Rich Rodriguez Fights Back Tears as He Soaks in His First Win Back at WVU

Eighteen years ago, there wasn't a single soul in the state of West Virginia aside from his family and close friends, who wanted to see Rich Rodriguez succeed when he departed WVU for Michigan. The state felt betrayed by one of their own, and some fans may have gone a little too far with their displeasure with his decision to leave.

He admitted during his opening press conference that "it was a mistake" to leave and that he "should've never left." Rodriguez's return has had moments of strong emotion from his opening press conference to singing Country Roads after the spring game, to his first-ever Mountaineer Mantrip, to coaching the Mountaineers again for the first time since 2007.

Coaches will often say that they don't let the moment get to them and try to ignore all of the hype leading up to a particular game. Rodriguez didn't hide from it. He knew this one meant something deeper for him and his family. It didn't matter who the opponent was; he was just happy to be back home.

You could tell during the playing of Country Roads that right before John Denver says, "to the place I belong." Rich Rod wipes his face and sniffles, almost as if he knew that part of the song would hit him to his core.

Rich Rodriguez 🤝 Country Roads

Watch West Virginia's head coach take in the post-game atmosphere following his 61st victory with #WVU.#HailWVV pic.twitter.com/gN95UKli0g
— Gold and Blue Nation (@GoldAndBlueNtn) August 30, 2025

There will certainly be more meaningful games and wins to come, but this one is one he'll never forget — his first win back as the head Mountaineer.

“Yeah, it did a little bit, of course," Rodriguez said when asked if this game meant more to him because of his return to WVU. "I think coming back and the Mantrip…we didn’t do the Mantrip when I was here, and that was pretty neat. The crowd, I’m talking about unbelievable. Great crowd, dressed in gold, into the game. Unfortunately, we didn’t give them enough good moments in the first half, but I thought the West Virginia fans showed up today.”

“The greatest tradition in college sports is singing Country Roads after a win. It was just a beautiful day," he added. "The stadium was packed.”

Winning always matters to the head coach, but to Rodriguez, winning here is a little different. He even admitted that during his first stint, when the team didn't play well or lost, he took it personally because he felt like he let the state down and so many of his closest friends.

When you have a coach who cares that deeply, you'll find success. It's just a matter of time.

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