What does West Virginia coaching history show?
West Virginia coaching history on this page spans 26 tracked head coaches, led by Don Nehlen with 149 wins from 1980-2000.
Program history
West Virginia Football History
Program history, coaching eras, title years, and signature seasons.
Milan Puskar Stadium • Morgantown • WV
Big 12Milan Puskar Stadium
Seasons Indexed
124
All-Time Wins
705
Winning Seasons
59%
Last 10 Win %
50.9%
History guide
West Virginia program history explained
This history tab puts West Virginia into a longer program timeline: season records, winning and losing streaks, coaching-era context, title references, playoff runs, and decade-level performance.
The current dataset includes 124 indexed seasons, and 26 coaching tenures. Use the national record links to compare the program against broader college football leaderboards.
Program History
Explore the program's most dominant seasons, toughest stretches, and era-by-era trends.
Use the snapshot to scan program-wide benchmarks, standout seasons, and decade-level performance trends.
Total Wins
705
Across 124 seasons
Winning Seasons
59%
Share of winning records
Average Record
5.7-4.1
Per season
Last 10 Seasons
50.9%
Win rate since 2026
Signature Season
2005
11-1 (91.7% win rate)
Toughest Season
1978
2-9 (18.2% win rate)
Peak Seasons
Most wins in program history
Highlights the seasons that produced the biggest win totals for the program.
| Year | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 11-1 | 91.7% |
| 1993 | 11-1 | 91.7% |
| 1988 | 11-1 | 91.7% |
| 2007 | 11-2 | 84.6% |
| 2006 | 11-2 | 84.6% |
Challenging Seasons
Years that tested the fan base
Surfaces the seasons with the heaviest loss totals and weakest win rates.
| Year | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 2-9 | 18.2% |
| 1960 | 0-8-2 | 10.0% |
| 1950 | 2-8 | 20.0% |
| 2001 | 3-8 | 27.3% |
| 2025 | 4-8 | 33.3% |
Era Performance
Win rate by decade
Buckets every season into decade groups so long-run rises and dips are easier to spot.
| Decade | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 36-37 | 49.3% |
| 2010s | 75-52 | 59.1% |
| 2000s | 86-39 | 68.8% |
| 1990s | 65-49-2 | 56.9% |
| 1980s | 77-39-2 | 66.1% |
| 1970s | 59-53 | 52.7% |
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