We all make mistakes. I have made plenty of them in my lifetime and wish I could go back in time to change some of those decisions.
Here are my 2 cents worth on Rich Rodriguez getting hired back at WVU. I think we all deserve forgiveness. He admitted his mistake. It is time to give him another chance. We have all made mistakes and would love to have a chance to redeem ourselves. So how about a little forgiveness?
Rodriguez said leaving WVU was the worst decision he ever made.
With that being said – many West Virginia University sports fans were upset at the school administration bringing back Rich Rodriguez as the head football coach.
I am not one of them. I thought about it and decided Rich Rod was the best candidate the Mountaineers could have gotten.
Many other die-hard fans do not think so. But I think Rich Rod really feels remorse and deserves a second chance.
There are always two sides to every story. Apparently, at that time, Rodriguez did not get financial support from the sports administration and others at the school for program improvements or his assistant coaches.
Rodriguez dominated the Big East during his tenure at West Virginia. Since joining the Big 12 in 2012, West Virginia has had only one 10-win season. The school has not been nationally ranked in the AP poll since 2018, according to ESPN.
The Big East was a strong conference. Granted, it is not the conference that the Big 12 is now. But college sports have changed so much during these last 17 years.
With the transfer portal, the NIL money and recruiting high school kids in general – it is literally a whole new ballgame.
Recruiting is a much different competition these days. Can Rich Rod strike gold again with recruits like Pat White, Steve Slaton and a walk-on great like Owen Schmitt? He had many other good players and many made it to the NFL.
Rodriguez was hired after Don Nehlen retired as WVU’s coach in December 2000. Nehlen had a good tenure and had WVU in the top 5 in the nation a couple of times. Rodriguez went 60-26 in seven years in Morgantown. The .698 winning percentage is tops in WVU program history for any coach with more than 40 games. His teams won several bowl games including a Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.
In 2007, Rodriguez had West Virginia on the verge of playing for the National Championship until the Mountaineers were upset by rival Pitt 13-9 in their regular-season finale. Of course Pitt is WVU’s arch nemesis and that game still stings for fans. But if you have ever been involved in sports – upsets happen and you have to move on.
Reportedly, many big boosters and donors support Rich Rod and wanted him back. That is a big deal in this day and time. In this age of NIL and money needed for recruiting, that is very important.
The homecoming could also give West Virginia a jolt and the boost that it needs. Let’s face it – the last few seasons under Neal Brown have been mediocre at best.
The 61-year-old Rodriguez returns to West Virginia after a very productive three-year stint leading Jacksonville State of Florida. The Gamecocks won the Conference USA Championship last week, defeating Western Kentucky 52-12 in the title game.
Don’t forget Rich Rod is a native of West Virginia. He played football at WVU.
Rodriguez launched his head coaching career at a pair of West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schools. He led Salem in 1988 and Glenville State from 1990-96. He had stints as the offensive coordinator at Tulane and Clemson which preceded his first appointment as WVU head coach.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Rich Rodriguez and his family back home,” WVU AD Wren Baker said in a statement. “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.”
We should be optimistic about the future of the Mountaineer football program.
Let’s give Rodriguez another chance and support the WVU program.
(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)