Rich Rodriguez Explains ‘Hard Edge’ Philosophy to West Virginia Players

Hours after being officially announced as West Virginia’s 36th head coach, Rich Rodriguez was already addressing his players. And even though WVU fans familiar with his first tenure won’t be surprised by what he had to say, it may have been a cultural shock for some of the players.

First, Rodriguez talked about how hard it was for him to leave his players at Jacksonville State because of everything they accomplished together, but how easy it was to jump at the chance to return home to West Virginia.

Mentally & physically tough.

Non-negotiable 💪 pic.twitter.com/uUFsDheBBQ

— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) December 13, 2024

From there, he let his new team know what to expect with him as their head coach.

Rodriguez told them they will “probably work harder than they ever worked in their life” and they better be in shape.

He then explained what his signature “Hard Edge” slogan means.

“You’ll be mentally and physically tougher than anyone you play…or you won’t be playing,” said Rodriguez to describe his coaching mentality.

On a lighter note, Rodriguez also mentioned he plans to finish his career at WVU and how honored he is to be back home.

The moment WVU fired Neal Brown, there was one familiar name that immediately came to mind for some West Virginia fans – Rodriguez. And now Rodriguez and WVU have decided to put any past differences aside and get back together for one common goal – making the Mountaineers a national contender once again.

Rich Rodriguez Officially Returning to WVU for Second Tenure as Head Coach

Rodriguez’s return also comes on the heels of winning his first FBS conference title since his last one at WVU, as Jacksonville State dominated Western Kentucky 52-12 to claim the Conference USA crown.

Rodriguez, a West Virginia native, currently holds a 190-128-2 overall coaching record. He experienced most of his success while leading the Mountaineers from 2001-2007. At WVU, Rodriguez won four Big East titles and was named conference Coach of the Year twice. He added a third Coach of the Year honor in the Pac-12 in 2014 with Arizona.

But no matter how many games he won and trophies he lifted, Rodriguez’s first WVU tenure was tainted by the way he left – bolting for Michigan following the infamous 13-9 loss to Pitt, a defeat that cost the Mountaineers a trip the BCS National Championship Game.

After his departure from WVU, Rodriguez spent three lackluster years at Michigan and six seasons with Arizona, highlighted by winning 10 games and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl in 2014.

Rodriguez now has been offered something that’s never guaranteed after a breakup – a second chance. And while some fans may be hesitant to embrace him again, Rodriguez does have the support of key donors and notable alums like Pat McAfee, Steve Slaton and Owen Schmitt just to name a few.

In November 2022, WVSN’s Mike Asti asked WVU legend Rasheed Marshall if he would ever want Rodriguez to return as head coach of the Mountaineers during an episode of their past “All Three Phases” podcast.

For a related story, Mike Asti details the immense pressure that’s now on Rich Rodriguez to win big back at WVU.