Nicco Marchiol Calls Pat White’s Mentorship at WVU ‘Second to None’ for a QB

The West Virginia football season is expected to be an exciting one under the return of head coach Rich Rodriguez. It felt like WVU was about to get some momentum under Neal Brown following a nine-win campaign in 2023, but that ended up being the peak of the climb, as it was followed by a 6-7 record in 2024.

That led to a new era for WVU football. A return to the Hard Edge era. At the same time, WVU is only expected to win six games in the first year of Rodriguez's return. The fan base at the very least expects more effort and better coaching. There’s also a quarterback battle that has gained a ton of interest. Quarterback Nicco Marchiol is the expected starter, but it’s not his job yet. To win the job, he’s been taking advantage of learning from WVU legend Pat White.

“Having a guy like him, it’s second to none,” Marchiol said. “He not only played in this system, but he played here and was in our shoes. The wisdom he has is incomparable. Very, very grateful to have him.”

When White played for Rodriguez, he was a dominant dual-threat quarterback. If White played in the era of social media, he would have been viral every single week. The stuff that White did out on the football field was a bit before his time. However, he knows what it’s like to play under Rodriguez and to execute at a high level. That type of coaching for Marchiol is amazing.

White completed 64.8% of his passes, threw for 6,049 passing yards, 56 touchdowns, and just 23 interceptions in his career at WVU. Where he really made his money was his ability as a rusher. Something that Marchiol is confident that, if he wins the job, he can do in 2025. White rushed the football 684 times for 4,480 rushing yards and 47 touchdowns. 

While no WVU fan truly expects that type of production from Marchiol, if he wins the job, having White to teach him the ropes is truly a big win for the Mountaineers.

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