Former Arizona Wildcats football coach Rich Rodriguez is set to return to the helm of the West Virginia Mountaineers, as reported by the Action Network’s Brett McMurphy. Rodriguez, who previously coached the Mountaineers from 2001 to 2007, will be joining the Big 12 conference, competing against his former teams UofA and Arizona State.
During his time at West Virginia, Rodriguez achieved a 60-26 record and secured wins in prestigious bowl games like the Sugar Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. He later moved on to coach at Arizona, where he led the Wildcats to five bowl games, including the Fiesta Bowl, and had some intense matchups with Arizona State.
After leaving Arizona in 2017 amidst allegations of running a hostile workplace, Rodriguez took on coaching roles at various other schools before eventually landing the head coaching job at Jacksonville State. Under his leadership, the Gamecocks won the 2024 Conference USA championship game.
Now, Rodriguez’s coaching journey has come full circle as he returns to West Virginia to replace Neal Brown. The Mountaineers have struggled in recent years, with six or fewer wins in five of the last six seasons. Fans and analysts will be watching closely to see how Rodriguez’s return impacts the team’s performance in the Big 12 conference.
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