Rich Rodriguez Says WVU Lacked Max Effort in Some Games in 2024

The 2024 season is one West Virginia fans want to forget. The games were hard to watch, and to make matters worse, former head coach Neal Brown dropped a quote that will never be forgotten.

“I get that they want to win. But what I would say is, did they have a good time? Did they enjoy it? It was a pretty good atmosphere. I’m assuming they had a pretty good time tailgating, so if they’re in the deal for enjoyment, then I would come back. I looked at the weather and it’s going to be nice again. It’s a night game. And we need them to provide a home-field advantage."

Was this taken out of context? Eh, that's up for debate, but regardless, it was a poorly worded message to the fanbase and one that he couldn't afford to deliver.

Wanting to win and expecting to win are two completely different things. Since Rich Rodriguez returned to Morgantown, he hasn't been shy about laying out lofty goals, such as winning the Big 12 or national championship. It may not happen in year one, but if you don't believe it to be possible, it probably won't happen.

During a media scrum at Big 12 media days earlier this week, Rodriguez pointed out that there were a few occasions where the Mountaineers weren't playing as hard as they should have. He didn't call anyone out or reveal which games he was referring to, but he made it known that it's not something he'll tolerate while he's on the sidelines.

“You can sit in the stands and maybe not understand X’s and O’s, but you can tell when guys are playing hard. And there were times…I didn’t do a lot of review of last year because last year was last year, but I’ve talked to our guys about a couple games I’ve watched and I said, ‘We did not play as hard as we could play.’ And there’s never an excuse for that. I don’t care if you’re home, on the road, ahead of behind, fourth quarter, first quarter, you’re going to play as hard as you can on every snap, or you won’t play. We didn’t do that at times, and that’s got to change immediately.

“It’s important," he continued. "Our fans cry when we win, they cry when they lose. It’s emotional. But it’s also personal for me. I was that way as a player, and I was that way as a coach here.”

So, why do I bring up the old weather quote from Neal Brown?

Because there won't be a Laissez-faire attitude on the sidelines. Some coaches can be successful with that approach, but it's a select few, and they typically have loaded rosters. At a place like WVU, there has to be accountability for a lack of grit, effort, etc. Rodriguez preaches toughness, physicality, and effort more than most, and that alone could be what helps WVU get back on the map.

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