MORGANTOWN, WV (LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia University President Gordon Gee shared his thoughts on how former Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez might be received if he were rehired.
Gee, a speaker at the 2024 Sports Business Journal Awards, was asked about Rodriguez’s potential return to WVU.
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“I think he would be well received by a large set of our population. He left in a very unruly matter,” Gee said. “If he were to come back it would have to be as a prodigal son. Can he come back? I don’t know. I’ve come back twice.”
These remarks came just one day before reports surfaced confirming that Rodriguez is WVU’s top target for the head coaching position.
The “unruly matter” Gee referred to involves Rodriguez’s controversial departure from WVU in 2007, when he left to become the head coach at Michigan just before the Mountaineers’ appearance in the Fiesta Bowl.
The possibility of Rodriguez’s return has sparked significant debate among fans on social media, with opinions divided over his potential rehiring.
Although sources have confirmed Rodriguez’s impending return, WVU has yet to make an official announcement as of Thursday morning.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Wednesday evening that a deal is in progress.
Rodriguez coached the Mountaineers from 2001 to 2007, achieving a 60-26 record and securing four Big East Championships during his tenure.
