Rich Rodriguez won four Big East championships in seven seasons during his first stint at West Virginia, coming one haunting loss short of reaching college football's national championship game.
Fans who endured mediocrity for the past six seasons under previous coach Neal Brown
are counting on Rodriguez to resurrect the magic that produced double-digit wins in his final three seasons with the Mountaineers from 2005-07.That could take some time. If nothing else since Rodriguez was hired from Jacksonville
State last December, they've had Sept. 13 circled, when West Virginia hosts archrival Pittsburgh, whose 13-9 win as a heavy underdog in Rodriguez's final game at WVU still stings. Two weeks later, Rodriguez left for Michigan.
A huge roster turnover will make it challenging for Rodriguez to compete right away for a Big 12 championship. West Virginia hasn't won a title since joining the league in 2012 and hasn’t been ranked since 2018, the last time it had back-to-back winning seasons.
So far, Rodriguez isn't happy about the depth at any position.
“I like my team, I just don’t feel better about where we’re at,” he said. "We’ve got time.”
Rodriguez has always used a no-huddle, up-tempo offense and is no less demanding now than when he first arrived at his alma mater in 2001. He has no tolerance for a lack of hard, physical play. Angered by such at a preseason practice, he stopped the drills and made his players run as punishment.
“Way too many moments of softness," Rodriguez said. “It can’t ever be allowed. Up front, the O-line and D-line sometimes look like they’re tango dancing instead of playing football. People say, ‘You like to yell.’ No, I like to win."
Among the few returning players are the heart of the offense.
Running back Jahiem White ran for 845 yards and seven scores as a sophomore in Brown's platoon system and could see his carries balloon behind a new offensive line in Rodriguez's run-based attack.
The starting quarterback won't be revealed until the Aug. 30 season opener against Robert Morris. Nicco Marchiol won both of his 2024 starts and has played in 19 career games. He's competing with Texas A&M transfer Jaylen Henderson, who did not play last season, and Charlotte transfer Max Brown.
“We want to be the fastest team in America,” Marchiol said. “This offense, I feel, fits me so well.”
There are no returning receivers who had more than 300 yards a year ago. Sophomore Cam Vaughn had 48 catches for 803 yards and five TDs for Rodriguez at Jacksonville State.
Rodriguez brought a pair of his most accomplished players back as assistant coaches.
Pat White, who went 35-8 as a starting quarterback and won four bowl games from 2005-09, is an assistant under Rodriguez’s son, quarterbacks coach Rhett Rodriguez.
Noel Devine, second in school history with 5,761 all-purpose yards, is an offensive analyst and assistant running backs coach.
West Virginia was among the Big 12’s worst defenses last season. Defensive coordinator Zac Alley, who arrived from Oklahoma, has one returning player with limited starting experience: linebacker Reid Carrico.
The Pitt game will be the last in the series until 2029. The Panthers have won two of three meetings since the rivalry resumed in 2022.
West Virginia's league opener is Sept. 20 at Kansas. Among ranked teams, West Virginia plays No. 11 Arizona State and No. 23 Texas Tech to end the regular season but does not face No. 17 Kansas State or No. 22 Iowa State.
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