Rodriguez Assured Mountaineers Will Restock Their Roster – West Virginia College Athletics

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Final Friday morning on West Virginia MetroNews’ “Talkline” radio present, listeners heard an older, extra skilled, extra reflective Wealthy Rodriguez discussing his life experiences over the past 17 years since his sudden departure from West Virginia College.
 
Most of us have moved on, however some, together with one one who briefly interrupted West Virginia’s press convention reintroducing its 32^nd head soccer coach as its 36^th, could not.
 
Instances round right here had been simply too good again then for some to so simply neglect.
 
Now, occasions should not so good, which is why Rodriguez is again.
 
“It was an fascinating journey going out west, happening south and actually, to come back again dwelling, it is actually been a novel alternative to have as a result of it would not occur fairly often,” Rodriguez instructed the present’s retiring host, Hoppy Kercheval.
 
Rodriguez mentioned he was completely pleased teaching at Jacksonville State, but when he ever obtained the chance to return to the facility convention teaching ranks, he at all times felt one of the best place to do it was West Virginia College – a spot he is aware of so properly.
 
“The timing was excellent,” he defined, including, “I do know I’ve obtained to win video games and there are nonetheless a whole lot of people which can be upset, so I’ve obtained to earn their assist again, however we’re keen to try this, and we’re going to do every thing we will to have West Virginia soccer be related nationally once more.”
 
The passing years have a means of offering some perspective that we do not usually have once we are experiencing life in actual time. Rodriguez readily admits his youthful self was impatient at occasions, which made it difficult for a company so used to doing issues a sure strategy to change so abruptly. 
 
Finally, it could not.
 
Now, 17 years later, West Virginia College is correct again the place it was in 1950, when Artwork Lewis was employed to revive this system, or in 1966, when Jim Carlen was introduced right here for some reinvigoration, or in 1980, when Don Nehlen was requested to recharge the batteries.
 
Every delivered.
 
I have been often coming to West Virginia soccer video games because the mid-Nineteen Eighties, and I may also bear in mind going to video games within the outdated stadium again within the late Seventies, and I can by no means recall there being this a lot apathy.
 
Anger, sure, however not apathy.
 
4 hours earlier than the common season dwelling finale towards UCF, whereas strolling as much as the stadium to do our “Mountaineer Tailgate” pregame present, there was not a single automotive parked within the Silver Lot! 
 
I used to be surprised, to say the least.
 
Just lately, in a span of a few months, my eye physician, my dentist and my dermatologist every gave me their scientific, sober (and pretty correct) assessments of the place issues are with this system proper now.
 
4 seven-loss seasons in six years have a means of doing that.
 
And those who should not detached have grown impatient.
 
Rodriguez, now 61, has seen a fantastic deal within the many locations he is been since his departure. These experiences have modified him in some ways, however in different methods, he is nonetheless the identical.
 
“I feel my experiences over the past 17 years at different locations have helped me,” he admitted.
 
“Generally, you do not respect what you’ve got obtained till you do not have it anymore, and that is form of a straightforward factor to say, however that is true as properly,” he added.
 
The impatient followers have now turned their consideration to the switch portal, at the moment’s lifeblood of school soccer. 
 
Proper now, they see too many going out and never sufficient coming in.
 
The Wealthy Rodriguez of 17 years in the past would have responded a lot in a different way than the Wealthy Rodriguez of at the moment when Kercheval requested him concerning the switch portal final Friday.
 
“It is not shocking, as a result of school soccer has modified a lot,” he started. “Loads of guys go into the portal as a result of they need to see what their worth is. Some guys obtained in as a result of they need a chance to play extra, and a few guys go in and they do not know what the hell they need to do.
 
“I’ve tried to satisfy with all of them and speak to them about what our program goes to be about and what we will do for them, however I am not going to beg them,” he defined. “We’re going to be in a fantastic place to assist them, not simply football-wise, career-wise and academically, but additionally financially.
 
“But when they’re going to go chase the cash and a few faculty goes to pay them large, large cash – greater than we’d pay – they usually resolve to try this, that is wonderful. I am going to go get one other one,” he continued. “I am not going to panic about it. I do know some people panic about it, ‘Oh, this man simply obtained into the portal!’ There are a whole lot of good gamers on the market. I do not need to lose any of our good gamers, nevertheless it’s inevitable. It occurs. In the event that they do this, then I’ll go discover one myself within the portal.”
 
Is not that what WVU alum Curt Cignetti did just lately at Indiana?
 
Cignetti, two years older than Rodriguez, noticed this system he inherited lose 39 gamers to the switch portal, together with 11 to different energy convention applications. West Virginia followers obtained a fairly good have a look at one in all them – Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby.
 
Cignetti ended up including 31 gamers to his roster from the portal, together with a number of on protection AFTER spring soccer observe. Final yr, there have been 3,800 whole transfers and greater than 1,200 entered the portal within the spring. 
 
Indiana, by the way in which, made it to the faculty soccer playoffs in Cignetti’s first season there.
 
It is not about choosing first; it is about choosing proper.
 
Return by means of time, all the way in which again to Rodriguez’s days teaching within the West Virginia Convention, and you will note that he has at all times trusted his eyes.
 
Years in the past, he would jokingly say a sure participant “could not play useless in a western (film).” The purpose he was making was that his opinion issues most to him, not what others suppose.
 
Rodriguez constructed, rebuilt and rebuilt once more Jacksonville State throughout his three seasons there. These items is not new to him.
 
“I do know it is Group of 5, however final yr at Jax State, we had 60 new gamers,” he defined. “We misplaced 9 starters to larger provides at Energy Fives, and we simply obtained into the portal and obtained some extra good gamers and ended up having a fairly good yr. 
 
“I am not going to panic about it, however it’s disappointing, as a result of there are some actually good youngsters that most likely get dangerous recommendation, go into the portal and it is not what they suppose it will be. We’ll substitute them; I am not frightened about it.”
 
Neither am I.
 
Comfortable Holidays Mountaineer followers!