The West Virginia football program is looking to put itself back on the map under Rich Rodriguez after struggling to find its way with former head coach Neil Brown.
Rodriguez is now back as head coach for the second time and has not spent much time watching the team’s tape from a season ago.
Rich Rodriguez Looks to Turn the Page
Under Brown, the Mountaineers won more than six games just one time in his six-year tenure.
Rodriguez recently spoke with insider Chris Anderson this week about his reaction to watching some of the team’s film from last season.
Rich Rodriguez says he didn’t watch much tape on WVU from last year. Popped in a little tape of a couple games, including the season finale. “I watched a little bit of Texas Tech until I threw up.”
— Chris Anderson (@CMAnderson247) February 20, 2025
It is safe to say that Rodriguez saw enough of last season’s tape to realize that things have to change under his regime. The Mountaineers finished eighth in the Big 12 last season with a conference record of 5-4 and an overall record of 6-7.
Simply put, the mediocrity has to be done away with, which is why Rodriguez is there.
Rodriguez’s Previous Stint
A former player at West Virginia, Rodriguez was later named the head coach of the school back in 2001 and guided the team until 2007.
In his seven seasons at his alma mater, he led the team to four Big East titles and three seasons with at least 10 wins. The team’s best season came in 2005 when they went 11-1 overall and 7-0 in conference en route to winning the Sugar Bowl.
It will be up to the 61-year-old coach to bring his school back to prominence simply because that is what is expected.
After he left West Virginia in 2008, he would go on to be the head coach at schools such as Michigan, Arizona, and Jacksonville State. He also spent time as an offensive assistant at Ole Miss, Hawaii, and Louisiana-Monroe.
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With the help of one of his old superstar quarterbacks in Pat White, who is returning to the school as an offensive assistant, Rodriguez has plenty of support to go win.
Time will tell if he is truly the man for the job or if the school needs to continue to look around.
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