West Virginia Mountaineers Assistant Coach Noel Devine Arrested on Felony Strangulation Charge, Put on Indefinite Leave

West Virginia’s football program was jolted late Sunday afternoon when former star running back Noel Devine was booked into the North Central Regional Jail on a felony strangulation charge. The 38‑year‑old was taken into custody at roughly 12:45 p.m., just hours after the Mountaineers rolled past UT Martin 52‑7.

University officials acted quickly. Rich Rodriguez, who hired Devine last season as an assistant running backs coach and offensive analyst, announced that Devine would be placed on indefinite leave while the matter unfolds. “Upon receiving information of the arrest, I have immediately and indefinitely put Noel Devine on leave from the Mountaineer football coaching staff,” Rodriguez said in a brief statement. He added that any future decision on Devine’s status will depend on further information.

Devine’s bond was set at $40,000, according to court filings. The charges stem from an alleged incident that police say involved strangulation, a serious felony under West Virginia law. Details about the alleged victim or the circumstances have not been released at this time.

The arrest marks a dramatic turn for a man who once held the school’s all‑time record for all‑purpose yards and was a household name in Morgantown. After going undrafted in 2011, Devine briefly signed with the Philadelphia Eagles before being released a week later. He later spent several seasons in the Canadian Football League and eventually founded a speed‑training company in Florida.

When Rodriguez returned to Morgantown as head coach, he brought Devine onto his staff, noting the former running back’s deep ties to the program. “Noel knows how I run my program, and more importantly, he wants to give back to the place that has given him so much,” Rodriguez said last year. “He knows Mountaineer football, and he will be a great asset on the offensive side of the ball.”

For now, Devine’s future with the Mountaineers is uncertain, and the university’s athletics department has promised to keep fans updated as more information becomes available.