DC Vic Koenning, WVU Part Ways After Investigation into Kerry Martin Allegations

The West Virginia University athletic department and Vic Koenning, the football team's defensive coordinator, announced a mutual agreement to separate Wednesday morning.

Mountaineers safety Kerry Martin Jr. made allegations of "mistreatment and racism" against Koenning in a June 23 Twitter post:

Wednesday's announcement included a statement from Koenning, who joined the WVU program in January 2019:

"I remain apologetic to anyone who perceived something I said or did as hurtful. That was never my intent. I wish to thank all the current and former players, coaches and colleagues—of all different ethnicities and backgrounds—whose support and encouragement have been invaluable to me and my family. I am relieved the process is over but will be forever changed by the experience. Personally, I'd love to get back to coaching our guys, but I know that doing so would create additional scrutiny and lingering distractions for our program. Taking all this into consideration, we have come to this mutual decision to separate. I will always be grateful for the relationships formed with so many players, coaches and WVU supporters. I am not done coaching. I remain passionate about leading young men and look forward to the next coaching chapter in my life. I wish nothing but the best for all Mountaineers."

Koenning, 60, played college football at Kansas State from 1977 through 1981.

His coaching career started at Memphis State in 1986 and also included stops at Wyoming, Troy, Clemson, Kansas State, Illinois and North Carolina in various defensive coaching roles before arriving to the Mountaineers. He also served as Wyoming's head coach for three years after three seasons as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator.

West Virginia launched an investigation into Martin's allegations, and Mike Casazza of Eer Sports reported the coordinator's fate was "decided not long after the investigation began," with most of the past month being used to finalize the separation agreement.

Koenning will receive $591,451 of the $1.1 million remaining on his contract, according to the release.

The announcement also included statements from athletic director Shane Lyons and head coach Neal Brown. Lyons stated:

"This mutual separation is in the best interest of our football program. Coach Brown and I have set high expectations for our coaches, staff and student-athletes, and it is that culture that will allow us to compete for championships. We are moving forward as a program, and our coaches, staff and student-athletes have my complete confidence and support."

Brown added:

"As I've stated previously, I care deeply about Vic and every player, coach, staff member and administrator who touches our program. This decision was not made lightly, and both parties agree that it places us in the best position to positively move forward. Vic has meant a lot to this program over the past 18 months and to me, personally, for our time together both here and at Troy University. I know that Vic will find continued success as a coach. However, Vic and I both reached the conclusion that the current circumstances make continuing in his role as defensive coordinator challenging. At the end of the day, we all—Vic included—want what is best for our program."

The Mountaineers are scheduled to open the 2020 season Sept. 5 against Florida State. The fate of the campaign remains up in the air because of the coronavirus pandemic, however, with the Big Ten and Pac-12 already shifting to conference-only schedules. The Big 12 hasn't made a final decision.

A replacement for Koenning wasn't immediately announced.