Former West Virginia head football coach Rich Rodriguez left his alma mater for hopes of becoming a big time college coach at the University of Michigan. However, that experiment for himself and Michigan turned out to be a tremendous failure.
When Rodriguez left WVU, he became arguably the most hated man in Morgantown, but at some point could the Mountaineers welcome back their lost son?
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com believes that the return of Rodriguez to the West Virginia football program may be just what they need since head coach Bill Stewart and coach-in-waiting Dana Holgorsen have marred the program in controversy.
“The Mountaineers need a stable, long-term fix at the coaching position,” Florio writes. “And with Rodriguez’s tail currently tucked between his legs after being fired by Michigan, this could be the perfect moment to secure true long-term loyalty, along with consistently high-level performance.”
It was Rodriguez’s 60-26 record in seven seasons with the Mountaineers that attracted Michigan to Rodriguez in the first place. Once in Ann Arbor though Rodriguez could only turn over a 15-22 record with the Wolverines.
“Rodriguez had a chance to become a Bobby Bowden- or a Joe Paterno-type figure in Morgantown … a living legend,” Florio writes. “The window is open now for that three-year stretch of ugliness to eventually become a faded memory for both the coach and the school.”
A smaller Big East or ACC school may be just what Rodriguez needs himself. He is a good coach when it comes to the spread offense which clearly didn’t work for him in a more pro style Big Ten.
Source: ProFootballTalk.com
