194-Win College Football Coach Considered ‘Underrated’ After 4-Win Season

A fan-favorite leader returned to his former alma mater last year with hopes of winning big again. This veteran built a legendary legacy at the school many years ago before moving on to other high-profile jobs. He stepped back onto the sidelines recently to guide his old program back to the top of the conference standings.

Rich Rodriguez, who has 194 wins over his coaching career, is the man charged with bringing this program back to its glory days. While he won 60 games during his first stay, his second stint started with a difficult four-win season. The team struggled to keep up with the rest of the league and finished near the bottom of the Big 12.

Results on the field left many fans feeling let down after the initial high hopes. Critics were not kind about how the team played on both sides of the ball. Even with a history of success, people began questioning the school's future.

WVU coach Rich Rodriguez — West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez looks on during the first quarter of the game against the Brigham Young Cougars. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

One expert is now looking past that losing record to find a reason for hope in Morgantown. Thomas Fornelli of CBS Sports thinks this program is much better than people realize. He believes Rodriguez is actually underrated despite the hard times during his recent return to the Mountaineers.

Fornelli shared his optimism about the upcoming season and the talent of the current roster. He wrote, "Yep! I am optimistic about West Virginia! It's not just that I think Rich Rodriguez is an underrated coach (he is), and that this team is more talented than many realize (it is), it's also the schedule."

The coach recently had to deal with dozens of players leaving via the transfer portal for other schools. Rodriguez stated that every part of the roster needed help. This led to a massive wave of 80 new faces between the portal and recruiting arriving on campus to fill the gaps.

He looked for more size on the lines after the team was pushed around in the past. The quarterback spot will be a major area to watch this spring. Scotty Fox will compete with Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr for the starting job.

The schedule looks very helpful for a team trying to find its footing. They play eight games at home and stay in town until October, with only one road game (at Iowa State) through late October. Fornelli believes the three home nonconference games against Coastal Carolina, UT Martin, and Virginia are very winnable.

The Mountaineers haven't yet announced the date of their spring game, but it was held last year on the first Saturday in April.