This list of West Virginia University alumni includes notable people from published sources that previously attended West Virginia University.
Arts and entertainment
Michael Ammar – world-renowned magician; WVU Distinguished Alumni Award winner 2003 Miles Bell – talent manager for musicians and other performers Emily Calandrelli – science communicator, host and producer for Netflix's Emily's Wonder Lab and children's STEM science programming block Xploration Station Paul Dooley – actor, writer, comedian Conchata Ferrell – actress; known for playing Berta the housekeeper on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men Antoine Fuqua – director of Training Day, Shooter, Replacement Killers; attended, but did not graduate Steve Harvey – Emmy-winning host of Family Feud; attended, but did not graduate Cheryl Hines – actress, Curb Your Enthusiasm; attended but did not graduate Mike Hodge (B.A. in journalism, minor in theater) – actor and actors' labor union executive; former President of SAG-AFTRA New York local Taylor Kinney – actor; portrays Lt. Kelly Severide in NBC's drama Chicago Fire; stars in The Other Woman Don Knotts – television and movie actor Richard Kuranda – theatrical producer and artistic director Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Signature Theatre Company, Raue Center for the Arts Blanche Lazzell – American Modernist painter, printmaker, and designer Billy Mays – television advertiser featured on Discovery Channel's PitchMen and known for promoting several as seen on TV products; attended but did not graduate; died in 2009 Trevor Dion Nicholas – Broadway star (known for Aladdin) Kathleen Noone – portrays Edna Wallace on the NBC soap opera Passions; known to have attended Ben Reed – actor; played quarterback for the West Virginia University football team John A. Russo – screenwriter and film director; co-wrote Night of the Living Dead Chris Sarandon – television and movie actor, voice of Jack Skellington David Selby – actor Jeremy Sheffey – former professional football player; former arena football player Robert Ellis Silberstein – manager of Diana Ross, Billy Preston, Meat Loaf Curt Wootton – star of YouTube series Pittsburgh Dad
Athletics
Joe Alexander – American-Israeli current professional basketball player for Maccabi Tel Aviv Michael Baker – football player Terry Bowden – Yahoo sports analyst Tommy Bowden – former head football coach for Clemson University and Tulane University Wesley Brooks – basketbal coach, head coach of the Utah State Aggies women's basketball team John Browning – former NFL defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs Marc Bulger – former NFL quarterback for the St. Louis Rams, New Orleans Saints, and Baltimore Ravens Da'Sean Butler (born 1987) – basketball player for Hapoel Be'er Sheva of the Israeli Premier League Niccolò Campriani – Olympic gold- and silver medal-winning sport shooter; won gold in the men's 50 metre rifle three positions and silver in the men's 10 metre air rifle at the 2012 Summer Olympics Jevon Carter – current NBA player for the Orlando Magic Curt Cignetti - current head football coach for Indiana University Mike Compton – two-time Super Bowl Champion and former NFL guard for the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, and Jacksonville Jaguars Devin Ebanks – professional basketball player James "Clayster" Eubanks – professional Call of Duty player, two-time Call of Duty Championship winner D'or Fischer (born 1981) – American-Israeli basketball player in the Israeli National League Mike Gansey – former basketball player in the NBA Development League; current general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers Albert Gwynne, former United States national basketball team and West Virginia Mountaineers athletic trainer Jedd Gyorko – former second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals Major Harris – quarterback for West Virginia University in their 1988 undefeated season Roy Hawley, former athletic director for Marshall University and West Virginia University, namesake of Hawley Field Sue Haywood – professional mountain bike racer Chris Henry – former NFL wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals Johannes "Joe" Herber – former professional and German international basketball player Jeff Hostetler – Super Bowl Champion and former NFL quarterback for the Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and New York Giants; starting quarterback in Super Bowl XXV Chuck Howley – former NFL linebacker for the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys, and Super Bowl V MVP Sam Huff – former NFL linebacker; inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982 Bob Huggins – former head coach of the West Virginia University men's basketball team and former West Virginia University basketball player Rodney Clark "Hot Rod" Hundley – former NBA basketball player for the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers; first pick in the 1957 NBA draft Hal Hunter – football coach Bruce Irvin – Super Bowl Champion and former NFL linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks James Jett – Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter and former NFL wide receiver for Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders Adam "Pacman" Jones – NFL cornerback, currently a free agent Greg Jones – three-time NCAA Division 1 wrestling champion, 2005 Most Outstanding Wrestler award winner, former associate head coach for the West Virginia University wrestling team, current Blackzilians wrestling coach Brian Jozwiak – former NFL offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs Ken Kendrick – owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball Steve Kline – former Major League Baseball pitcher Griffin Lake, sports shooter for the United states national rifle team Eugene Lamone, former NFL player, West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Ellis Lankster – current NFL cornerback for the New York Jets Ashley Lawrence – soccer player for the Canada national team Oliver Luck – former NFL quarterback, athletic