Rich Rodriguez Threatens Tampering Coaches, Hints About Depth Chart

Thanks to not having a second transfer portal window after the spring period, Rich Rodriguez is able to lock in his roster months earlier than last year. But even though the new rules make it easier to know your team ahead of the summer, he’s not naive to the possibility he could still lose players.

While he can’t control everything, Rodriguez isn’t going to take another school tampering with his players lightly. During his first press conference since getting back to practice following a week off for spring break, WVU’s 62-year-old old school head coach talked about looking to solidify a depth chart earlier than in the past and how he will react if a player he’s planning to be a key contributor gets trampled with.

“We know what our roster is. If our roster changes because somebody’s leaving, then somebody tampered. Let’s turn their tail in, you know what I mean? Fine them. Suspend them,” said Rodriguez, making two things crystal clear in one comment – he’s not planning on making cuts after the spring so he can use fall camp as a way to fine-tune the planning for the season and he’s not going to brush tampering off anymore.

Rodriguez threatening anyone who tampers is a necessary step and something other coaches at similar programs should do as well, but the NCAA has shown a reluctance to actually penalize coaches who tamper in the transfer portal era. Tampering has always gone on, and will likely again, but Rodriguez’s mentality is the only way to try to police the issue.

And of course, with Rodriguez’s comments, other coaches won’t have to worry about WVU tampering with their players, right?

Confident his Mountaineers will enjoy success in 2026, Rodriguez issued a spring letter to fans on March 19th.

“We feel great about the progress our program has made over the last 12 months. We’re very excited about the roster we’ve put together, and our staff and players are working every day to get better. This past recruiting cycle, we signed the highest-ranked class in program history. Combined with a strong core of returning players, we believe this team will be exciting to watch.

Rich Rodriguez Issues Spring 2026 Letter to Mountaineer Nation

Our goal is simple: to win and create the best home-field advantage in college football. But to do that, we need you in the stands! We have the best fans in the country, and when you show up and make noise, it makes a huge impact. With seven home games on the schedule, there are seven opportunities to pack Milan Puskar Stadium, be loud and create an atmosphere that gives us a true edge.

Together, we can Earn Success and compete for championships at West Virginia University,” he wrote.

Find more coverage of the WVU Football program at WV Sports Now.

For a related story, Rich Rodriguez offers insight on the quarterback competition.