“West Virginia, we’re not built for this, man. People are going to be falling out. There’s going to be warnings to stay indoors.” No need to panic, though; WVU AD Wren Baker said this, half-joking about the muggy summer heat. But something even more significant than the humidity is hanging over Morgantown—an $18 million bet on coach Rich Rodriguez, who’s still searching for his starting quarterback. And the clock is already ticking louder.

Rich Rodriguez has always brought excitement and a unique energy. Even though many candidates were considered for the West Virginia head football coaching job, Director of Athletics Wren Baker kept coming back to him. This became clear when Baker brought the former Mountaineers coach back home after 17 years, eager for him to finish what he once started. So, what made Baker bring him back to West Virginia? The man himself has the answer.

“I think for me, I really just tried to put aside a little bit early on the history here,” Baker told Big 12 Today. “Because, when Coach Rodriguez left, there were certainly people that had some strong feelings… but I think as an athletic director, you’re trying to put prejudices aside and get the best candidate for the job.”

Rodriguez wasn’t handed the gig. “We had a bunch of really good candidates and a very thorough process,” Baker said. “Normally, I usually start with six to eight. I think on that one it was probably double that.” Yet the more conversations he had with Rich Rod, the clearer it became: this wasn’t just a football hire—it was a full-circle moment for a coach and a state that never quite let go of one another. “The more that I talked to Coach Rodriguez, the more I was convinced that he has the fire, the energy, the knowledge. But also, you always want someone who’s deeply motivated. His motivation was more than just winning games.”

And Rich Rodriguez isn’t here just to win. He’s here to heal. “There’s a lot of pride from West Virginians. When West Virginians have success, and because of leaving 17 years ago, I think for 17 years, he’s been home and visited people, but he hadn’t really been able to come home,” Baker said. “And I think he wanted to come home to his school to get the program to where it was previously…to have a healing process that would be good for the school, the state, and I’m sure good for Rich.”

That reconnection, along with a massive $18 million contract for Coach Rod, is already showing dividends in Morgantown. Baker noted that “our season ticket numbers are the highest they’ve been since 2013.”

Still, nostalgia only takes you so far. The more urgent matter is the quarterback conundrum facing Rich Rodriguez. Jaylen Henderson, Nicco Marchiol, and Max Brown are all battling for the starting spot, and none have emerged as the clear favorite. All three possess unique tools, but with a new coaching staff and a rebuilt offensive line, the time to make a decision is growing short. Replacing an All-American like Wyatt Milum is tough enough—replacing the entire O-line? That’s almost unheard of in one offseason.

Coach Rod and OL coach Jack Bicknell Jr. are now tasked with turning question marks into protection plans. The line doesn’t need to be elite, but it can’t be the reason the team sinks. RB Jahiem White has breakout potential, but only if the trenches give him daylight. The reality is brutal. The O-line has to gel together quickly so that whoever wins the starting quarterback job isn’t under constant duress and unable to operate.

The defense, led by coordinator Zac Alley, will likely carry more of the early weight, as is often the case when new regimes take over. But WVU can’t play 60 minutes of reaction football. Someone has to lead the offense.

Rich Rodriguez keeps WVU’s QB1 mystery alive

As West Virginia works through its summer sweat sessions under the mountain sun. One question looms larger than the rest—who will take the first snap under center? It’s a fair one, considering the program’s entire offensive identity hinges on the decision. But if fans were hoping for an early answer, Rich Rodriguez made it clear: patience, y’all.

“When’s the first game? Who is it? Do we have a game time yet? If the game’s at 1, 12:59,” Rodriguez said with a grin this spring. “Hell, why would we, right? We’ll know before then.” Classic Rich Rod—cheeky, confident, and unbothered by outside noise. While he didn’t tip his hand much, the message was clear: the process will play out on his clock.

His hope? “I’m hoping we have more than one that’s good enough to win with,” he added. “I’d like to come out of fall camp, or whatever you want to call it, with three guys we can win with. I feel pretty confident that the talent that we have right now, we can have three guys that we can win with. But there’s still a lot of work to do and to determine the starter…I don’t know. Somebody may separate themselves by the end of spring, but they may not.”

For now, the presumed frontrunners are Nicco Marchiol and Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson, with Charlotte’s Max Brown in the rearview mirror but gaining. With Robert Morris up first, Rodriguez might roll out both favorites and let the tape decide who owns the future.