Between The Eers: The Dark and Gloomy Start to the Rich Rod Era Has Fans Panicking

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For years, a segment of the West Virginia fan base dreamt of Rich Rodriguez returning to his post as the head coach in Morgantown, although it seemed unrealistic. Well, it happened, but after just six games, there's a hopeless feeling around the state, as many believe the program will be forever stuck in these dark and gloomy times.
I get that it's easy to think that way, but the reality is, this is what year ones typically look like. Every now and then, you may have an instance where you win 10+ games, but those cases are few and far between. This is normal, but it can't be the standard, and knowing how Rich Rod operates, he won't let that happen.
Rodriguez didn't walk into a great situation, and not many first-year coaches do; that's why they're there. It takes time to build a program back up, even in today's era of the transfer portal. Brighter days are ahead in Morgantown and not in the too distant future.
On today's episode of Between The Eers, I give a few reasons why the fans should remain optimistic about the future of the football program and why it's not rock bottom, although it may feel that way. Drawing a line between the last six years of Neal Brown and this year is a good way to start.
If you haven't yet, please go over to our YouTube page, West Virginia On SI (@SI_WVU), and subscribe. You'll get a notification the second a new episode of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru GameDay Show, or Mountaineer Postgame drops.
Recent Between The Eers episodes:
Why WVU Can't Afford to Build Through the Transfer Portal
Rich Rod's Slow Start vs. Curt Cignetti's Immediate Success
Harsh Grades for WVU Football at Halfway Point of Brutal Season
Can West Virginia Make the Tournament in Year One Under Ross Hodge?
Football season show schedule:
Between The Eers: Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays
The Walk Thru GameDay Show: Thursdays
Mountaineer Postgame: Immediately after the game
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Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.
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