MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – There may be now a spot in Wealthy Rodriguez’s West Virginia teaching story for an epilogue.
Seventeen years after his departure, the Grant City native is returning to the place the place he made a reputation for himself nationally as one in every of school soccer’s most revolutionary minds practically twenty years in the past. The official announcement was made earlier as we speak.
It’s, maybe, essentially the most gorgeous story in West Virginia College sports activities historical past!
“Prepare for some good instances,” former Mountaineer assistant coach Invoice Kirelawich mentioned earlier as we speak from his winter house in Bradenton, Florida. Kirelawich labored with Rodriguez at West Virginia and likewise at Arizona. “In my thoughts, we could not have gotten a greater coach than Wealthy. The final time I appeared, the entire thought within the recreation is to win, and in order for you a man that is going to win, there may be no one higher than Wealthy.”
Many in Mountaineer Nation have been upset when Rodriguez left, some have been sad with the best way he left, however everybody as we speak is raring to see him rebuild West Virginia soccer into the nationwide model that it was when he departed in 2007.
The Mountaineers, that 12 months, have been on the doorstep of a nationwide championship, capping a three-year run that included an 11-win season and a victory over Georgia within the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl, a 10-win marketing campaign and a Gator Bowl conquer Georgia Tech the next 12 months, after which a 10-win common season that noticed West Virginia attain No. 1 within the coaches’ ballot for the primary time at school historical past and fall one recreation in need of reaching the BCS nationwide championship recreation.
Upon taking the Michigan job, the group Rodriguez left interim coach Invoice Stewart right here was adequate to rout third-ranked Oklahoma 48-28 within the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl at College of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
That accomplished a three-year run that noticed West Virginia end fifth, 10th and sixth within the postseason Related Press High 25 polls.
You will need to return to the Clarence Spears years within the early Twenties when his WVU groups went 25-2-2 over a three-year interval to search out something comparable.
When Spears left for Minnesota in 1925, Ira Errett Rodgers changed him, and every time West Virginia made a training change up till World Battle II, Spears was the coach alums and boosters actually needed again.
That was the case in 1931 when Earle “Greasy” Neale took over.
That was the case three years later when Charles “Trusty” Tallman acquired the job.
That was the case when Marshall “Little Sleepy” Glenn turned the coach in 1937, after which in 1940, when Carnegie Tech’s Invoice Kern was employed, some alums nonetheless needed Spears to be the man 15 years after he left.
Right this moment, it is lastly occurring!
Rodriguez performed for legendary WVU coach Don Nehlen from 1981-84 earlier than establishing a repute as an up-and-coming coach on the small school degree at Glenville State.
That led to him incomes a spot on Tommy Bowden’s Tulane employees as offensive coordinator, after which to Clemson, which put him in place to land the West Virginia job in December of 2000, changing Nehlen.
Rodriguez is extensively recognized for his cutting-edge offenses, spectacular velocity and explosive playmakers, however what has ceaselessly been underappreciated is the toughness that his groups have all the time demonstrated.
He got here up with catchy slogans comparable to “spot the ball,” “maintain the rope” and “play like your hair is on hearth,” however the one which has caught all through his teaching profession is “laborious edge.”
It is the hashtag that he continues to make use of on X.
“The laborious edge has been his entire factor, and that is what these children are going to search out out,” Kirelawich predicted. “What I have been looking forward to the final six to 10 years, I do not see quite a lot of children enjoying with a tough edge. It isn’t there, however you may see it now.”
It was toughness on the outset of Rodriguez’s WVU tenure that led to some early upset victories over nationally ranked Virginia Tech and Pitt, and helped bridge the hole till he might recruit extra proficient gamers to Morgantown.
Kirelawich mentioned Rodriguez’s formulation for fulfillment is straightforward – he is demanding. He believes toughness, preparation and fundamentals are what’s going to carry Mountaineer soccer again, and get disinterested followers again into the stands.
“Coaches know tips on how to win, however some cannot switch the significance of profitable to the youngsters,” Kirlav defined. “He is acquired a method of doing that. He could make the youngsters perceive how essential profitable is, similar to he makes the coaches perceive how essential profitable is.
“And to win, they’ll do it his method,” he continued. “They’re going to be essentially sound, and they’ll run to the ball. They’re going to do all of the little issues that do not come out within the newspapers.”
By the mid-2000s, Rodriguez’s West Virginia groups boasted among the largest names at school historical past, from quarterback Pat White to consensus All-American working again Steve Slaton to Rimington Award winner Dan Mozes to eventual All-Professional cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones.
Pat McAfee additionally performed right here for Rodriguez and as we speak is without doubt one of the most influential personalities in school soccer. The previous Indianapolis Colts punter has been a frequent promoter of his alma mater on his wildly common “Pat McAfee Present” that airs every day on ESPN, ESPN+, YouTube and DAZN.
McAfee is planning on doing his present from Morgantown on Friday afternoon to assist welcome his previous coach house.
A lot of his former gamers on social media are voicing their approval of his return, and donations to the Nation Roads Belief have already picked up considerably.
This speedy jolt of electrical energy and pleasure is what Rodriguez introduced right here again in 2000, and it’s as soon as once more sorely wanted as we speak.
It is common for coaches to have non-consecutive tenures. Common Robert Neyland did it at Tennessee. Invoice Snyder did it at Kansas State. John Robinson did it at USC. Barry Alvarez did it at Wisconsin. Mack Brown did it at North Carolina and Scott Frost is doing it this 12 months at UCF.
It should even be the fourth time it is occurred at West Virginia. Louis Yeager coached in 1899 after which in 1902, after which Ira Rodgers was requested to return to the sector and preserve Invoice Kern’s whistle heat whereas Kern served within the Navy throughout World Battle II.
Kern’s tenure resumed after a three-year hiatus in 1946.
These sequels have been unremarkable, however Kirelawich would not see that occuring this time round with Rodriguez.
“Wealthy lives for what goes on the sector,” he mentioned. “There are a ton of hard-working coaches on the market, however there may be no one as preoccupied with profitable and getting the job performed as Wealthy shall be. I promise you that.
“He is not afraid to strive one thing new, and he isn’t afraid of attempting one thing out of the peculiar,” Kirelawich added. “We have a man who is aware of West Virginia – any person who can do it and has performed it. How usually do you’ve gotten the luxurious of that? He is already taken you the place you wish to go, and he can do it once more.”
And so, Wealthy Rodriguez’s West Virginia teaching story continues.
