Rich Rodriguez Raises the Bar Big Time for WVU, Expecting to Reach Playoffs in 2026

Things did not go as planned for Rich Rodriguez and the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2025, but there is still a lot of optimism surrounding the future of the program, considering the team’s recent play and, of course, the recent success on the recruiting trail.

Following the announcement of offensive lineman Kevin Brown committing to WVU, Rodriguez joined the Pat McAfee show for a few minutes to talk about the future and made it very clear that he has one thing in mind.

"We knew we were going to have some road bumps. We didn't expect to play four quarterbacks and five tailbacks, and all that kind of stuff, but we knew we had to make sure we set the culture the first year. No matter what happens, our culture, our hard edge, our work ethic, our toughness, all that kind of stuff has to be set this year. That's painful sometimes, and the process of doing that. We think we're getting there, but we're not all the way there. It's a hell of a lot easier when you get the right guys on your roster, which we have some, but we're going to have a whole lot more too. This time next year, we expect to be talking about the playoffs and winning championships and all that stuff."

Playoffs may seem like an unrealistic goal, but we’ve seen teams take a huge leap in year two under a coaching staff before, including in this Big 12 conference with Kenny Dillingham taking Arizona State there in 2024.

The top-line talent has to improve, certainly, but the depth has to be much better as well, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive line, tight end group, and wide receivers lacked quality depth this season, which is why you continue to see the same faces week in and week out despite the struggles.

West Virginia will be a much better spot financially this off-season, having not spent their total rev share allotment a year ago, and will not have to spread those dollars thin amongst 60-some newcomers. A full high school recruiting class will allow them to pursue more top-shelf talent in the portal and be more competitive in that space with the packages they can offer.

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI