Word came at halftime last night WVU added an offensive graduate assistant who knows the Mountaineers, their offense and, most importantly, their head coach.

Burchett, you’ll remember, transferred in from Kentucky in 2011 and was an extra arm who backed up Geno and Paul Millard. WVU liked him a lot — to the point it was newsy when he left — but he wasn’t going to play, so he exited and wound up back at Kentucky and eventually clicked with offensive coordinator Neal Brown.

Brown took the head coaching job at Troy and Kentucky subsequently hired Shannon Dawson from WVU. Brown wanted Burchett to go to Troy and Dawson wanted Burchett to remain at Kentucky because the offenses are so similar. He’s instead back with the Mountaineers.

This, I have to believe, is foreshadowing.

It doesn’t look like WVU will have a full-time QB coach. I’ll reiterate what I first reported: Dana’s basically going to be the QB coach. He’ll probably run the meetings while Burchett handles practice and Dana floats around and does head coach stuff. Dana will still call plays and, if you must, be the coordinator. My hunch is WVU incentivized returns for JaJuan Seider and Lonnie Galloway as run and pass game coordinators.

This makes more sense than hiring a QB coach and/or an OC…especially in a critical season. (Aside: Lots of Clint Trickett questions. I get that, but the timing isn’t right. It’d be really awkward for him and for the quarterbacks to have Clint as a teammate one day and then an authority figure the next. Not an ideal start.)

What of the defense? Nothing has changed — yet. Bruce Tall is your DL coach and Tony Gibson, Brian Mitchell and Joe DeForest are back with linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties, respectively. I still wouldn’t make much of DeForest not signing a contract. That seems temporary. He agreed to it for a reason.

Where does that leave Tom Bradley and Damon Cogdell? Gainfully employed, for as long as they like in the second year of their two-year deals — and, sure, an offensive GA could be elevated to a full-time role in the presence of those expiring contacts next season. If they aren’t comfy being a co-assistant DL coach, they can find gainful employment elsewhere. If they want to stay — and/or if one or both can find and enjoy a new role on this staff — they can stay. Might one move to offense or some advisor-at-large role? Sure. It doesn’t seem like either is going to be fired and paid to go away.

(Second aside: The Smoking Musket gentlemen and I discussed this on their podcast. And erase that stuff about Keli Cunningham’s role. I’ve been assured she’s been active in the contract processes here.)