MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Wealthy Rodriguez, winner of 190 video games and 12 outright or shared convention or division championships, has been named the 36th head soccer coach at West Virginia College, Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker introduced as we speak.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Coach Wealthy Rodriguez and his household again dwelling,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker mentioned. “Coach Rodriguez understands what it takes to win at West Virginia, and I consider he’ll pour his coronary heart, soul and each ounce of his vitality into our program. I’m satisfied Coach Rodriguez needs what’s finest for West Virginia, WVU and West Virginia soccer, and I’m enthusiastic about the way forward for our program.”
The architect of the no-huddle, zone-read unfold choice offense began his teaching profession because the youngest head coach within the nation at 24. He has spent his whole 30-plus yr profession, together with 27 as a head coach, showcasing an impressive resume as a coach. Rodriguez is a grasp tactician, innovator, developer of expertise, program builder and a winner.
“I’m thrilled to have the chance to be the pinnacle soccer coach at West Virginia College,” Rodriguez mentioned. “My household and I are full of gratitude to steer the Mountaineer soccer program once more and look ahead to working with the numerous supporters, followers, and buddies to construct the most effective soccer program in America! Take Me House!”
Rodriguez has guided six completely different colleges throughout his head teaching tenure, producing a 190-129-2 general file and successful almost 60% of his video games. He has earned convention or nationwide coach of the yr honors seven instances (WVIAC 1993, 1994; Large East 2003, 2005; Pac-12 2014; C-USA 2024 and NAIA Nationwide Coach of the Yr in 1993). He has led his squads to eight or extra wins 15 instances, 10 or extra wins 5 instances and has gained the convention or division championship seven instances (Glenville State 1993-96, West Virginia 2003-05, ’07, Arizona 2014, Jacksonville State 2022, ’24).
“West Virginians all the time discover their manner dwelling once more,” mentioned WVU President Gordon Gee. “I’ve spoken to Coach Rodriguez, and it’s clear that his time away has offered reflection and renewed appreciation for West Virginia and West Virginia College. We look ahead to having Wealthy, his household, and his successful file again in Morgantown. I lengthen my because of Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker for his management in working an environment friendly and thorough search.”
He has led his packages to 14 bowl video games, together with three BCS video games (2006 Sugar, 2008 Fiesta, 2014 Fiesta) and two NAIA Division I playoff appearances (the championship sport in 1993 and the quarterfinals in 1994). He has coached offenses which have produced 10 convention gamers of the yr, has coached 56 NFL gamers and greater than 30 All-Individuals throughout his profession.
Rodriguez coached arguably two of the best dual-threat quarterbacks within the historical past of school soccer (Pat White – West Virginia, Denard Robinson, Michigan) and several other different excellent signal-callers (Shaun King – Tulane, Woody Dantzler – Clemson, Rasheed Marshall, West Virginia and Kahlil Tate – Arizona).
He returns to West Virginia after main Jacksonville State to excellent success, guiding the Gamecocks from NCAA FCS degree to the FBS ranks over the previous three seasons. The 2024 Convention USA Coach of the Yr compiled a 27-10 file (three-straight nine-win seasons), earned the 2024 C-USA common season and convention championships, gained the 2023 New Orleans Bowl and had a first-place end within the Atlantic Solar Convention in 2022.
In 2024, the Gamecocks boasted eight first or second crew all-conference members and three all-freshman crew members. The 2023 season noticed the Gamecocks make historical past beneath Rodriguez, turning into the primary program to win a bowl sport in its first season of FBS competitors. In 2022, the Gamecocks posted a 9-2 file and a 5-0 mark in ASUN Convention play en path to the convention title to wrap up the varsity’s FCS Period.
Previous to Jacksonville, he served because the affiliate head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Louisiana-Monroe, the place he was new head coach Terry Bowden’s selection to steer the Warhawks’ offense in rebuilding after ULM suffered a winless marketing campaign in 2020. The Warhawks improved in each offensive class in 2021. He spent the 2019 season because the offensive coordinator at Ole Miss.
At Arizona, Rodriguez helped set up the Wildcats as one of the vital explosive offensive packages within the Pac-12. Throughout his tenure, Arizona tied or set greater than 100 offensive college information and all-time leaders have been set for profession speeding and all-purpose yardage.
Rodriguez led the Wildcats to a 43-35 file and 5 bowl video games. Arizona gained the 2014 Pac-12 South Division title and superior to the Fiesta Bowl, ending the season with a 10-4 mark, one in all simply three 10-win seasons in this system’s historical past. He was named the Pac-12 Coach of the Yr on the season’s finish.
He compiled 33 wins in his first 4 years with the Wildcats, probably the most at school historical past over a four-year interval. The Wildcats additionally defeated a top-10 crew and superior to a bowl sport in every of these 4 seasons, the one time both of these feats have occurred at school historical past.
Previous to Arizona, he spent three seasons at Michigan, the place he coached quarterback Denard Robinson. As a sophomore in 2010, Robinson set the single-season Division I FBS file for speeding yards by a quarterback and have become the primary participant in NCAA historical past to go and rush for 1,500 yards on his approach to incomes first-team All-America honors.
Rodriguez was 60-26 in seven seasons at West Virginia, the place he gained the Large East Convention championship 4 instances (2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007) and was named the Large East’s Coach of the Yr in 2003 and 2005. The Mountaineers gained the 2006 Sugar Bowl and the 2008 Fiesta Bowl.
Earlier than accepting the place at West Virginia, Rodriguez was Tommy Bowden’s offensive coordinator and affiliate head coach at Clemson in 1999 and 2000, when the Tigers recorded a 15-9 file over two seasons. He went to Clemson from Tulane, the place he was Bowden’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 1997 and 1998. He helped lead the Inexperienced Wave to a 19-4 mark, together with a 12-0 season, Convention USA Championship and Liberty Bowl victory in 1998.
Rodriguez went to Tulane after a seven-year stint as the pinnacle coach at NAIA Glenville State in Glenville, West Virginia. His Glenville State groups gained or shared 4 consecutive West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Convention titles and he was named WVIAC Coach of the Yr in 1993 and 1994, in addition to the NAIA Coach of the Yr after main his crew to a nationwide runner-up end.
His head teaching profession began sooner than most in 1998, when Salem School made the 24-year-old Rodriguez the youngest head coach in school soccer after he’d served the earlier two seasons as an assistant on the college.
A 1986 graduate of West Virginia and native of Grant City, West Virginia, Rodriguez began at defensive again as a walk-on in 1981 and have become a three-year letterwinner as a defensive again for the Mountaineers from 1982-84 beneath Corridor of Fame coach Don Nehlen.
Rodriguez and his spouse, Rita, have two kids, Raquel and Rhett.
