At the end of December 2014, we reported on the status of Clint Trickett, the quarterback for West Virginia who was forced into retirement due to several concussions he received throughout his playing career. The former Mountaineer had planned on becoming a coach in the wake of his sudden retirement, and he has now taken a job at East Mississippi Community College.
Immediately following his retirement, prior to this past season's Autozone Liberty Bowl, Trickett was given a temporary position with the WVU coaching staff. The son of Florida State's offensive line coach, Trickett will take over as the quarterbacks coach for East Mississippi CC.
The long-lasting impact of Trickett's concussions will not be known for some period of time, but the fact that he is able to continue working in the game of college football is a positive conselation after the sudden and necessary end of his playing career. After suffering 5 concussions in a period of 14 months while playing for West Virginia, several of which were hidden from trainers, Trickett was forced to stop playing. Entering coaching has been a long-term goal of his, and he will now be able to begin that chapter of his career.
There is a history of quality football at East Mississippi Community College. The school is a two-time national champion in football, achieving that feat in 2011 and 2013. Several NFL players have attended the junior college as well, including NFL running back LaGarrette Blount, as well as Bo Wallace, Ole Miss' starting quarterback who just finished his senior campaign.