The college football coaching carousel continues to heat up, and another familiar name is headed home.
West Virginia is hiring Jacksonville State coach Rich Rodriguez as its next coach, the school announced Thursday. Rodriguez returns to the Mountaineers 17 years after his departure to take the Michigan job. Since then, he’s also been the coach at Arizona and Jacksonville State.
Rodriguez, 61, posted a 60-26 record in his seven years with West Virginia, which included three consecutive 10-win seasons and four Big East championships between 2001 and 2007. The Mountaineers went 32-5 during a stretch from 2005-07, including a loss to Pittsburgh in his final game that cost West Virginia a chance to play in the Bowl Championship Series title game. He has a career record 189-129-2 that includes stops at Salem and Glenville State.
Rodriguez will succeed Neal Brown, who was fired on Dec. 1 after compiling a 37-35 record in six seasons with West Virginia. The Mountaineers are 6-6 this season and will play Memphis in the Frisco Bowl later this month with Chad Scott serving as interim coach.
Jacksonville State hired Rodriguez on Nov. 30, 2021. In three seasons with the Gamecocks, Rodriguez has a 27-10, including the program’s first-ever bowl win last season and a Conference USA championship this season. Rodriguez helped the program transition from FCS football to FBS during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The Gamecocks won at least nine games every year under Rodriguez and can reach double figures for the first time as an FBS program with a win over Ohio in the Cure Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 20.
Rodriguez succeeded Lloyd Carr at Michigan and posted a 15-22 record from 2008-10. He was fired in Ann Arbor on Jan. 5, 2011, eventually taking over at Arizona in the 2012 college football season. The Wildcats went 43-35 under Rodriguez from 2012-17, which included a 10-4 mark and a Fiesta Bowl appearance in 2014.
However, he was fired at Arizona on Jan. 2, 2018, following a 7-6 season and allegations of sexual harassment off the field.
Like Rodriguez, Central Florida hired a former coach, Scott Frost. Frost coached the Knights from 2016-17 before taking a job with his alma mater Nebraska. He was fired by the Cornhuskers in 2022 and was re-hired by UCF earlier this week.
Rich Rodriguez head coaching record
Here’s a look at Rodriguez’s coaching record with West Virginia, Michigan, Arizona and Jacksonville State:
Conference records in parentheses
2001 (West Virginia): 3-8 (1-6 Big East)
2002 (West Virginia): 9-4 (6-1 Big East)
2003 (West Virginia): 8-5 (6-1 Big East)
2004 (West Virginia): 8-4 (4-2 Big East)
2005 (West Virginia): 11-1 (7-0 Big East)
2006 (West Virginia): 11-2 (5-2 Big East)
2007 (West Virginia): 10-2 (5-2 Big East)
2008 (Michigan): 3-9 (2-6 Big Ten)
2009 (Michigan): 5-7 (1-7 Big Ten)
2010 (Michigan): 7-6 (3-5 Big Ten)
2012 (Arizona): 8-5 (4-5 Pac-12)
2013 (Arizona): 8-5 (4-5 Pac-12)
2014 (Arizona): 10-4 (7-2 Pac-12)
2015 (Arizona): 7-6 (3-6 Pac-12)
2016 (Arizona): 3-9 (1-8 Pac-12)
2017 (Arizona): 7-6 (5-4 Pac-12)
2022 (Jacksonville State): 9-2 (5-0 ASUN)
2023 (Jacksonville State): 9-4 (6-2 Conference USA)
2024 (Jacksonville State): 9-4 (7-1 Conference USA)
Career record: 189-129-2