From our West Virginia site here at Rivals.com:
Pat McAfee welcomes back Rich Rodriguez, gives his opinion on the hire
By: Wesley Shoemaker - WV Sports
It is no secret how fond former Mountaineer and host of The Pat McAfee Show Pat McAfee is of new West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez.
McAfee opened his show on Thursday, giving his perspective on Rodriguez coming back, and will then have his show air live from the WVU Coliseum on Friday ahead of the introductory press conference for Rodriguez.
"Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to our humble abode, the Thunderdome on this Coach Rod is back Thursday," McAfee said to lead off his ESPN show on Thursday.
McAfee would outline conversations he's had with Rodriguez as well as WVU Director of Athletics Wren Baker, citing Rodriguez's excitement to return to WVU as well as McAfee's personal excitement.
"Inevitably, to go forward to where we want to be, we had to go back to when we were the best we ever were. It's been nice the last couple weeks here to kind of catch up, chit-chat with old teammates, catch up with Coach Rod a little bit, talk to Wren Baker as my experiences as a player for Coach Rod because that's obviously Wren doing his due diligence, which he did. No stone was left unturned in this coaching search because he understands his entire legacy revolves around whether or not he can make this West Virginia football team a winner again, make them relevant again," McAfee said.
McAfee would then highlight the discussions he's had with Rodriguez during the past week or so as he was being considered for the head coaching vacancy.
McAfee said deep down Rodriguez wants to make things right for what took place his first time around as head coach, and he will also instill a toughness that Mountaineer fans deserve.
"He also has quite a motivation. He wants to go back and make it right, and I think that was the most evident thing from the conversations I had with him," McAfee said.
"Every time I got a chance to talk to Coach Rod, it was very clear because I asked him, I still think about that Pitt game every single day of my life, every day. I asked him, you're a super competitive human being, you have to be like me, you have to think about that night on a very regular basis. He said, 'Pat, I do.'
"I said, do you view this as an opportunity to make it right? 'Yeah.' Do I have unfinished business, yeah. Do I owe the people of West Virginia the best I've got because of how everything ended last time, yeah. And if I get that opportunity to do that, I'm going to work my ass off to make it happen. He said, I'll earn the people's trust back, I'll earn the people's like back, and we will earn our way back into the college football conversation," McAfee said.
McAfee said the end to Rodriguez's first stint at WVU is a cloud that hung over his head everywhere he went, but it was also one that still hangs by the people he grew up with in West Virginia.
McAfee added how West Virginia's fanbase is a 'sleeping giant,' and he is excited for the future of Mountaineer football.
"West Virginia University is a monster. I think Rich Rod, with his hard edge, his toughness, his attention to detail, his command for excellence that he's going to show to every single player that plays for that West Virginia team going forward... Rich Rod's like the most competitive human I've been around. All he wants to do is win, and he wants to make it right. That sounds like a recipe for success."
McAfee will be live tomorrow at the WVU Coliseum for a show leading up to the start of Rodriguez's introductory press conference at 1:30 p.m. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m., with the show beginning at noon. Rodriguez's press conference will air live on McAfee's show.
"We will be live, the show will be live there from noon-1:30, and then the press conference will take place. I think Rich and Wren will probably stop by the show, and it will be a nice celebration of what's happening currently because it's going to be on display and what the future is about to be. I'm excited for Rich, I'm excited for West Virginia, and I am honored to get back into the fold a little bit more. So congrats to the Mountaineers," McAfee said.
Pat McAfee welcomes back Rich Rodriguez, gives his opinion on the hire
By: Wesley Shoemaker - WV Sports
It is no secret how fond former Mountaineer and host of The Pat McAfee Show Pat McAfee is of new West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez.
McAfee opened his show on Thursday, giving his perspective on Rodriguez coming back, and will then have his show air live from the WVU Coliseum on Friday ahead of the introductory press conference for Rodriguez.
"Hello, beautiful people, and welcome to our humble abode, the Thunderdome on this Coach Rod is back Thursday," McAfee said to lead off his ESPN show on Thursday.
McAfee would outline conversations he's had with Rodriguez as well as WVU Director of Athletics Wren Baker, citing Rodriguez's excitement to return to WVU as well as McAfee's personal excitement.
"Inevitably, to go forward to where we want to be, we had to go back to when we were the best we ever were. It's been nice the last couple weeks here to kind of catch up, chit-chat with old teammates, catch up with Coach Rod a little bit, talk to Wren Baker as my experiences as a player for Coach Rod because that's obviously Wren doing his due diligence, which he did. No stone was left unturned in this coaching search because he understands his entire legacy revolves around whether or not he can make this West Virginia football team a winner again, make them relevant again," McAfee said.
McAfee would then highlight the discussions he's had with Rodriguez during the past week or so as he was being considered for the head coaching vacancy.
McAfee said deep down Rodriguez wants to make things right for what took place his first time around as head coach, and he will also instill a toughness that Mountaineer fans deserve.
"He also has quite a motivation. He wants to go back and make it right, and I think that was the most evident thing from the conversations I had with him," McAfee said.
"Every time I got a chance to talk to Coach Rod, it was very clear because I asked him, I still think about that Pitt game every single day of my life, every day. I asked him, you're a super competitive human being, you have to be like me, you have to think about that night on a very regular basis. He said, 'Pat, I do.'
"I said, do you view this as an opportunity to make it right? 'Yeah.' Do I have unfinished business, yeah. Do I owe the people of West Virginia the best I've got because of how everything ended last time, yeah. And if I get that opportunity to do that, I'm going to work my ass off to make it happen. He said, I'll earn the people's trust back, I'll earn the people's like back, and we will earn our way back into the college football conversation," McAfee said.
McAfee said the end to Rodriguez's first stint at WVU is a cloud that hung over his head everywhere he went, but it was also one that still hangs by the people he grew up with in West Virginia.
McAfee added how West Virginia's fanbase is a 'sleeping giant,' and he is excited for the future of Mountaineer football.
"West Virginia University is a monster. I think Rich Rod, with his hard edge, his toughness, his attention to detail, his command for excellence that he's going to show to every single player that plays for that West Virginia team going forward... Rich Rod's like the most competitive human I've been around. All he wants to do is win, and he wants to make it right. That sounds like a recipe for success."
McAfee will be live tomorrow at the WVU Coliseum for a show leading up to the start of Rodriguez's introductory press conference at 1:30 p.m. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m., with the show beginning at noon. Rodriguez's press conference will air live on McAfee's show.
"We will be live, the show will be live there from noon-1:30, and then the press conference will take place. I think Rich and Wren will probably stop by the show, and it will be a nice celebration of what's happening currently because it's going to be on display and what the future is about to be. I'm excited for Rich, I'm excited for West Virginia, and I am honored to get back into the fold a little bit more. So congrats to the Mountaineers," McAfee said.
