Florida State's Bowden names Trickett as assistant coach

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - West Virginia offensive line coach Rick Trickett was named assistant head coach at Florida State on Thursday at about the same time Seminoles assistant coach Kevin Steele left for Alabama.<br> <br> A Marine veteran who served in Vietnam, Trickett will earn $200,000 in the first year of a three-year contract. He replaces offensive line coach Mark McHale, whose contract was not renewed.<br> <br> Trickett, 58, said on a conference call that the opportunity to coach for Bobby Bowden was a key factor in his decision to leave West Virginia.<br> <br> ``It was a tough decision because we&#39;re going to have a heckuva football team here (West Virginia) next season,&#39;&#39; said Trickett, who was offered the job a week ago and persuaded in part by Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.<br> <br> ``He&#39;s a talented and proven coach who&#39;s done an outstanding job for us,&#39;&#39; West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said. ``The success of our team, the tremendous dominance of our running game and the development of individual linemen: Rick deserves a great deal of credit for all those achievements. ``<br> <br> Steele, 48, spent four years on the Florida State staff coaching linebackers.<br> <br> Trickett becomes the first new piece in Bowden&#39;s overhaul of his offensive staff that started in November. That&#39;s when his youngest son, Jeff Bowden, resigned as the offensive coordinator under pressure from the school&#39;s booster organization. Veteran assistant Billy Sexton, who handled running backs, also resigned from the staff last month after three decades.<br> <br> Florida State just completed a 7-6 season with a 44-27 victory over UCLA in the Emerald Bowl last month. The six losses were the most in Bowden&#39;s 31 years at the school, matching his first year here in 1976.