Rich Rod Took The LONG Country Roads Path Back Home To West Virginia

Some things just feel right in life. Rich Rodriguez coaching ball at his alma mater of West Virginia is certainly one of them!

Rodriguez was the head coach at WVU from 2001-2007 and took the Mountaineers to unprecedented heights behind his spread option offense led by QB Pat White & RB Steve Slaton. They were even one win away from playing in the National Championship Game in 2007 blowing it to Pitt in the Backyard Brawl as a 28.5 point favorite!

After denying rumors of going to Alabama at end of 2006 season (Bama took Nick Saban), Rich Rod left West Virginia to replace Lloyd Carr at Michigan.  It was an ugly divorce from West Virginia as Rich Rod had recently agreed to a 4 year contract extension. Lots of bad blood was left behind with the administration & fan base to say the least. But time has a way of healing old wounds.

Check out the path Rodriguez took to getting back to West Virginia...... it is an all timer.

- The Michigan era was a rough one for Coach Rodriguez. He lasted 3 years and got the Wolverines in NCAA sanctions. Michigan went 3-9 & 5-7 in his first two years missing a bowl game for the first time in 33 seasons! He was let go at the beginning of 2011 landing at the University of Arizona 6 months later.

- His first 3 seasons at Arizona were successful and he even led the Wildcats to the 2014 Pac 12 Title Game and a BCS bowl vs. Boise State. However it did not end well it he desert and he was let go at beginning of 2018 amid more accusations of misconduct.

- Rich Rod landed at Ole Miss for a year as the offensive co-ordinator but was not retained by Lane Kiffin when he was hired. 

- He spent a year as an analyst in Hawaii for Todd Graham in 2020 then he took the Offensive Co-Ordinator job at UL-Monroe?!?!?!

Talk about a fall from grace but give him credit for staying in the coaching game! Jacksonville State hired him to be the head coach in late 2021 as the Gamecocks transitioned to the FBS from FCS.

And all Rich Rod did in Alabama was deliver BACK to BACK CUSA Championships for Jacksonville State in 2023 & 2024! What a comeback!

Seventeen years later, he is now back in Morgantown where he NEVER should have left. What a LONG trip down the country roads back to the place where he belongs..... West Virginia!