Rodriguez Focuses on Spring Game
It’s been just over two months since West Virginia decided it was time to return to ‘Hard Edge’ football and move away from the ‘Trust the Climb’ mantra. Rich Rodriguez addressed a wide range of topics at his press conference last week, most notably the spring game. He spoke about the upcoming spring game and the concerns around alleged tampering that can arise before the spring transfer portal opens. While this made most of the headlines, the stunning lack of returning starters on both offense and defense is shocking.
“I don’t think there is a single returning full-time starter on defense and maybe only two on offense,” Rodriguez said. “It might be the least in the country. I don’t know if I ever remember not having any on defense and only one or two on offense, but that’s why we have spring practice and why we recruit.”
The practice of poaching players who have already committed to other programs is becoming increasingly frustrating for coaches and columnists alike. It’s surprising that there isn’t a better system in place to protect these players. With the NIL and transfer portal landscape still evolving, I understand the need for caution until the system stabilizes, which may mean skipping the spring game or taking a more cautious approach to recruiting.
“I can see their points,” Rodriguez said regarding programs suspending the spring game. “I got this guy who is really good, and he goes out there and shows out, somebody is going to offer him half a million dollars and take him from your program.”
‘Hard Edge’ Culture
For the season to start off successfully, players and coaches must prioritize culture, commitment, and teamwork. This means being protective of your current roster and newly recruited players, who still have the option to transfer if the right opportunity arises. Rodriguez is walking a fine line with the spring transfer portal looming in the background. There’s plenty of opportunity for new players to step into starting roles, and the ‘Hard Edge’ philosophy that this coaching staff promotes requires the right mindset from their players. The key is not to push them too hard too soon, as you don’t want to push them out of the program before they’ve even had a chance to settle into their roles.
“It’s our first spring together. There’s always a little more evaluation,” Rodriguez said. “Typically, the second and third year, there is less evaluation because you know your roster. Part of spring is obviously evaluation and seeing what we got and then the other part is teaching and the schemes and the fundamentals.”
The hiring of former players onto this staff will prove to be invaluable. They have a unique opportunity to instill the team’s culture by reflecting on their own past successes. While Rich Rodriguez can easily talk about the glory days and try to convince new recruits that his system works, hearing the message from some of WVU’s greatest players adds even more credibility. With Pat White, Noel Devine, and Rasheed Marshall on the coaching staff, new players will gain a perspective that this offense has the potential to be truly special.
“It’s like I told Pat or Noel or those guys that that played for me that are now on the coaching staff is I didn’t hire them because of what they did in the 2000s,” Rodriguez said. “I hired them for what they can do to help us win right now. I’m not just hiring my legacy guy because he’s a legacy guy. I’m hiring this guy because of what I think he can bring to our staff. He understands not just the culture, but also how we go about doing things in our in our program.”
The work begins now for this program to return to the forefront of college football, as it was in the mid-2000s. With the new rules allowing coaches to run some practices over the summer, the spring game has become less critical. This provides the staff with enough time to mold these players and get them prepared for ‘Hard Edge’ football.
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‘Hard Edge’ Culture
For the season to start off successfully, players and coaches must prioritize culture, commitment, and teamwork. This means being protective of your current roster and newly recruited players, who still have the option to transfer if the right opportunity arises. Rodriguez is walking a fine line with the spring transfer portal looming in the background. There’s plenty of opportunity for new players to step into starting roles, and the ‘Hard Edge’ philosophy that this coaching staff promotes requires the right mindset from their players. The key is not to push them too hard too soon, as you don’t want to push them out of the program before they’ve even had a chance to settle into their roles.
“It’s our first spring together. There’s always a little more evaluation,” Rodriguez said. “Typically, the second and third year, there is less evaluation because you know your roster. Part of spring is obviously evaluation and seeing what we got and then the other part is teaching and the schemes and the fundamentals.”
The hiring of former players onto this staff will prove to be invaluable. They have a unique opportunity to instill the team’s culture by reflecting on their own past successes. While Rich Rodriguez can easily talk about the glory days and try to convince new recruits that his system works, hearing the message from some of WVU’s greatest players adds even more credibility. With Pat White, Noel Devine, and Rasheed Marshall on the coaching staff, new players will gain a perspective that this offense has the potential to be truly special.
“It’s like I told Pat or Noel or those guys that that played for me that are now on the coaching staff is I didn’t hire them because of what they did in the 2000s,” Rodriguez said. “I hired them for what they can do to help us win right now. I’m not just hiring my legacy guy because he’s a legacy guy. I’m hiring this guy because of what I think he can bring to our staff. He understands not just the culture, but also how we go about doing things in our in our program.”
The work begins now for this program to return to the forefront of college football, as it was in the mid-2000s. With the new rules allowing coaches to run some practices over the summer, the spring game has become less critical. This provides the staff with enough time to mold these players and get them prepared for ‘Hard Edge’ football.