Former WVU Football Head Coach Richard Rodriguez has officially returned to coach the Mountaineers once again, following his introductory press conference on Friday afternoon.
Many fans have spent the past decade or so still upset at Rodriguez for the way that he left the Mountaineers in 2007. After denying he would take another job for weeks, the former head coach then lost as a heavy favorite at home to hated rival Pitt. The loss ultimately cost his team a spot in the National Championship game.
The loss in the closing week of what had been WVU’s best season ever was not the final dagger in Mountaineer fans’ hearts. Rodriguez soon after the loss went back on his word that he was never leaving and took the head coach position at the University of Michigan, breaking WVU fans’ trust and love for quite some time.
When the decision was announced that Rodriguez would be returning to WVU, most fans rejoiced in the potential of the head coach getting the program back to its glory days, but some still have not forgiven Rodriguez for what he did 17 years ago.
The new coach was asked very early in his public press conference about fans still carrying hard feelings about the way the 2007 season ended.
“I understand that there are fans that are upset. At least they care right? But sometimes not everything is as you think it is.”
Rodriguez then owned up to his past and made a promise to the fans moving forward, “But I made a mistake. And my promise to not just the folks who are upset, but to everybody here and everybody that’s been very very supportive, I will earn your support. We will earn your support and trust back and I’m committed to that and I’ve thought about that even before this opportunity.”
To close out the response to the issue, Rodriguez continued on his trend of wanting to make things right. “This is my home. This is such a great state that I wanted to be able to come back. I will prove to them that man to my right (Wren Baker) made the right decision.”
This question about some fans’ displeasure came after an unruly fan, wearing WVU gear, started shouting from the bottom of the Coliseum seats, calling Rodriguez out for the hurtful things he did in the past to WVU fans.
Rodriguez stayed composed and stepped away from the microphone to let security usher the fan out of the Coliseum to a sea of boos and multiple cans of beer thrown his way.
Once the crowd had settled back down a bit, Rodriguez stepped back into the mic and said, “Okay, any other Pitt fans can leave the building!”
While the vast majority of fans in attendance were in emphatic support of the former coach, it goes without saying that there is work that will need to be done by Rodriguez to silence some of the fans that are still not over 2007.
Only time will tell how history and WVU fans will look back upon Rich Rod’s second run as the WVU Mountaineers’ Football Head Coach.
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