Jeff Casteel

Jeff Casteel
Sport(s)	Football
Current position
Title	Defensive coordinator, linebackers coach
Team	Arizona
Biographical details
Born	February 1 Paden City, West Virginia
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1984-1986 1987 1988-1990 1991-1999 2000 2001 2002 2003-2011 2012-present	California University (GA) Palmetto High (DL) Shepherd College (DL) Shepherd College (Asst/DC) UTEP (DE) West Virginia (DL) West Virginia (Co-DC/LB) West Virginia (DC/LB) Arizona (DC/LB)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards 2007 Defensive Coordinator of the Year

Jeff Casteel (born in Paden City, West Virginia) is the current defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Arizona Wildcats football team.

Early Life and Coaching

Casteel was raised in Paden City, WV 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. Casteel earned bachelor's and master's degrees from California University (Pa.). 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 CFL. However in 1987, Casteel was defensive coordinator at Palmetto High School in Miami, Florida. He then served as defensive line and strength coach for Shepherd College 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 WVIAC championships.

After his tenure at Shepherd, Casteel traveled to UTEP and coached the defensive ends for 2000. During that season, Texas El-Paso won the WAC title and a berth to the Humanitarian Bowl.

West Virginia

After his one season at UTEP, Casteel traveled to West Virginia University with head coach Rich Rodriguez to coach the defensive line for the 2001 season. He was elevated to co-defensive coordinator in 2002 and eventually became the full-time defensive coordinator and linebacker coach.

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. 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.

When former head coach Rich Rodriguez departed West Virginia University, before their Fiesta Bowl matchup against the University of Oklahoma, to accept the head coaching job at the University of Michigan, Casteel originally followed Rodriguez. But after interim head coach Bill Stewart was promoted to head coach after the 48-28 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, Casteel decided to stay at West Virginia. 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 4th down defensive national ranking, and a #16 passing efficiency defense national ranking. 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 WVU's staff 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.

External links

• WVU Coaching Staff