Rich Rod's Comments About Intensity Show Things Are Starting to Turn for WVU

All throughout spring ball and fall camp a year ago, we heard West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez complain about the lack of intensity in practice.

It would be there here and there, but never to the level of consistency that is needed to be successful, and it showed during the regular season. Looking back on it, we should have all seen that miserably long year coming. The warning signs were there.

I've pointed out before that it seems as if Rich Rod is more relaxed in his press conferences this year, seemingly being more comfortable with where the team is and where they are headed. Effort hasn't been called out very much this fall camp, if at all, which is quite the difference from a year ago, when nearly every media availability featured some level of frustration regarding it.

On Tuesday, Rodriguez was asked if the intensity in practice is ratcheting up with the season just around the corner, and his answer explains why we haven't seen the steam billowing from his ears this August.

“It’s been about the same. It’s never been bad. It’s always been pretty even, which is good. Now, we started off, and there were moments where we were soft, you know, pillow fights, and the situational awareness is not where I want it to be all the time, but it’s not like it’s horrible. It’s not like guys are messing around on the sidelines or whatever. It’s just the level of intensity that I want to see out of them all the time in practice is always going to probably be a work in progress. But for the most part, these guys have been very conscientious. You tell them something, they pay attention. They’re on time; they work pretty hard. Now, every day we’ll find a loaf or two because their version of loafing and ours as a coaching staff doesn’t always match up.”

The culture is starting to set in

Rich Rodriguez — WVU Athletics Communication

Rodriguez needed time to get the right type of guys in the building, and it appears he now has that, for the most part. The longer he and his staff are in place and the more players they are able to develop over multiple years, the more his vision for this team will become a reality. The next piece is winning. Once the Mountaineers start ripping off wins, the confidence will build, as will the level of buy-in. They are still far from where they want to be, but progress is certainly being made.

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