West Virginia Targeting Rich Rodriguez For HC After Brian Hartline Interview

West Virginia is reportedly targeting Rich Rodriguez to be the team's next head coach after interviewing Brian Hartline.

Ohio State Buckeyes co-offensive coordinator Brian Hartline takes the field prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to college football writer Pete Thamel, the West Virginia are reportedly targeting Rich Rodriguez to fill the program's head coach vacancy.

Sources: West Virginia is targeting Rich Rodriguez as the school’s next head coach. A deal is working toward completion, but yet to finalized. Rodriguez, 61, went 60-26 in his seven year there from 2001-07, including three-straight 10-win seasons. pic.twitter.com/GyjjnQPBwI

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 11, 2024

Earlier on Wednesday, West Virginia football writer Chris Anderson reported that Ohio State's co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline interviewed for the head coaching position at West Virginia.

Multiple sources tell @EerSportsDotCom that Ohio State offensive coordinator/receivers coach Brian Hartline was interviewed for the Head Coach vacancy at #WVU

More details in the updated Hot Boardhttps://t.co/7lixbVZoGw pic.twitter.com/QLbug1iVKJ

— Chris Anderson (@CMAnderson247) December 11, 2024

After finishing the 2024 college football season with a 6-6 record, West Virginia quicklyfired the program's head coach, Neal Brown, on Dec 1. Despite the Mountaineers showing interest in Hartline, Thamel's report indicates that the program is targeting Rodriguez.

Luckily for the Buckeyes, the program may have dodged another bullet if the Mountaineers finalize a deal with Rodriguez. But this will likely not be the end of the interviews for Hartline, as the young coach was named as a potential head coach candidate earlier this year by college football writer Adam Rittenberg.

"Hartline, 37, is coaching at his alma mater and in his home state, and would only leave for a very desirable opportunity. He is an excellent recruiter and has worked under Urban Meyer and Ryan Day. The NFL might be a natural next stop, but perhaps Hartline could be steered to the right Power 4 opportunity."

Adam Rittenberg

Throughout his time with Ohio State, Hartline has made a name for himself, as he quickly became one of the best recruiters in all of college football. He is known for recruiting top-tier wide receivers to the program, such as freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith. He also played a major role in continuing Ohio State's outstanding wide receiver pipeline to the NFL.