After leaving West Virginia to become the head coach at Michigan following the 2007 regular season, Rich Rodriguez has returned to be the head coach of WVU football once again. One of the most popular personalities in college football thinks it was the right move for WVU to bring Rodriguez back home.
According to an article in Athlon Sports, popular ESPN personality Paul Finebaum stated on a recent episode of “The Paul Finebaum Show”, that he believes Rodriguez has the potential to revive the program.
“I would be shocked if he doesn’t,” Finebaum said. “I think Rich Rodriguez is one of the great stories in college football. He has proven himself. He’s come back against all odds, and I mean absolutely all.”
Rodriguez has an overall record of 190-129-2 as a head coach, including 60-26 during his first stint in Morgantown. His first run at WVU ended in controversy when he left for Michigan after West Virginia suffered a 13-9 loss to Pitt in the final game of the regular season. The Mountaineers entered the game ranked #2 in the country, so the loss knocked them out of a spot in the BCS National Championship game.
The departure from West Virginia was tumultuous because Rodriguez never held a press conference for WVU fans. To make matters worse, there were lawsuits between Rodriguez and the University due to disagreements about his buyout.
Time obviously heels wounds. Now, Rodriguez has returned to the sidelines in Morgantown once again. He has admitted that leaving the first time was the wrong decision. He has also taken accountability for the Pitt loss in 2007. The next big question is, can he return Mountaineer football to the glory days of the Big East? Paul Finebaum sure seems to think so.
Photo Credit: WVU Athletics
