West Virginia University football coach Dana Holgorsen has announced the hiring of Jake Spavital as the Mountaineers’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

 

"Jake brings a lot of ability and experience to the Mountaineer Football program,” Holgorsen said. “I have a lot of respect for the way he has matured and become an outstanding teacher and coach. He has a great approach to the game and his players enjoy playing for him. I look forward to Jake and his wife, Mehgan, coming back and once again being a part of the Mountaineer Football family.”                

 

Spavital returns to Morgantown after serving as the interim head coach at Cal since Jan. 8. He was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Bears in 2016. He is reunited with Holgorsen, previously serving as a member of his staffs at Houston, Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

 

“West Virginia is a great place for not only me, but my wife, Mehgan, as well,” Spavital said. “Coming back to work for one of the best football programs in the country, work for my mentor and one of the best coaches in the country and be supported by one of the best fan bases in the country is special. There is not a better fit for me or more perfect timing. I’m excited to come back to West Virginia, and I can’t wait to get started."

 

In 2016, his first year as the offensive coordinator at Cal, Spavital made an immediate impact, guiding the Bears’ offense to top 25 national rankings in eight categories, including ranking No. 4 in passing offense, averaging 358.8 yards per game, No. 8 in first down offense (335), No. 10 in total offense, averaging 518.3 yards per game and No. 22 in scoring offense, averaging 37.1 points per game.

               

Cal established single-school records for pass completions (383), first downs by penalty (35), fewest fumbles lost (3) and fewest turnovers (15), while equaling a school mark for field goals made (22). Cal’s 118 plays and 40 first downs in a 52-49 double overtime win against Oregon set FBS and school single-game records.

               

Quarterback Davis Webb, Athlon Sports’ Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year, passed for 4,295 yards with 37 passing touchdowns. He ranked No. 3 nationally in completions and points responsible for per game (21.7), No. 4 in total offense (348.8), No. 5 in passing yards and tied for No. 8 in passing touchdowns.

               

Prior to Cal, he spent three years at Texas A&M, first season as the co-offensive coordinator and working with the quarterbacks and the final two as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

               

Texas A&M was 25-14 during Spavital’s three-year stint with the Aggies, including 8-5 marks in his final two years as the offensive coordinator.

               

In 2014, the Aggies led the Southeastern Conference and ranked among the nation’s leaders, in passing touchdowns (39), tying for No. 7 nationally and was No. 12 in passing offense (305.5).

               

In 2013, the Aggies set single-season SEC and school records with 4,593 passing yards and had 6,999 total yards of offense to rank No. 2 in SEC and Texas A&M history, No. 4 nationally in total offense (538.4) and No. 7 in passing offense (353.3).

               

The Aggies broke the school record for completion percentage by connecting on 69.3 percent of their passes and finished No. 3 in SEC history. Quarterback Johnny Manziel threw 37 touchdown passes, tying for No. 4 in the nation, while passing for 4,114 yards, ranking No. 8 nationally.

               

Spavital was the quarterbacks coach for two seasons at West Virginia for Geno Smith, who finished his collegiate career in 2012 with 11,662 passing yards and 98 touchdowns. The Mountaineers ranked No. 9 nationally in passing efficiency (161.97) and scoring offense (39.5 ppg), No. 10 in passing offense (330.2) and total offense (502.0). Smith was No. 5 nationally in passing yards (4,205) and passing yards per game (323.5 ypg) as well as No. 6 in passing efficiency (163.86).

               

In his first season at West Virginia in 2011, Spavital helped lead the Mountaineers to a 10-3 overall record and a win over Clemson in the 2012 Orange Bowl. West Virginia ranked No. 6 nationally in passing offense (346.9) and was No. 13 in scoring offense (37.6), No. 15 in total offense (469.5) and No. 19 in passing efficiency.

               

Spavital spent the 2010 as an offensive graduate assistant at Oklahoma State and Houston in 2009, both under Holgorsen. Spavital began his coaching career as an offensive quality control assistant under Gus Malzahn at Tulsa in 2008.

               

A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Spavital, a two-year letterwinner as a quarterback and punter for Missouri State from 2004-07, earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2008.

               

Spavital was a consensus first-team all-state quarterback at Union High School in Tulsa. He posted a 26-1 career record as the starting quarterback and led Union to the Class 6A state title in 2002.

               

Spavital is married to the former Mehgan Morris, one of the top Mountaineer gymnasts in school history. His father, Steve, is a former high school football coach while his brother Zac is the linebackers coach at Texas Tech.