Looking at Details of Rich Rodriguez’s WVU Contract

Now that the dust has settled some on West Virginia hiring Rich Rodriguez for a second tenure as leader of the Mountaineers, it’s time to look at the details of his new contract with WVU.

Rodriguez’s deal further shows his desire to prove himself to WVU all over again, agreeing to an incentive laden contract that pays him a lower annual salary than his predecessor.

Rodriguez signed a five-year contract that’s worth an average of $3.75 million annually, information obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request made by WV Sports Now.

Rodriguez will be paid $3.5 million in 2025, but that salary will increase by $100,000 each year until it reaches $3.9 million in 2029. Even at its highest value, Rodriguez will fall shy of where Neal Brown was in 2024. Brown was making $4 million in salary when fired on Dec. 1.

But this WVU deal is still a big jump from what Rodriguez was making at Jacksonville State. Rodriguez was making just over $1 million annually at JSU.

Rodriguez can earn incentives just for having winning seasons at WVU. He will get $100,000 at eight wins, $200,000 at nine, $300,000 at 10, $500,000 at 11 and $700,000 if he wins 12 games. And the more he wins will mean more opportunities for even more money as well.

Just advancing the Big 12 Championship Game is worth an extra $100,000. Finishing at the top of the Big 12 standings in the regular season alone is worth $15,000, even if he loses in the title game. Making the Big 12 championship game without winning the regular season title still gets him $200,000 while winning the Big 12 regular season and championship game nets $250,000.

As far as other postseason bonuses, Rodriguez will make $50,000 for a bowl game appearance and $750,000 for winning a national championship, something he proclaimed is possible to achieve at West Virginia during his introductory press conference.

In addition to a significant expected boost in NIL funds, WVU is showing its support by giving Rodriguez $5 million to hire assistant coaches and at least another $2.5 million to hire support staff. In comparison, Brown had $3.5 million to work with when hiring those roles.

And for the buyout clauses, if Rodriguez leaves WVU before the end of the contract, he would then owe 25% of the rest of the total compensation and must pay it within 90 days of his departure.

Since nothing is guaranteed in today’s college football climate, if WVU fires Rodriguez without cause, the school will owe him 50% of the rest of the total compensation in his contract.

WVU will pay Rodriguez’s $1.25 million buyout to Jacksonville State.

For a related story, WVU fans are asked how they feel about West Virginia bringing back Rich Rodriguez.