Rodriguez is WVU's New Football Coach
BY JOHN ANTONIK
Rich Rodriguez, a 1986 WVU graduate who had been offensive coordinator and associate head coach at Clemson, is WVU's 31st head football coach.
"I'm very excited for the opportunity to come home and coach at my alma mater," the 37-year-old Rodriguez said. "West Virginia is home to me and very dear to my heart.
"To have the opportunity to build on what Don Nehlen has built over the last 21 years is a real honor and responsibility that's been entrusted to me," he said.
"West Virginia football is the state of West Virginia's program. We want every seat filled in the stadium and we want West Virginians to be excited about coming to a ball game. And when they come, they are going to see guys giving it all they got," he added.
Rodriguez was a three-time letter-man at defensive back for Don Nehlen's Mountaineers from 1982 to 1984, playing in the Gator, Hall of Fame, and Bluebonnet Bowls. After serving two seasons as a student assistant coach and graduating from WVU in 1986 with a degree in physical education and safety, he began his coaching career at Salem College as secondary coach and special teams coordinator. In 1987, he served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at the school.
In 1988, he was promoted to head coach of the Salem Tigers, becoming the youngest college head coach in America at age 24. When Salem dropped its football program he came back to WVU and worked on Nehlen's staff.
From 1990 to 1996, Rodriguez was head coach at Glenville State College, where he earned four WVIAC conference championships and played in the 1993 NAIA national championship game. He was named WVIAC coach of the year in 1993 and 1994 and NAIA national coach of the year in 1993.
In 1997-98, Rodriguez was offensive coordinator and quarterback coach under current Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden at Tulane.
"I'm so pleased that we have one of our own to continue the Mountaineer football tradition," said WVU Athletics Director Ed Pastilong. "I feel our players will really like playing for Rich, and I'm confident our fans will enjoy having him as our football coach."
"Rich Rodriguez has made a name for himself as a dynamic and innovative coach. In my conversations with him, I have been impressed with his ideas for building on Don Nehlen's legacy," said WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. "His enthusiasm is infectious. He knows the state and University well and we look forward to his successful tenure with the Mountaineers."
Rodriguez has a five-year contract which will pay him $402,600 annually. This includes a $150,000 base salary, $63,000 from private funding via the Athletic Endowment Fund, and $189,600 from guaranteed earned income (radio, television, Internet, and endorsements). Rodriguez will have the opportunity to earn up to an additional $100,000 per year in incentives.
The new head coach is a native of Grant Town. He is married to Rita Setliff Rodriguez, a native of Jane Lew who graduated from WVU in 1986. They have two children, Raquel and Rhett.
"West Virginia is home—it
always has been home. I just left on a long vacation for about
four years and now I'm back."
Rich Rodriguez