The John Pennington Show

Host Daniel Woods and head coach John Pennington break down West Virginia State's 41-38 overtime loss to West Liberty, a game in which Justin Pessoa and Devin Cox each topped 100 rushing yards. Pennington then gives a position-by-position midseason review, covering Kaleb Jackson at quarterback, a young tight end group, an improving defense, and the special teams. The show closes with a preview of Saturday's 1:00 home game against Concord, led by Kent State transfer Devin Kargman and one of the Mountain East's top offenses.

Host Daniel Woods and head coach John Pennington reset after a 41-8 loss at Fairmont State, with Pennington pointing to three turnovers, special teams breakdowns, and a passing game that turned efficient with Kaleb Jackson back at quarterback. Defensive line coach and program alum Corlan Witcher joins for homecoming week, discussing his path from Gretna, Virginia, to three-year starter to assistant coach, along with the veterans and freshmen on his line. The show closes with a preview of West Liberty, 4-1 under new coach Chad Salisbury and built around Hunter Patterson, ahead of Saturday's 1:30 homecoming kickoff and the debut of The Hive student section.

Host Daniel Woods and head coach John Pennington reconvene at The Pitch at Shawnee to process a painful 28-23 home loss to West Virginia Wesleyan in the conference opener before shifting focus to Saturday's road game at Fairmont State. Pennington is candid about the defeat, calling it one of the hardest losses of his career while crediting Wesleyan coach Mike Keller and declaring his team's response will define their season. The middle portion of the show dives deep into roster building at the Division II level in 2026 — covering the trickle-down effect of the transfer portal on freshman talent, scholarship equivalency management, how WV State recruits for mindset over measureables, and why spring transfers outperform summer additions. Pennington also explains the program's HBCU identity as a unique recruiting asset. The show closes with a detailed Fairmont State preview — breaking down the Falcons' size, linebackers Polk and company, dual-quarterback setup, and receiver Gage Michael — and Pennington's signature optimism about road games at Duvall-Rosier Field.

Host Daniel Woods is joined by head coach John Pennington and defensive coordinator Rashad Jackson at The Pitch at Shawnee as the Yellow Jackets return from their bye week and enter Mountain East Conference play. Pennington reflects on the 29-9 loss at Robert Morris — a one-score game at halftime — calling out his team's effort and identity as positives to build on, and noting the Yellow Jackets are currently the least penalized team in the conference. Jackson breaks down how the staff built this year's 3-3-5 defense around hybrid athletes recruited from South Florida pipelines built through relationships dating back to coach Doc Holliday's days at WVU, and details the influence of new defensive line coach Brian Reynolds in establishing accountability and effort standards. The show closes with a detailed preview of West Virginia Wesleyan under new head coach Mike Keller — a 50/50 run-pass play caller with deep Mountain East roots — and defensive coordinator Mott Gamean's turnover-generating scheme.

Host Daniel Woods opens the inaugural season of The John Pennington Show live from The Pitch at Shawnee with West Virginia State head coach John Pennington, previewing the Yellow Jackets as they prepare for their week one home opener against Chowan. Pennington details an offense he calls loaded, anchored by All-Conference running backs Justin Pessoa and Devin Cox, first team All-Conference receiver Malik Baker, transfer additions Osama Hurst and Semaj Demps, and a returning offensive line led by two-time All-Conference tackle Dalton Hall. He also breaks down a rebuilt defense under second-year coordinator Rashad Jackson — emphasizing athleticism, multiple fronts, and a standout freshman class including Otis Guyton and Julian Whitfield — and previews kicker/punter Alex Shrader shouldering all three special teams roles for year two. Hollis Lewis is announced as the new broadcast partner for Yellow Jacket football on 107.3 THE BEAT.