Spring is a season for renewal, a time when the cold, gray remnants of winter give way to fresh growth and boundless possibility. This year, no symbol of that rejuvenation is more vivid than what’s happening inside Milan Puskar Stadium. Read more spring revival: Rich Rod brings life back to WVU football below.
Rich Rodriguez is back in Morgantown, and so is belief.
The former Mountaineer head coach returned to the program this offseason, inheriting a fanbase worn thin by six years of inconsistency and underachievement under Neal Brown. What Rodriguez found was a program desperate for direction. What he brought was urgency, toughness, and a culture reboot that fans could feel from the moment the Spring Game kicked off last weekend.
“If we’re keeping score, we’re trying to whip your ass,” Rodriguez said after the scrimmage.
A simple statement, but one that says everything about his approach.
Gone is the passive, plodding football that Mountaineer fans had come to expect. In its place: speed, competition, and a roster that reflects the new age of college football, built through the transfer portal, shaped by NIL, and driven by a coach who knows exactly what it takes to win in Morgantown.
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Redshirt junior wide receiver Preston Fox, who caught a touchdown pass during the Spring Game, reflected on the team’s transformation.
“It’s been a long time coming and I was blessed with the opportunity last year, made the best out of it. We had a few guys go down last year and needed a few of our young guys to step up and I just had to do what I had to do,” he said.
New Faces, New Energy
Rodriguez and his staff didn’t waste time flipping the roster. WVU brought in 29 new players via the transfer portal, including 22 fourth, or fifth-year seniors- experienced, seasoned competitors who can step in and contribute immediately. The quarterback room is suddenly crowded, with Nicco Marchiol, Jaylen Henderson, Max Brown, and freshman Scotty Fox all competing for the starting job.
This spring was about more than just competition, it was about establishing an identity. Rodriguez has made it clear that toughness will define this team, and you could see it in every drill, every play, every sprint toward the sideline.
“This isn’t a rebuild,” Rodriguez said. “This is a reawakening.”
A Tradition Reignited
For Rodriguez, the emotions of his return were on full display as “Take Me Home, Country Roads” rang out following the Spring Game. The tradition, which he started during his first tenure, carried new weight now as it’s a connection between past and present, old wounds and new hope.
“I had to hold back tears,” Rodriguez admitted. “To see those guys locking arms, singing that song — that’s West Virginia football. That’s what this place is all about.”
It was a reminder: this isn’t just a football team. It’s a community, a legacy, a family. And after years of disconnect, that feeling is starting to come back.
Not Just Back – Built to Win
There’s still work to do. Fall camp will bring clarity to the quarterback battle and the depth chart. But one thing is already clear: this team looks, feels, and acts differently. And in the springtime, that’s exactly what fans need, not just change, but hope.
After six years of drifting, WVU football is planting seeds again. With Rich Rodriguez at the helm, don’t be surprised if they bloom quickly.
