MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – New West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez admitted Friday he made a mistake by leaving West Virginia for Michigan 17 years ago.
Judging from the welcome he received from the thousands of fans who attended his introductory press conference Friday, much seemed forgiven — except for one man who yelled at Rodriguez just as he started to speak. The crowd quickly drowned out the heckler, who was escorted from the campus arena.
Rodriguez took over the cheering and responded with a joke aimed at West Virginia’s biggest rival: “Okay, all other Pitt fans can leave the building.”
The crowd, which included Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen and former players like Avon Cobourne and Owen Schmitt, roared in response.
And so began Rodriguez’s second tour of his alma mater.
“This is really surreal,” said Rodriguez, who became emotional and paused several times during his speech. “I should never have left.”
Rodriguez went 60-26 from 2001 to 2007. The fan base was devastated, first when West Virginia squandered a chance to play for the BCS national championship by losing 13-9 at home to heavy underdog Pittsburgh in the 2007 season finale, and again when Rodriguez lost 13-9 at home lost to heavy underdog Pittsburgh. was away for Ann Arbor two weeks later.
The 61-year-old Rodriguez, who was named coach Thursday after spending three seasons at Jacksonville State, said he has grown both as a person and as a coach over his long career, “and especially in the 17 years since I made the mistake to leave. ”
‘Sincere and sincere’
Rodriguez carries some baggage. His three years at Michigan, where he was fired after the 2010 season, were marred by NCAA violations for exceeding practice and training time limits with college football’s winningest program.
He was fired in January 2018 after six years in Arizona after his former administrative assistant filed a claim with the Arizona attorney general’s office, accusing him of sexually harassing her and creating a hostile work environment. The university said it could not substantiate the claims but was concerned about the “direction and climate of the football program.” The lawsuit was later dismissed.
Without going into details, athletic director Wren Baker said Rodriguez was “sincere and forthright in acknowledging those mistakes and the subsequent lessons he learned from them.”
McAfee the opening act
In 2000, Rodriguez took his first big job as a college head coach after being an assistant at Clemson, and several dozen people attended his West Virginia orientation in a room overlooking Mountaineer Field.
On Friday, West Virginia went all out. Concession stands sold beer, the marching band played and fans packed the stands.
ESPN personality Pat McAfee, a kicker and punter on the 2007 team, broadcast his daily show live from the arena floor, including an interview with Rodriguez prior to the start of the main event.
“We’re on the cusp of some championships, and that’s what today is all about,” McAfee said.
Twice a coach
Head coaches returning for a second stint at a school are not that rare.
Scott Frost recently returned to UCF. Among other coaches who have made repeat visits over the past decade include Mack Brown at North Carolina, Greg Schiano at Rutgers, Brady Hoke at San Diego State, Jeff Tedford at Fresno State, Bill Snyder at Kansas State and Randy Edsall at UConn .
Bobby Petrino was a two-term head coach at Louisville and served as coach and later offensive coordinator at Arkansas.
