Does a Rich Rodriguez Return to West Virginia Make Sense? Is It Possible?

West Virginia could bring back one of the most successful coaches in program history to replace Neal Brown.

James Lang-Imagn Images

Almost 17 years to the date, Rich Rodriguez made a decision that would shock West Virginia and college football fans all over the country.

The native son helped get the Mountaineers back on the national map in the early 2000s after a rugged first few years in the Big East Conference. He hit gold in recruiting with Pat White, Steve Slaton, Noel Devine, and others, which helped create a dynasty of sorts, leading to 32 wins in three years from 2005-07.

Heading into the final week of the 2007 season, all the Mountaineers had to do was beat a 3-8 Pitt team in the Backyard Brawl, and they would punch their ticket to New Orleans for the national championship game. As you well know, Pat White injured his non-throwing hand early in the game and didn't return until late. Pat McAfee missed a few kicks, and the Panthers spoiled West Virginia's national title hopes.

As if Mountaineer fans weren't already gutted, Rodriguez left his alma mater to take over as the head coach at Michigan nearly two weeks after the Brawl. "Rich Rod" could have built WVU into something special, but he felt it was time to move on due to a fractured relationship with then-athletic director Ed Pastilong.

West Virginia has been in the national conversation here and there over the years, but not as consistent or as long as they were under Rodriguez.

On Sunday, WVU AD Wren Baker made the decision to fire Neal Brown after a disappointing 6-6 season, bringing his final mark to 37-35 over six years. For years, some fans would bring up Rich Rod's name, but it never felt like a real possibility. Now, it is.

Rodriguez is winning again at Jacksonville State, turning that program around in just two years on the job. He helped them make the transition from FCS to FBS and will become the first program to reach a bowl in each of its first two years at the higher level. The Gamecocks will also be participating in the Conference-USA championship game this weekend.

If you look around the Group of Five landscape, there aren't many names that have had tremendous amounts of success that every school that has an opening will be gunning after. There are a couple of trendy names like Jamey Chadwell and Jon Sumrall, but that's about it. Rodriguez is the most accomplished and most proven coach in the Group of Five, and he just so happens to be from West Virginia and be the former head coach of the Mountaineers.

So, will Wren Baker give him a call?

He'd be silly not to, in my opinion. Whether or not he is interested or ends up being the best guy for the job is beyond me, but it's at least worth a conversation.

Now, the big concern is the interest level of the fan base. If we were talking about any other coach, they'd likely end up being fine with whoever it is. But this is different. Time heals most wounds, not all. It may be 17 years, but there's a large portion of this fan base who will claim they could never forgive Rodriguez for leaving, and some will go as far as saying they won't support the team if he is brought back.

While the fans matter, Wren Baker has to make the best decision for the football program. If he believes Rodriguez is best suited for the gig, then he needs to hire him. If he comes back and starts winning games, I'm sure a lot of those folks will start to distance themselves from those dark 2007 December days.

Plus, some of WVU's biggest supporters, Pat McAfee and Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick, are big advocates of Rich Rod. That's something to keep in mind as this search moves along. If anything, Baker will at least give Rodriguez a ring.

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