Reid Carrico Explains Why He Chose to Remain at West Virginia

Over the past few years, college athletes have obtained an easier path to transfer to a different school.

There’s a multitude of reasons for an athlete’s departure from a program, but in West Virginia’s latest instance, it was a head coaching change.

West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez returned to WVU after former head coach Neal Brown was relieved of his duties following the 52-15 loss to Texas Tech in the regular season finale.

Rodriguez and his staff retained some key players from last year’s squad, including linebacker Reid Carrico. The senior is the team’s leading returning tackler from a season ago. He compiled a career-high 54 tackles in his first season as a Mountaineer, ranking fifth on the team, and he clarified his reasons for remaining in Morgantown.

“I wasn’t going to leave. I knew I was going to leave,” he stated. “I’m happy here, I love it here.”

West Virginia University linebacker Reid Carrico | Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

It took Carrico transferring to WVU to realize he already had a home in West Virginia.

“I definitely gotten more comfortable with the people in West Virginia,” he said. “My dad was born in West Virginia. My Grandma was born in West Virginia. I have family roots here. From that perspective, it’s been awesome.”

“My grandma was born in Williamson, West Virginia in a coal mine camp,” Carrico added. “So, the roots were always there it just kind of took me awhile to figure them out.”

Players had their justifications for leaving the Mountaineer football program and Carrico sympathizes with the ones who did accept other offers.

“I could see how other players – other guys that decided to leave here that put in multiple years with the old staff, and I can understand how they would be, ‘I’m just going to go get a fresh start somewhere else’,” Carrico said.

The Ironton, Ohio, native went through the NCAA Transfer portal once after three seasons at Ohio State.

“For me, I already went through the portal once – that whole process, it was a mess. I’m not doing that again,” he said.

“First off, you might have a coach call you one day and be like, ‘hey, we’re really interested. We’re looking for this type of player – this guy that can fit into our scheme. Then, you’re like ‘Oh yeah, OK. So, I’ve heard from this school, I’m going to need to set up a visit.’ And then, they might say, ‘Let’s set up a visit, get you down on campus,’ and I’m just like, ‘OK’ and try and set it up, and then it goes to you and, you know, you don’t really talk anymore. And then it might be the same way - a school may contact you you’re really not that interested in.

“I’ve heard a lot of coaches go with the idea of ‘speed dating.’ I mean, it really is. Especially because, as far as going to see schools and prove that you’re interested in them, it’s such a short window.

“I was in the portal through the December period – through the bowl season in 2023. I was at like six different schools in like seven days. It was bizarre. I was bouncing around all over the place just from the perspective of – I wanted to go see it for myself instead of talking over the phone.”

West Virgnia will hold its Gold-Blue Showcase on Saturday, April 5 and will kick off at 1:00 p.m. EST.

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