The Return of Rich Rodriguez
Back to the Future
The West Virginia University football program is going back in time, as Rich Rodriguez was officially named head coach, returning to the program he left in 2007. This decision is not without controversy, as many fans and alumni still remember how he left the school for Michigan.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Rich Rodriguez and his family back home,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said in a press release. “Coach Rodriguez understands what it takes to win at West Virginia, and I believe he will pour his heart, soul and every ounce of his energy into our program. I am convinced Coach Rodriguez wants what is best for West Virginia, WVU and West Virginia football, and I am excited about the future of our program.”
Watching Rodriguez, dressed in a fresh WVU blue and gold quarter-zip, step off the airplane with Baker and onto the tarmac of Morgantown Municipal Airport was a surreal sight. The native of Grant Town, West Virginia, and former Mountaineer football player is back home once again. This is the man who brought some of the most exciting years in WVU sports history, leading his teams from 2004 to 2007 to four bowl victories, including two BCS championships.
He finished with a 60-26 record, making him the second-winningest coach in program history, behind only Don Nehlen. It was his abrupt departure to Michigan following the infamous 13-9 loss in the Backyard Brawl to the Pitt Panthers that made this reunion seem improbable.
TRUST the Climb
Neal Brown’s dismissal after six seasons opened the door to one of the most sought-after head coaching jobs in college football. With the Mountaineers in a Power Four Conference and backed by funding from prominent boosters and fans donating to the Country Roads Trust, this is a team that has the potential to turn things around quickly.
There is little doubt that Rodriguez’s name rising to the top of a prominent list of candidates, including Jimbo Fisher and Bill Belichick, was largely due to his relationships with influential boosters, most notably Ken Kendrick, owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Kendrick took to Twitter (X) to distance himself from the hire:
Wren Baker is his own man and conducted a thorough search to find our new Coach. NO ONE pressured him in any way during the process. The Country Roads Trust will strongly support Rich Rodriguez just as we would any other candidate that Wren would have been chosen. Go…
— WVU 1965 (@KenKendrick18) December 12, 2024
The McAfee Effect
Another key factor in this decision was the influence of WVU’s former kicker/punter, ESPN GameDay analyst, and host of The Pat McAfee Show, Pat McAfee.
After years of distance from the Mountaineers football program, McAfee is now a prominent donor and spokesperson for the Country Roads Trust. It’s well-known that he has a direct relationship with Baker.
Rich Rod also coached McAfee. I think McAfee sees this as an opportunity to right the wrongs of the 13-9 loss to the Panthers that knocked the Mountaineers out of the national championship game. That was a game in which McAfee missed two field goals and, overwhelmed by the anger of fans, even contemplated suicide. To say this former player is excited would be an understatement.
🗣🗣 STRAP IT UP
Let’s fucking go https://t.co/droh2TEYWy
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 12, 2024
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Legacy Saving
Removing emotions from the equation, this move should have an immediate positive impact on the program. Rodriguez is an excellent coach. His up-tempo, spread offense will be a refreshing change after six years of Neal Brown’s more traditional style. At Jacksonville State, he successfully guided the program’s transition from FCS to FBS. In 2024, he led them to a C-USA conference title. He has won nine games in each of his three seasons with the Gamecocks.
Rodriguez will be expected to hit the floor running. They will be scouring the transfer portal to find the players needed to execute this offense. He knows that mistakes were made with how he left WVU. Rodriguez also knows winning would go a long way to save his legacy.
