 points, marking their 17th GARC Conference Tournament Championship.

Meanwhile, in professional basketball, the New York Knicks continue to struggle with bench scoring, ranking as the lowest in the NBA. However, they achieved a narrow victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, partly due to an impressive performance from Miles McBride.

In other highlights, L.J. Cryer scored 20 points to lead No. 4 Houston to its second consecutive Big 12 regular-season title with a 73-64 win over Cincinnati.

In university administration, Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard received a five-year contract extension through 2030, ensuring stability in the program.

Tragically, the sports community mourns the loss of Mason Alexander, a freshman football player at Pitt, who was killed in a car accident in Fishers, Indiana, on Saturday night.

Lastly, the Mountain West Conference announced plans to mediate with the Pac-12, alongside Boise State, Colorado State, and Utah State, to address ongoing lawsuits concerning exit fees and related penalties.

Fans are encouraged to provide feedback or suggest topics for future sports roundups in The Shotgun/Throwdown.