Josh Lider has landed a long way from home.

The former Western Washington University kicker and Sammamish alum has signed to play football at West Virginia University next fall.

Lider, who had been searching for a team since Western dropped football in early January, confirmed his signing Monday in a phone call with the Bellevue Reporter.

“I had no idea this was going to happen,” Lider said. “When West Virginia called me, I was just shocked.”

The Mountaineers of the Big East Conference went 9-4 last season, beating North Carolina 31-30 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Lider, a second-team Great Northwest Athletic Conference pick last season, said he hadn’t found much interest until after spring break. Among the other schools recruiting him were Portland State and Colorado State, Lider said, before it came down to choosing between his top choices of Montana and West Virginia.

“It was pretty even on both sides, which is funny to say,” Lider said of his choice. “Both schools are national championship-calibar teams. The exposure at both schools would have been awesome. But what really swayed me to West Virginia was the future of the program.”

West Virginia also boasts a medical school, Lider said, which was one of the reasons he signed, also citing the chance for exposure and a workout program that would give him a chance to play professionally.

Lider spent the winter playing with the Vikings soccer team while waiting to hear from interested schools. He will receive a full scholarship and will compete for the kicking and punting duties.

“Depth-wise, they just didn’t have very many guys there,” he said.

Lider has one year of eligibility remaining. He will head to Morgantown in June.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a big change from Bellingham,” Lider joked. “But I’d like to see just how good I can really be.”