Morgantown’s had that “new sheriff in town” energy since December, and his name is Rich Rodriguez. The man who once had the Mountaineers humming like a muscle car in the mid-2000s is back in gold and blue, months into his second run at West Virginia. Hired after the program stumbled to a 6–7 finish, Rodriguez wasted no time flipping the switch—firing up a massive roster reset, cleaning out the depth chart, and basically signing an entire new team out of the transfer portal. And just like that, the redemption tour has been rolling since winter.
Rodriguez didn’t waste time putting his stamp on the roster. WVU pulled in 29 transfer players in the first January wave alone, with another couple dozen added before the summer heat even hit. By August, more than 50 new faces had checked into the locker room—a turnover so wild it feels like he hit “refresh roster” on Dynasty mode in NCAA Football. This is a full-on 360 reload, and Rich Rod is betting the house that instant competition and veteran transfers can lift the Mountaineers back into Big 12 contention.
Of course, flipping half a roster is one thing—keeping those players locked in and disciplined is another. Rodriguez was straight up about the challenge when asked about how he’ll keep guys in line when Morgantown fills back up with students: “You know, people are going to know who the football players are. Be respectful. You know, understand it’s going to be a little bit busier. Everybody’s going to know who the football player is. You know, don’t be an idiot. All that kind of respect. They represent everybody. Every player represents every other player on the team. All that kind of stuff. I’m sure they’re excited because I know a lot of guys probably have friends and people they want to that they’re going to see or somebody they’re going to live with that’s coming in town. And this is a college town, right? Yeah. And from what I remember, Morgantown’s pretty lively for students.” Translation? Don’t be the headline for the wrong reason. In a college town like Morgantown, one dumb night out can drag the whole program into the mud.
That’s why he kept it funny but real when talking about discipline. “In the old days, you run them and get them tired out so they don’t want to go out….Well, that was the theory, right? But I’ll tell you it didn’t work.” Rodriguez laughed. “I’d call Pat McAfee and see what he thinks about how the best way to attack that.” That’s classic Rich Rod—half serious, half sarcastic, and somehow dead-on. He knows the game’s changed. Fear-based punishment doesn’t cut it anymore. Discipline now is about trust, maturity, and accountability. And yes, calling up McAfee—arguably WVU’s loudest alum—doesn’t sound too far-fetched when you think about it.
And McAfee? He’ll always be tied to Rodriguez and West Virginia’s golden era. The Pat White-Steve Slaton years, the Fiesta Bowl, the high-octane spread offense—it was college football fireworks. McAfee was booming punts and living the chaos, right up until that infamous 2007 Pitt miss that fans never forget. Now he’s a megaphone for Mountaineer Nation, keeping WVU in the spotlight from ESPN’s College GameDay stage.
Still, Rodriguez insists this squad has the leadership to stay focused. “But when you have a whole lot of seniors, guys that are here… By the time you get to be a senior in college, usually you’re a little bit more mature and career oriented and stuff like that.” With so many seniors and transfers who came in to compete right away, he’s banking on the locker room being less frat house and more business trip. Rodriguez isn’t shy about his optimism—he thinks this team’s grind will translate when it matters. And after a decade wandering through the coaching wilderness, he seems ready to stake his reputation on it.
CBS Sports projects a bowl-eligible season, forecasting a trip to the 68 Ventures Bowl against Central Michigan. That may not sound like the glory days just yet, but after a rough 2024 campaign, simply returning to the postseason would mark real progress for Rodriguez and his revamped squad. But if the rebuild wasn’t spicy enough, Rich Rod went and added fuel to the fire—by throwing a subtle jab at his old employer up north.
Rich Rod throws stray at Michigan
Michigan’s been catching strays all week, and Rich Rodriguez made sure to put his name on one. After the NCAA finally dropped punishment on the Wolverines for that 2023 sign-stealing mess, Rich Rod couldn’t help himself. Asked if his team would still use signals or helmet comms for tempo offense, he kept it real..with stray: “We could huddle and go quick huddles and not have to do any signals. We change our signals up and we change the guy who’s signaling. And we’ve got a variety of different signals we can do for the same play. If it was a Michigan situation, we would be ready. That’s all I have to say about that.”
Remember, this is the same HC who left WVU for Michigan in 2007, only to crash and burn with a 15–22 record before getting canned. The Wolverines never forgave him, and he never forgot how messy it got. So when the program’s sign-stealing scandal broke last year—staffer Connor Stalions, advanced scouting, Harbaugh suspended—it was the perfect alley-oop for Rich Rod to slam home some shade.
And let’s be honest—he’s not wrong. Sign-stealing’s been a dirty little secret in football forever, but Michigan took it to a whole new level. Rodriguez, who built his career on tempo and deception, knows better than most that if your signals are that easy to crack, you’re doing it wrong. His point was simple: WVU will adapt, keep it moving, and avoid the mess that blew up in Ann Arbor.
It also doubled as a reminder of what he brings back to Morgantown. Say what you want about Rich Rod, but the man’s offenses are never boring, and his willingness to poke the bear keeps everyone watching. If WVU’s rebuild wasn’t already compelling enough, now you’ve got a head coach with history, humor, and just enough pettiness to keep the college football internet buzzing.
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