If you are a recent or lifelong fan of the Mountaineers you have most likely heard of the name Rich Rodriguez a time or two. To newer fans, he is a refreshing change at the coaching position, but, old fans see him as a traitor. However, Rich Rodriguez is looking to right the wrong he did during his last stint with the Mountaineers and prove he has learned from his mistakes.

After being announced as the next head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers, Rich Rodriguez had his inaugural press conference partnered with the “Pat Mcafee Show,” and in that press conference, Rodriguez famously said, “I made a mistake when I left.”

This statement is regarding Rich Rodriguez leaving West Virginia to accept the head coaching position at Michigan. Many fans were outraged by this as they viewed Rodriguez as disloyal to his home state and as someone who chose money and prestige instead of loyalty to his home state of West Virginia.

However, eighteen years later, Rich Rodriguez not only acknowledges his mistake, but looks to correct it entirely. In a recent interview with the media outlet “On3,” Rodriguez was asked when he started to regret departing from West Virginia as the team was in a tremendous spot, and Rodriguez’s answer was a shock to many.

“It was during the first year,” said Rodriguez. “We had a tough first year at Michigan, and I still think, had the AD that hired me still been there after the third year, we would’ve been okay.”

The Athletic Director Rodriguez is referring to is Bill Martin, who in 2007, hired Rich Rodriguez to be the next head coach of Michigan. However, after less than a year, Bill Martin announced he would be stepping down from the position in 2009. Since then Rich Rodriguez has floated around places such as the Bayou, the Desert, and yet, Country Roads led him back home to Morgantown.

As interviewer Ari Wasserman said, it just feels right to see Rich Rodriguez back with flying “WV” gear on. After all, Rich Rodriguez’s teams were made up of generational players such as Pat White, Pat Mcafee, and so many others. These teams defined and encapsulated many college football fans’ childhoods. Now that Rich Rodriguez has some of those talents, such as Pat White, on his coaching staff, he looks to bring that competitive edge and winning spirit back to Morgantown.

“I do know this program, this state, this area, better than any other program in the country,” said Rodriguez. “But I also know things have changed, you know, you gotta keep learning and keep growing.”

Many fans speculated that Rich Rodriguez was hired because of what he did last time he was at the helm at West Virginia, but Rodriguez believes what many fans believe as well; you cannot go out with the mentality that you are going to win games because of what success you had and what you did last season. With that mentality and approach to re-building the football program, Rich Rodriguez may be able to correct his wrong doing in a relatively quick time frame.