When Wren Baker, director of athletics at West Virginia, officially announced on Thursday the Mountaineers‘ HC, Rich Rodriguez, is coming back to Morgantown, celebrations knew no bounds. From 2001 to 2007, Rodriguez served as the Mountaineers’ head football coach. With a 60-26 record, he became the second-most successful coach in the history of the program. The question now is whether he will coach in the Coffee Frisco Bowl game against Memphis. If not, who will be West Virginia’s coach?

In the wake of a disastrous season with a 6-6 record, the program fired the former HC Neal Brown. If you haven’t been keeping up-to-date, this happened after a particularly embarrassing 52-15 loss to Texas Tech. Because the loss heightened administration and fan resentment of the group’s lack of dominance in the Big 12. And following this, WVU demoted Brown. During his 6-year career, Brown’s teams lost 9 straight games against ranked rivals and never made it into the AP Top 25. They were also unable to compete in a conference championship. He led WVU to a 37-35 total record, and the team’s direction was becoming increasingly unsatisfactory. So, When WVU plays Memphis in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl on December 17, Chad Scott will be the team’s acting HC.

Scott has been the team’s offensive coordinator for the last two seasons. Since joining the WVU coaching staff in 2019, he has served in several capacities, including RB coach and co-offensive coordinator. At the time of his elevation, the program was undergoing change following Brown’s termination. As interim head coach, Scott aims to maintain team morale and facilitate a seamless transition during bowl prep.

There are still unanswered questions about Rich Rodriguez’s appointment as head coach. So why not Rich instead of this interim head coach? Let’s delve deeper.

Will Rich Rodriguez begin working right away?

As of now, Rich Rodriguez, who was just appointed as the permanent HC, will not coach this bowl game. On December 12, he formally returned to West Virginia. However, his first game in command will take place following the bowl season. On top of that, has agreed to a 5-year deal with an annual salary beginning at $3.5 M for the 2025 season to return as HC. According to reports, the average base income throughout the course of the agreement is $3.75 million each year.

Rodriguez is also qualified for performance-based rewards linked to accomplishments like victories, conference titles, and CFB Playoff berths. However, the precise nature of these rewards has not been made public. Safe to say, in his opening news conference, Rodriguez said he was excited to return to WVU, where he had been a coach for 6 years, and he recognized the personal meaning of this occasion.

“Coach Rodriguez understands what it takes to win at West Virginia, and I believe he will pour his heart, soul, and every ounce of his energy into our program. I am convinced Coach Rodriguez wants what is best for West Virginia, WVU, and West Virginia football, and I am excited about the future of our program,” said Wren Baker, praising Rich Rodriguez. It will be interesting to see where Rich takes the program in 2025!