Rich Rodriguez reportedly is returning to coaching after taking the year off.
CBS college football reporter Bruce Feldman tweeted Monday that we should “Expect Rich Rodriguez to be named the next Arizona head coach in the next 48 hours according to sources.”
Bruce Feldman is a credible reporter who generally has accurate information. His report is even more credible because Rodriguez has been an analyst for CBS Sports, suggesting he has inside information.
Rodriguez was once considered one of the best coaches in America after having six straight good seasons at West Virginia. He went 57-18 from 2002-2007, including a 32-5 record his final three years. But Rodriguez left Morgantown for Michigan and became a complete disaster.
Not only were Rich Rod’s defenses brutal, but his spread offense preference led to Ryan Mallett transferring to Arkansas. Rodriguez also got into trouble for breaking practice rules.
Rodriguez will have considerable more leeway at Arizona to break rules, and their academic restrictions are much more lenient. Additionally, the expectations from the fan base and administration is much less compared to Michigan. All around, this would be a much better fit for Rodriguez than Ann Arbor. We’ll see if the report comes true.
