Following up on my previous story, West Virginia’s head coach Rich Rodriguez will be leaving the program to take the same job at Michigan. The Wolverines assistant athletic director confirmed the reports today that “Coach Rod� would become Michigan’s 17th different head coach.
The pricey 4 million dollar buyout should leave the Mountaineers with plenty of resources to find their next coach. No early candidates have been announced.
Reports say that the players weren’t particularly shocked but were still disappointed. Even possible future players like top recruit Terrelle Pryor said that he might consider Michigan now that Rodriguez is headed there. Previously, it was believed that WVU was the front-runner for the quarterback from Pennsylvania.
While Lloyd Carr will coach Michigan in the Capital One Bowl, there is no word as to Rodriguez’s plans with the Fiesta Bowl and the ‘Neers.
If Coach Rod does accept the job, it would end the drama of the Michigan job. After first targeting Les Miles, even with a report on ESPN saying he was the next head coach then having a press conference to say he was staying at Louisiana State, followed by the attempt of Greg Schiano, Rutgers head coach. He also said he was no longer in the running.
Two other head coaching positions remain available, along with any that may occur after bowl games. Southern Methodist (SMU) and University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) both remain without head coaches.
Though little known, Rodriguez does have ties to the Michigan program. His head coach was Don Nehlen, who was previously with Michigan under the famous Bo Schemebchler.
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