West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez admits Michigan job 'was a mistake' after failed Wolverines tenure

An opportunity to coach at one of college football's bluebloods was an opportunity he couldn't pass up, but West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez now looks back on his time at Michigan as a tenure that should've never happened.

The train never left the station for Rodriguez after 22 losses in 37 games over three seasons -- including the lowest winning percentage (.405) of any coach in school history -- led to his firing. A 0-6 record against Ohio State and Michigan State magnified issues for a program leader not accustomed to defeat after three consecutive top-10 finishes with the Mountaineers previously.

"What I kind of learned is that I probably didn't evaluate what we had at West Virginia as well," Rodriguez said this week on Next Up with Adam Breneman. "Was it a mistake going there? Yeah. It's easy to say that now. But I also learned a lot from coaching at Michigan. My kids made their best friends to this day, they made a living up there. I made some great friends that I still have to this day. They've got, obviously, a name brand that is pretty special to coach at.

"I would never take another job without visiting it, probably. Because if I would've visited there, I would've realized we had some better stuff here, like in the weight room, than they had. At the same time, I also learned to make the right hires, choose the right things, you've got to still be yourself -- which I did up there and maybe it surprised them."

Who could blame Rodriguez for leaving West Virginia at the height of his success for what appeared to be a ready-made national championship contender in the Big Ten? Like most coaches chasing the next opportunity, Rodriguez made the jump when his value was at its peak.

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The problem, as he later admitted, was how fast everything unfolded. Michigan came calling, and Rodriguez essentially said yes before fully understanding the situation he was walking into -- a sight-unseen leap that ultimately became one of college football's most ill-fated coaching marriages.

After leading West Virginia from 2001 07, including four Big East Conference titles, Rodriguez returned to his alma mater in December 2024 to try to reverse the Mountaineers' fortunes in the Big 12. Last season's 4-8 record wasn't a great restart, but there are more than 60 newcomers on Rodriguez's 2026 roster through the portal and recruiting.

If there's going to be a surge during his second stint in Morgantown, it starts now after his first roster overhaul.

Rodriguez's failed Michigan tenure

When Rodriguez arrived at Michigan in 2008, the hire felt seismic. College football's spread revolution was underway, and Michigan -- one of the sport's proudest programs -- decided to modernize its attack after the retirement of Lloyd Carr. Rodriguez had turned West Virginia into a national contender with tempo, quarterback runs and explosive offense.

On paper, the fit made sense. In reality, it bordered on an immediate awkward relationship that never panned out.

Rodriguez inherited a roster built for an entirely different philosophy and immediately tried to force a hard pivot. Michigan's traditional power identity disappeared before the personnel were ready for change. The Wolverines cratered to 3-9 in his debut season -- the worst campaign in program history -- and the culture shock surrounding the transition only intensified from there.

There were moments offensively when Rodriguez's system flashed potential, particularly with dynamic quarterback Denard Robinson becoming one of the nation's most electric playmakers. But Michigan's defenses under Rodriguez were routinely overwhelmed, undisciplined and physically overmatched in big games. The Wolverines never finished better than seventh in the Big Ten during his tenure and lost their only postseason appearance in the 2010 Gator Bowl.

Rodriguez also battled constant external pressure. NCAA practice-related allegations created negative headlines early in his tenure, and the relationship between Rodriguez and portions of Michigan's old guard never fully recovered. It often felt like he was coaching uphill politically while trying to overhaul the roster schematically.

Rodriguez later found success elsewhere at Arizona and Jacksonville State before returning to West Virginia, but his time at Michigan became a cautionary tale about fit, patience and the dangers of forcing cultural change too quickly at one of college football's most tradition-rich programs.

The writing was on the wall for Rodriguez after the retirement of Michigan athletics director Bill Martin, prior to his firing. The following season, new hire Brady Hoke took the Wolverines to the Sugar Bowl with primarily Rodriguez's players.

"I don't want to say it was a perfect storm of things that could go wrong, went wrong in a hurry," Rodriguez said. "I still feel, as tough as it was, had we had a chance to maybe finish it out -- because the third year, we got better and got in the bowl game, then the fourth year when we weren't there, they got to the Sugar Bowl and all the guys that were making plays and stuff are the guys we recruited, so that was hard to watch.

"But there was a lot of really good people there. The athletic director who hired me, Bill Martin, was a great guy. I'd like to think if he had not retired, I would've still been there and had a chance to get it going."