By Kyle Golik
Most press conferences naming the next head football coach aren’t a spectacle. North Carolina just tabbed Bill Belichick, winner of six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots as head coach, it seemed business as usual in Chapel Hill. Meanwhile, as West Virginia names Rich Rodriguez head coach, it was a full-blown spectacle in Morgantown last week as the reintroduction of Rodriguez had a full crowd at the WVU Coliseum. It also brought back the program’s most visible asset in Pat McAfee, who played under Rodriguez, and his show that can be a living infomercial for the program.
Leading up to the announcement of Rodriguez’s return, you could feel the division and apprehension across the Mountain State of the prospects of a reunion. Whether you listened to the “Radio Dean of West Virginia” Hoppy Kercheval on MetroNews or any other West Virginia outlet, the line was down the middle.
Even with Marshall losing their entire team to the transfer portal due to the exit of Charles Huff and opting out of the Independence Bowl, it didn’t get even the remote same traction in West Virginia as the drama unfolded in Morgantown.
One could describe the air in the WVU Coliseum as a strong mixture of excitement, apprehension, and wondering if it was real. As the fanfare began with the pyrotechnics that welcomed Rodriguez, athletic director Wren Baker, and Tony Caridi – the Voice of the Mountaineers, there was almost an instant silence of disbelief, similar to when I heard Bob Knight returning to Assembly Hall. You had to see it and hear it for yourself.
As the emotions poured for Rodriguez, it wasn’t without any obstacles. As Rodriguez was introduced and approached the podium, you could tell he was full of emotions from a 17-year whirlwind journey, with added tensions from a heckler who decided to be vocal against the Rodriguez hire. As the fans began to boo and security escorted the heckler, it was the perfect ice breaker to get Rodriguez back on track, “OK, any other Pitt fans can leave the building.”
As the fans cheered the roasting of their Backyard Brawl combatants, Rodriguez began to level with the fanbase on how he made a mistake leaving 17 years ago, Rodriguez found a way to tie the heckler, with his mistake, and how he has matured.
More Sports News
“I have grown and learned and gotten better. Everybody says you learn from your mistakes and you grow. I’ve tried to do that. Not just from 20 years ago or 17 years ago, but from seven years ago to seven days ago to seven minutes ago,” Rodriguez said. “When that Pitt fan yahoo’d up right there, my younger days, I would’ve wanted to jump off this podium and talk to him in person. I would’ve seen if he had a real hard edge or a fake hard edge. My older, mature self would say, gosh, I’m blessed to have all you folks here. I’ll let you all take care of him.”
In a lot of ways, West Virginia too has matured along with Rodriguez. After Rodriguez’s departure, Bill Stewart had the enviable task of following Rodriguez. While Stewart became the third coach in West Virginia history to win nine or more games in three consecutive seasons, joining Rodriguez and Don Nehlen, it wasn’t good enough for the program where Rodriguez had the program flirting with national championships. While the separation between Stewart and the program is a story in itself, many feel the forced resignation/termination depending on how you look at it broke Stewart’s heart, who died less than a year later due to a heart attack.
While many felt Stewart’s successor Dana Holgorsen had all the same things Rodriguez possessed as an offensive innovator, but the feeling was never mutual. Holgorsen delivered instant results in West Virginia’s greatest bowl triumph in the Orange Bowl over Clemson where the Mountaineers poured 70 points on, and won a Big East championship. With the move to the Big 12, Holgorsen never reached the same first-year heights and his desire to coach in Texas – never making any roots in West Virginia, began to take shape.
Unfortunately, Neal Brown didn’t win enough in his six seasons at West Virginia to keep his job. The high-profile games, the Mountaineers seemingly always lost in stunning fashion. If the Mountaineer fan base could be divided like they were over Rodriguez, it was when Brown had a speaking gaffe that accelerated throughout the state that led to dueling billboards in Morgantown. Brown realized his job depended more on what happened on the field and not if the fans were having fun at the tailgate.
Later, on a cold and somber Senior Day at Milan Puskar Stadium, Baker could see a stadium barely two-thirds full and a program spiraling barely being bowl eligible. For a meticulous athletic director who has a pulse on the Mountain State better than most, he realized he needed a change.
Baker realized what inspires fans is wins. Baker didn’t prioritize his search about winning a press conference or a press release, he wants somebody that will win and winning takes care of everything else.
West Virginia legends are loving the Rich Rodriguez hire
As Baker marveled over the spectacle that was at the WVU Coliseum, winning the press conference can pay huge dividends as well. The Rodriguez hire has seemingly activated a giant reunion of Mountaineers past and present.
“Rich Rodriguez and his coaching staff saw potential in me when I felt others did not, offering me an opportunity that forever changed my life. Together with the late Coach (Calvin) Magee (may he rest in peace), they gave me the chance to etch my name into the history of WVU and college football,” said Steve Slaton, who played for Rodriguez between 2005-2007.
“Rich Rodriguez has a legacy of success built on his unique approach, and I believe he deserves the opportunity to return to Morgantown and continue that tradition.”
“It is a great day,” WVU all-time leading rusher Avon Cobourne said in an interview with Gold and Blue Nation. “He’s one of us. He understands exactly who we are, the culture that we want to play with. The intensity that we want to play with.”
Former WVU quarterback Pat White said it would be an honor to be on Rodriguez’s staff and with Adam “Pac-Man” Jones and Pat McAfee both trumpeting NIL contributions, excitement is back in Morgantown. The fine line Baker had to walk was winning back the base for Rodriguez, by all accounts, Baker won the press conference with his selection, now can Rodriguez win the games?
