West Virginia staff member and former standout running back Noel Devine was placed on leave after being arrested Sunday on a charge of felony strangulation.
Devine, 38, was booked into the North Central Regional Jail at 12:45 p.m. ET on Sunday and remains there, with bail set at $40,000. He entered a plea of not guilty, according to online case records, and has a preliminary hearing set for Sept. 23.
Devine has been serving as an assistant running backs coach and offensive analyst for West Virginia. He joined the staff when Rich Rodriguez returned as coach.
"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 statement Sunday. "Any future decision on his status will be determined after more information becomes available."
Devine was a star running back for Rodriguez during the coach's first stint at WVU, ranking third in team history with 4,315 rushing yards and setting a team record with 5,761 all-purpose yards. He earned All-Big East honors and was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
