ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum thinks highly of the West Virginia Mountaineers’ head coach, Rich Rodriguez. He had taken an exit from the Mountaineers squad back in 2007 after their soul-crushing loss to the Pittsburgh Panthers (13-9) in the Backyard Brawl. The national championship spot had slipped away after going 11-1 throughout the season. Yet, Rodriguez is back to his old nest. And Finbaum can’t stop praising him. He said, “I think Rich Rodriguez is one of the great stories in college football. He has proven himself. He’s come back against all odds, and I mean absolutely all.”

But this is just one side of the coin. Shehan Jeyarajah of CBS Sports came up with his Big 12 head coaching rankings. In that ranking, Rodriguez was placed at No.12, with head coaches like Kenny Dillingham, Kalani Sitake, Mike Gundy, and Deion Sanders, among others, holding spots above him. However, Rodriguez is not quite bothered about what others are thinking. He does not want any mess-ups when it comes to his bond with the players. 

One narrative is looming around the Mountaineers camp, ‘For Rich Rodriguez and West Virginia, is second time a charm?’ The fans might be having a deja vu moment. Rodriguez is back. Pat White, Noel Devine, and Rasheed Marshall are on the field. However, not as a quarterback or running back. But they will be assisting Rodriguez, being part of his coaching staff. While the head coach would no longer need an introduction about his old players, it’s high time he gets to know his new squad. On July 30, he faced the media and shared what he is doing to get to know the players by both their faces and their names. Rodriguez shared, “You remember you used to put the tape on the front of the helmet. I’m like, ‘Why do we got to do that? We’re around them. We should know them.’ I brought this just in case.”

He continued, “It’s got their what year they are and, what position, and what number they are. I can recognize the faces now, and I know the positions, but I don’t know a lot of them, I don’t know them as well as I need to know. And that’s what part of our, next 20 days is going to be.” Before July called it wraps, Rodriguez went out for his first practice of the 2025 season as the 36th coach of West Virginia. Going by the calculations, this marks his eighth preseason camp at WVU. And his attire was 10/10.

Decked up in khaki shorts and striped WVU polo and a white West Virginia hat, Rodriguez has been the focal point at the training camp. But what struck the fans was the list he was holding with the names and backgrounds of each of his players written on it. Just in case! Can he be blamed for his poor memory? No way. Rodriguez completely overhauled last year’s WVU roster. Combining the winter and spring portal, they have brought in 70-plus players. That’s excluding the new faces that Rodriguez had to learn when he took the seat for the second time, making it 115.

He continued, “We’re going to spend a lot of time together. And when you’re watching a film or you’re wanting to get on somebody, it sometimes, when they make a mistake, it helps us learn who they are, too. Because I’m like, ‘Who is that guy? Where’s he from?’ And then we’ll spend some time in the evenings when it’s a little relaxed, and what I call fireside chats.” It’s those 15-minute sessions that bring together staff members, coaches, and players for some ice-breaking sessions. While Rodriguez found clarity about knowing his players, he just made the QB battle look more complex.

Rich Rodriguez lets the QB competition grow in the Mountaineers’ camp

Moving into the 2025 season, Rodriguez is handed a heavily loaded QB room. But turns out that the head coach is not rushing the naming process of the starter. Initially, the race was supposed to be between Nicco Marchiol and Jaylen Henderson. But somehow, Rodriguez knows that both of them have their own strengths and weaknesses, and perfection is only a myth. For instance, Marichol is known for his throwing skills. However, struggles when it comes to using his legs. On the flip side, Henderson needs more polishing on holding the pigskin.

So, now Rodriguez has come to a conclusion. During the press meet, he said, “I don’t mind being asked every day because that’s what I’m curious too, right? But there’s a process. I hate to use that word about how we’re doing it. You know, reps management. We got five guys that we’re trying to get reps and all of them got to get an opportunity to show that they can be the guy.” The Mountaineers are returning with Marchiol and Khalil Wilkins. Then there are transfers Henderson from Texas A&M, and Max Brown from Charlotte, and they are also counting on their freshman, Scotty Fox.

On that note, Rich Rodriguez shared, “I’m hoping there’s more than one. If I have three quarterbacks that are good enough to win with, I’ll play all three. It doesn’t bother me to rotate quarterbacks if they’re good enough to win with. That’s what I’ve told all of our guys, ‘prove that you’re good enough to win with and you’ll play.’” Rodriguez knows that he needs to pick up his starter wisely. The universe handed him a do-over at West Virginia—and now it’s his turn to erase the stain of former WVU  head coach Neal Brown’s 6-7 era.