MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University football head coach Rich Rodriguez has announced the hiring of Larry Porter as the Mountaineers’ new running backs coach. Porter, a highly respected coach and recruiter, brings nearly three decades of coaching experience to Morgantown.
“Larry Porter brings years of successful experience to West Virginia and is a highly respected coach and recruiter,” Rodriguez said. “His ability to develop talent and the impact he will make on our running backs will be a huge asset.”
Porter arrives at West Virginia following a four-year tenure as the running backs coach and special teams coordinator at North Carolina. A two-time national recruiter of the year and three-time Broyles Award nominee, he has coached numerous NFL-caliber running backs and contributed to 21 bowl appearances since 2002. Under his guidance, North Carolina’s running backs averaged 2,447 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns per season, highlighted by the 2022 team that won the ACC Coastal Division.
During the 2024 season, North Carolina ranked 16th in rushing offense among Power Four teams, while finishing 23rd in scoring and 30th in total offense. His most recent star pupil, two-time All-American and Doak Walker Award finalist Omarion Hampton, rushed for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns last season and is considered a top prospect in the upcoming NFL Draft. In 2023, Hampton amassed 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns, helping UNC rank 11th in rushing offense among Power Four programs.
Porter’s impact at North Carolina dates back to his first season in 2021, when his running backs led the ACC in rushing yards. Ty Chandler led the team with 1,092 yards and 13 touchdowns that year, earning second-team All-ACC honors. Porter also played a key role in the development of NFL running backs Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan, who were both selected in the 2017 NFL Draft. Under his leadership in 2015, UNC ranked 18th nationally in rushing offense, averaging 224.4 yards per game—its best mark since 1994.
Before his time at North Carolina, Porter held coaching roles at Auburn, Texas, Arizona State, LSU, Oklahoma State, Arkansas State, and Tennessee-Martin. He also served as the head coach at Memphis from 2010-11. His career includes developing multiple 1,000-yard rushers, including Jacob Hester and Charles Scott at LSU, as well as Vernand Morency and Tatum Bell at Oklahoma State.
Porter’s track record of developing NFL talent is extensive. He has coached six NFL Draft selections, including Joseph Addai, Quinn Johnson, Trindon Holliday, and Stevan Ridley. His success extends back to his early career at Arkansas State, where he coached Jonathan Adams to consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Porter was a four-year letterman at Memphis from 1990-93 and later earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 1996. A member of the Memphis Athletics M Club Hall of Fame, he and his wife, Sharmane, have three children: sons Brandon and Omari, and daughter Olivia.