Report: Details of Rich Rodriguez new contract with West Virginia revealed

It’s a full circle for the West Virginia Mountaineers. One of the most successful coaches in program history has decided to return to Morgantown. Rich Rodriguez is coming back to the place where he once electrified the college football world with stars such as Pat White and Steve Slaton. And on Friday evening, the details of his five-year contract with WVU were revealed. According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, Rodriguez’s five-year deal with West Virginia averages a base salary of $3.75 million over the course of the deal.

It starts at $3.5 million base in 2025. But it also includes incentives that could push the deal even higher, with certain win totals and other thresholds he must meet.

He most recently worked at Jacksonville State, where he totaled a 27-10 record over three years and helped the Gamecocks to a Conference USA title in their second season at the FBS level.

Now, Rodriguez is back in Morgantown. Rodriguez had his most successful tenure as a head football coach at West Virginia. In 2007, he nearly led the Mountaineers to a national championship game appearance, but WVU was stunned 13-9 by Pittsburgh.

Rodriguez led the Mountaineers to three 10-win seasons during his time there, coaching one of the most prolific duos in college football history in quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton.

Rodriguez finished 60-26 in seven seasons at West Virginia, winning the Big East Championship four times (2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007). The Mountaineers made two appearances in the BCS–the 2005 Sugar Bowl with a victory over Georgia, finishing with an 11-1 record. And they had a victory over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl to finish 10-2 shortly after Rodriguez had left for Michigan.