While the vibes are mostly good-hearted and welcoming in 2025 for Rich Rodriguez in his home state of West Virginia, that wasn't always the case.
Rodriguez, who grew up just south of Morgantown in Grant Town, W.Va, and played for the Mountaineers under the legendary Don Nehlen, was once shunned by many across the state after he stepped down as head coach for WVU football after a seven-year stint from 2001-2007. Rodriguez left his alma mater behind to take a flashier, higher-paying job at Michigan where he felt he had a batter chance at winning a national championship.