WEST VIRGINIA COACH NOEL DEVINE ARRESTED ON STRANGULATION CHARGE

Police have arrested Noel Devine, an assistant coach on West Virginia University's football staff, on a charge of strangulation, according to reports citing police records. The arrest happened hours after West Virginia's team beat UT-Martin in a college football fixture. Devine has held his coaching role since January 2025, the reports state. He previously played running back for the university, which lists him as the third-leading rusher in its history. ESPN had previously rated him among college football's coming stars during his time as a player.

ESPN's assessment of Devine as a coming star dates back to his playing career at West Virginia, when he built a reputation as one of the university's most productive running backs. That career left him as the third-leading rusher in the university's football history, according to the university's own figures. Devine moved into coaching duties at the same institution in January 2025, taking up his post as an assistant on the football staff. Reports of the strangulation charge emerged alongside coverage of the team's win over UT-Martin, though they do not describe any link between the two events beyond their timing.

No reports indicate whether West Virginia University has issued a statement on the charge or on Devine's status within the coaching staff. Reports do not state whether Devine has entered a plea, appeared in court, or secured bail. The charge has drawn attention in part because of Devine's previous standing as a player ESPN once rated among the sport's coming stars. The reports do not make public any further details of the alleged strangulation, including the identity of any alleged victim.