director of West Virginia University, first commissioner of the XFL, president/general manager of the Houston Dynamo, father of Andrew Luck Billy Joe Mantooth – former NFL linebacker for the Houston Oilers Joe Mazzulla – head coach for the Boston Celtics Pat McAfee – former NFL punter for the Indianapolis Colts Casey Mitchell (born 1988) – basketball player for Elitzur Ashkelon of the Israeli Basketball Premier League Dan Mozes – 2006 Rimington Trophy winner Adrian Murrell – former running back for New York Jets Solomon Page – former NFL offensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers Lee Patton – legendary basketball coach, WVU Sports Hall of Fame Tarik Phillip (born 1993) – British-American basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League Kevin Pittsnogle – former basketball player in the NBA Development League Adrian Pledger (born 1976) – basketball player Jerry Porter – former NFL wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars Wil Robinson – former ABA basketball player; All-American at West Virginia Rich Rodriguez – former head football coach of the University of Michigan; current head football coach of the University of Arizona Todd Sauerbrun – former All-Pro NFL punter (five different teams) Owen Schmitt – former NFL fullback for the Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders Floyd B. "Ben" Schwartzwalder – former head coach of the 1959 National Championship Syracuse University football team Heath Slater – professional wrestler, former wrestler at WVU Steve Slaton – former NFL running back for the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins; current CFL running back for the Toronto Argonauts Geno Smith – current NFL quarterback for the New York Jets Dave Stephenson – former NFL guard for the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers Darryl Talley – West Virginia University all-time team member and former NFL linebacker for the Buffalo Bills Rod Thorn – former NBA and ABA basketball player and current president of Basketball Operation for the NBA John Thornton – former NFL defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals Virginia Thrasher – current WVU rifle team member and 2016 Olympic gold medalist in air rifle Yutaro Tsukada – professional soccer player Mike Vanderjagt – former NFL placekicker for the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys Jerry West – former NBA basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers and Hall of Famer; considered one of the greatest NBA and college basketball players of all time; is the image on the logo for the NBA JJ Wetherholt – 7th pick in 2024 MLB draft Pat White – former NFL quarterback for the Miami Dolphins Andrew Wright – current defender/midfielder for Morecambe F.C. John Writer – Olympic gold and silver medal-winning sports shooter Amos Zereoué – former NFL running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, and New England Patriots
Authors Maggie Anderson – poet Allen Appel – writer Matt Carson – novelist Stephen Coonts – New York Times bestselling author Paul Russell Cutright – historian and biologist Chip Ingram – Christian writer Chuck Kinder – novelist Ann Pancake – author Jayne Anne Phillips – Pulitzer Prize-winning author Bill Yearout - (Author) Coach Lee Patton, the Untold Legend (legendary WVU basketball coach)
Business Heather Bresch – CEO of Mylan, Inc. John Chambers – president and CEO of Cisco Systems Karen S. Evans – de facto CIO of the United States under President George W. Bush Ken Kendrick – owner of Arizona Diamondbacks of MLB; billionaire Maggie Hardy Magerko – president of 84 Lumber Company and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort (attended for two years but did not graduate)
Education Charles E. Bayless – president of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology Todd H. Bullard – former president of Potomac State College and Bethany College Margaret Buchanan Cole – mathematician, retired professor emeritus from WVU David Daniel – psychologist Joseph DiSarro (Ph.D.) – professor and chair in the Department of Political Science at Washington & Jefferson College Wanda Franz (Ph.D.) – professor and anti-abortion activist Mary McClung – professor of theatrical costume design and puppetry at West Virginia University Ruqayyah Ahmed Rufa'i – Nigeria's minister of education Steven E. Shreve – university professor emeritus at Carnegie Mellon University Patrick Vaughan – historian and professor at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland Charles M. Vest – president emeritus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Journalists Frank Kearns (died 1986) – foreign correspondent and broadcast journalist with CBS News 1953–1971; WVU professor of Journalism 1971–1983 Frank Lovece Asra Nomani Michael Tomasky – editor in chief of Democracy, editor of The New Republic Ken Ward Jr. – reporter for the Charleston Gazette-Mail; 2018 MacArthur Fellow
Military
Ret. Gen. Earl E. Anderson – Marine Corps general Corporal Thomas W. Bennett – US Army conscientious objector corporal who served as a combat medic Ret. Gen. Bantz J. Craddock – United States Army, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe Brig. Gen. Frank Kendall Everest, Jr – test pilot and pioneer of rocket aircraft Gen. Robert H. Foglesong – retired commander, US Air Force in Europe; former president of Mississippi State University MG George T. Garrett – US Army major general
Music Velvet Brown – tuba soloist, music educator Jay Chattaway – Star Trek music score writer and film composer Little Jimmy Dickens – country music singer Nancy Galbraith – internationally acclaimed composer Charles Wesley Godwin – new-age folk/country singer/songwriter Fuzzy Knight – writer of the WVU Fight Song and country-western actor Scott Krippayne – singer/songwriter Kathy Mattea – country music singer James Valenti – tenor at the Metropolitan Opera, New York
Politics Victor A. Arredondo – former minister of education at the State of Veracruz, Mexico, 2004–2010 Carl George Bachmann – United States congressman, Republican minority whip 1931–1933