Too often over the past few years we have credited Rick Rodriguez with the success of the WVU football program.
We need to think about that for a bit. Coach Rod got lucky! Adam Bednarik gets hurt and Hocus-Pocus—Pat White is now the QB and he is awesome, and Steve Slaton becomes a star.
Where did these guys come from?
If Coach Rod was as great as we have given him credit for, then why weren't Pat and Steve already starting each game? Coach Rod got lucky. Not taking anything away from White and Slaton, the fact is, they are both awesome. But, if it weren't for ONE game where the starting QB got hurt, who knows if we would have ever known the name Pat White.
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We may have never seen the dynamic duo in action. As unlucky as it was for Adam Bednarik, it was even more luck for Coach Rod. We need to keep the players in mind.
That's who makes up a team. Not the coach!
Don Nehlen is the best coach to ever coach the Mountaineers. He wasn't worried about his stature among man, but was more concerned for the team and the state of WV.
If it were not for Nehlen, there would be no Mountaineer football as we know it today. And if it were not for one young man's career ending injury, Coach Rod wouldn't look so perfect.
As for Adam Bednarik, I think he was a great QB. I feel he should have had more playing time once he healed. Perhaps he could have done much better things than Jarrett Brown.
But, there again the Great Coach Rod was the decision maker.
So Mountaineer football "is a heck of a lot bigger than Rich Rodriguez," as Mr. Nehlen put it during a meeting with the WVU football team shortly after the departure of Lloyd Carr's replacement.
I only hope for the sake of the children of the new head football coach at U-M that daddy gets lucky again.
www.thankscoachrod.com
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9 months ago
Let's get something straight, if it were not for God, neither of the coaches would have been so productive. Art Pappy Lewis was a god fearing man, and he was the heart of mountaineer football, long before a nehlen or rr ever was thought of.... add carlen, and BB, and i really think nehlen was insignificant, but just happened to be there for many many years, and infact. seveeral years past his time.......
from 9 months ago
Dude, I want to agree with you, but Adam Bednarick in front of Jarret Brown? Are you crazy? Jarret Brown starts for every other program in the country except for about 5 teams! Adam's a really nice kid, but Jarret Brown is on a completely different level. You'll probably be watching him on Sundays in 2-3 years.
It is a great point that these two were on the bench with the talent (or lack thereof) in front of them. Especially Pat, since Steve was a true freshman (Pat was redshirted).
9 months ago
Dude, I want to agree with you, but Adam Bednarick in front of Jarret Brown? Are you crazy? Jarret Brown starts for every other program in the country except for about 5 teams! Adam's a really nice kid, but Jarret Brown is on a completely different level. You'll probably be watching him on Sundays in 2-3 years.
It is a great point that these two were on the bench with the talent (or lack thereof) in front of them. Especially Pat, since Steve was a true freshman (Pat was redshirted).
9 months ago
Jarrett Brown is a decent college back-up, He has not even shown he is capable of being a good starting college QB. Let's hold off with the silly claims he'll be playing in the league until we see him as a starter in college.
9 months ago
To quote from contributor's bio "...I am a simple guy" and "...I am not a writer by far". Obviously!!! Dude, anyone who has the time to manage a website dedicated to an ex-coach has got to find a better use of time. You need to get over the whole Rodriguez thing. Your contribution just screams "bitter fan", at best. You'd think hindsight is 20-20, but even after 3 months of beating this story into the ground, you seem to have selective amnesia. Or are you the only in West Virginian who was crying foul when WVU upped the salary of your ex-coach two years ago? Concern yourself less with , as you say, "the children of the new [UM] head football coach", and more about your new coaching staff. I do look forward to your next website, www.thanksdocholliday.com. You'll obviously be just as bitter, and just as willing to paint him as an overrated Assistant Head Coach when he blows out of town to become head coach of another major program.
9 months ago
Give RR some credit; he did well wherever he went. UM didn't go looking for a has been.
9 months ago
GREAT PLAYERS...and Michigan will probably find this out as well. I am a WV fan and I will not say anything about the University of Michigan because they have tremendous athletes but if Rich does not get a great running back and QB that can think fast then UM will soon be looking for a new piece of the "maise".
9 months ago
rr has a great offensive mind,,but i can't imagine him rising to the professional level as a head coach. as a head coach he is immature and has shown that he needs to improve in recruiting quality,rating personal quality of his players,control of his program image,and his personal image. i think he is the best offensive co-ordinator in the country...but will fail at any levels exceeding offensive co-ordinator.
9 months ago
Great recruiter of Awesome players?
9 months ago
yea because everyone knows that the players are the one who designs the plays and decides which ones to call.......idiot
8 months ago
One of the biggest keys to being a good coach at the collegiate level is RECRUITING great players. The 2 things aren't seperate. Rodriguez went out and found the great players that would fit the system he wanted to run and thats how he was successful, thats how any successful coach in NCAA football is so.
This article=fail
7 months ago
You need to check which coaches did the recruiting. Rod sold the deals to the players but he was not the top recruiter.
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