West Virginia Still Dealing With Rich Rod Aftershock

If you want to get any West Virginia football fan stirred up, simply mention two words.

Rich and Rodriguez.

It shouldn’t take long for a few obscenity laced tirades to come pouring out.

That’s because there is now a deep running disdain amongst Mountaineer Nation for their once-beloved coach.

West Virginia fans treated Rodriguez leaving as a personal insult and slap in the face. They watched as Rodriguez turned his back on a program that embraced him and offered him the world.

A program that offered him a shot as a walk-on football player, offered him his first coaching position, and the program that offered him a shot at his first head coaching position on the Division 1 level.

Apparently it was not enough for Rich though. Citing a fractured relationship with school officials, Rodriguez made the decision to move on to Michigan.

The coach had simply used his native Mountaineers as a stepping stone to a nice big payday.

It's a move that will never be forgiven by West Virginia fans.

It’s never easy to watch your coach leave your school for another. It’s like having somebody steal your wife. There’s a bit of that mentality that makes you act like the jealous ex-boyfriend at times.

The fans and school definitely made their despair and betrayal known.

If his departure offered anything positive to WVU fans, it gave them a chance to show off their creativity like never before.

All throughout Morgantown, banners were flown, T-shirts were burned, and cardboard cutouts were hung in effigy. All in the good fun of disparaging and embarrassing their former prodigal son.

These are fans who wear Rod Fraud shirts to Mountaineers games. They take pleasure in his massive shortcomings at the school that shalt not be named.

They are certainly no longer fans of “Rich Rod.”

So it is with sadness and glee that his name was being brought up during an NCAA investigation at West Virginia today.

No real mention of what is being discussed, but if some serious allegations surface, it could spell even further damnation for Rodriguez at Michigan.

West Virginia athletics spokesman Michael Fragale had this to say.

“West Virginia University and its Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is committed to operating its athletic program in conformance with the legislation and policy of the NCAA and the Big East conference. No additional comments will be made regarding the matter at this time.”

It’s been more than two years since his separation from the school yet, Rodriguez is still making his presence felt.

It’s the one remaining bond between the two.

The others were cut once Rodriguez signed on the dotted line with Michigan.

All Rich has left now is a history of alleged rule breaking and misgivings while at West Virginia.

It could be further proof that the move to Michigan could have benefited the Mountaineer program more then everyone realized at the time.

Seeing Rodriguez’s implosion as the head man of the Wolverines shows that WVU fans should not have had the sense of doom they showed at the time.

He was a ticking time bomb.

If all these allegations came to light when Rodriguez was the coach in Morgantown, it could have cost the Mountaineers some heavy penalties.

It’s with that we can finally now say good riddance to Rich Rodriguez and close his chapter at West Virginia University.

It was a chapter filled with great moments but also a lot of headaches just like the one he is still causing the program.

Coach Bill Stewart may not have matched Rich’s penchant for winning Big East championships yet, but if there’s one thing he does, it’s run a tight program.

It’s moment like this were Mountaineer fans have to appreciate what they have in a man like Stewart.

Loyalty, integrity, and honesty are three qualities Bill Stewart could teach Rodriguez a thing or two about.