2012 record 7–6 (4–5 Big 12) | ||
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson (1st as coordinator, 2nd overall year) Defensive coordinator Joe DeForest (1st year) | ||
The 2012 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season marked the Mountaineers' first season as members of the Big 12 Conference. In addition, the 2012 season was the first for the team since 1942 without a Backyard Brawl matchup against their top rival Pittsburgh due to their exit from the Big East Conference after the 2011 season. The Mountaineers were led by Dana Holgorsen in his second season as head coach. Joe DeForest and Keith Patterson served as co-defensive coordinators in their first season at WVU, while Shannon Dawson was elevated to offensive coordinator after serving as the team's receivers coach in the 2011 season. West Virginia played its home games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. They finished the season 7–6, 4–5 in Big 12 play to finish in a four way tie for fifth place. They were invited to the Pinstripe Bowl where they were defeated by longtime rival Syracuse.
Big 12 media poll
- Oklahoma (32), 396
- West Virginia (7), 339
- Texas 291
- Oklahoma State, 267
- TCU (1), 260
- Kansas State (1), 257
- Baylor, 162
- Iowa State, 121
- Texas Tech, 116
- Kansas, 46