Rich Rodriguez Press Conference Set + The Pat McAfee Show is Headed to Morgantown

Football

It’s officially official. West Virginia has hired Rich Rodriguez as the program’s 36th head football coach, 17 years after his ugly departure for Michigan.

Rodriguez did a terrific job at Jacksonville State, guiding them to two straight bowl games in their first two years at the FBS level. Earlier this month, Rodriguez and the Gamecocks clobbered Western Kentucky, 52-12, in the Conference-USA championship game.

WVU Director of Athletics Wren Baker made the announcement Thursday morning and also announced that his introductory press conference will take place on Friday at the WVU Coliseum. Former WVU punter/kicker Pat McAfee will also be bringing his show to Morgantown on Friday to cover the event and welcome his former head ball coach back to his old stomping grounds. The press conference is set for 1:30 p.m. EST.

Once we first got word of the news, we were able to reach out to Pat McAfee and get him on our reaction episode on In the Gun.

“He’s done a lot of really great things for that university and I think he knows it’s not really talked about because of how it all ended. He really wants to go back and make it right, and I think it is going to be a very welcoming time…I’m really excited and I’m pumped for Coach Rod, man. I know deep down in his gut and his soul he wishes he could redo everything. And it’s like, now you got a chance. Here we go!”

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI

Bruce Irvin Shows Interest in Returning to WVU Football

Between The Eers: The Return of Rich Rodriguez

WVU Booster Ken Kendrick Says Wren Baker Was Not ‘Pressured’ to Hire Rich Rod

Read More Schuyler Callihan

Latest

3 Reasons to Apply for Inc.’s Power Partner Awards

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker

World Cup betting markets shift after Jordan Henderson’s bizarre celebration injury

Jordan Henderson, the 36-year-old England midfielder, will miss the remainder of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a serious wrist and forearm injury during post-match celebrations on July 6. He wasn’t even playing when it happened. Henderson was an unused substitute in England’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico in the round of 16. The

Kraken’s World Cup debut and Brazil’s collapse: what crypto gets from the beautiful game

Brazil came into the 2026 World Cup as one of the tournament favorites. They left in the Round of 16, beaten 2-1 by Norway, undone in part by a tactical decision that raised eyebrows across the footballing world: deploying 34-year-old Casemiro as a central striker, a position he hadn’t occupied in years. Haaland scored both

FIFA overturns Balogun’s red card, Trump intervenes for US World Cup match

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7424790/2026/07/06/folarin-balogun-red-belgium-explanation/ FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has overturned the red card suspension of Folarin Balogun, a key player for the U.S. Men’s National Team, allowing him to participate in the upcoming Round of 16 match against Belgium. This decision, made under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, places Balogun on a one-year probationary period, enabling him

Newsletter

Don't miss

3 Reasons to Apply for Inc.’s Power Partner Awards

Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker

World Cup betting markets shift after Jordan Henderson’s bizarre celebration injury

Jordan Henderson, the 36-year-old England midfielder, will miss the remainder of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a serious wrist and forearm injury during post-match celebrations on July 6. He wasn’t even playing when it happened. Henderson was an unused substitute in England’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico in the round of 16. The

Kraken’s World Cup debut and Brazil’s collapse: what crypto gets from the beautiful game

Brazil came into the 2026 World Cup as one of the tournament favorites. They left in the Round of 16, beaten 2-1 by Norway, undone in part by a tactical decision that raised eyebrows across the footballing world: deploying 34-year-old Casemiro as a central striker, a position he hadn’t occupied in years. Haaland scored both

FIFA overturns Balogun’s red card, Trump intervenes for US World Cup match

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7424790/2026/07/06/folarin-balogun-red-belgium-explanation/ FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has overturned the red card suspension of Folarin Balogun, a key player for the U.S. Men’s National Team, allowing him to participate in the upcoming Round of 16 match against Belgium. This decision, made under Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, places Balogun on a one-year probationary period, enabling him

UK Foreign Secretary Warns World Cannot Wait for ‘AI Hiroshima’ Before Acting

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has warned that the world cannot wait for an AI equivalent of Hiroshima before acting, urging global powers to build consensus on artificial intelligence (AI) safety principles and standards. Cooper made the case in an essay, positioning Britain to lead international talks on the technology. ...

Business seminar in Munich highlights Hong Kong’s strategic roles amidst global shifts (with photos)

Business seminar in Munich highlights Hong Kong's strategic roles amidst global shifts (with photos) ******************************************************************************************      The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin), promoted Hong Kong's unique advantages and strategic roles at the seminar "Hong Kong's strategic role amidst geopolitical tensions" on June 18 (Munich time) in Munich, Germany.             Senior executives, investors

AI for business services: From job fears to productivity

AI for business services: From job fears to productivity

Business Insurance-AZ Achieves Record Response Times for 2026 Arizona Construction Bids

Business Insurance-AZ achieves milestone response speeds for commercial construction bids across Arizona, accelerating documentation delivery to keep local projects moving forward without delay. Phoenix, AZ, June 06-2026, ZEX PR WIRE — Business Insurance-AZ has achieved record-breaking processing speeds and response times for commercial construction bids throughout Arizona, directly supporting the state’s massive infrastructure and advanced manufacturing boom