If West Virginia harbored any hard feelings toward Rich Rodriguez for leaving 17 years ago, it didn’t show in Friday’s press conference that introduced his return to Morgantown.
One fan apparently wasn’t thrilled about Rodriguez returning to coach the Mountaineers. But the heckler was quickly booed by the fans in attendance and eventually escorted out of the WVU Coliseum.
Rodriguez delivered a quick jab at the heckler, winning over the crowd that was already excited for his return.
“Okay, all other Pitt fans can leave the building,” said Rodriguez, who previously coached West Virginia from 2001 to 2007 before leaving for Michigan.
The fan reaction – and offensive chants to rival Pitt – made Rodriguez emotional as he began his remarks.
“This is really surreal,” he said. “I should never have left.”
Rodriguez signed a five-year contract with WVU and will have an average annual salary of $3.75 million, according to ESPN. The value of the deal could increase with incentives tied to winning totals and other benchmarks.
During his first stint in Morgantown, Rodriguez went 60-26 with five bowl appearances, including a Sugar Bowl win over Georgia following the 2005 season. WVU went 32-5 in Rodriguez’s last three seasons and oversaw a revolutionary offense the spread option. Most memorably, the Mountaineers were in position for the 2007 BCS championship game but lost 13-9 to Pitt.
Rodriguez left before WVU played in the Fiesta Bowl, where they defeated Oklahoma under interim coach Bill Stewart. Stewart was eventually named permanent head coach.
That last loss to Pitt apparently stuck with Rodriguez, who made a point to pull a few pranks against the Panthers during his press conference and an interview. with WVU alum Pat McAfee.
“I probably made a mistake a little earlier when I said the two worst four-letter words were ‘soft’ and ‘lazy,’” Rodriguez said in describing the kind of players he didn’t want in West Virginia. “I left out Pitt.”
West Virginia and Pitt play next season on September 13.
