The Pat McAfee Show Live From WVU Coliseum | Friday December 13th 2024

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students talking about happenings in the. sports world it is meant to be comedic. informative the opinions expressed on. this show do not necessarily reflect the. beliefs of their peers their boss or. ESPN there may be some cuss words. because that's how humans is the real. world talk if you are a young please. seek permission before watching any. further hey.

let's. go this show sticks and the fact that. you listen we are very very thankful for. that could be on the line with a. gorgeous assist the alltime leading. tackler for the Green Bay Packers. you st damn it be a friend tell a friend. something nice could change their. [Applause]. life sport sport sport here we go the. pat mcae show I'm AJ Hawk sitting at. Pat's desk he and Codman are down in.

Morgantown West Virginia there's there's. some rum wins down. there. football it is what's happening Pat com. man you guys just walked out we see the. crowd going crazy how's it going what's. the atmosphere like down there man it is. absolutely electrifying in Morgan. Town West Virginia this is uh this is. for a press conference to announce that. uh.

Rich Rodriguez is officially the head. coach again for the West Virginia. M now we drove in this morning obviously. and outside uh the WV Coliseum which is. absolutely beautiful if you haven't been. you need to get here but there was. people lined up since like 8:30 a.m. it. was cold as hell people couldn't wait to. get in here maybe buy some beers maybe. celebrate what the future is going to be. and showcase to the world that West. Virginia football not only all the way.

back but it is the present these sports. fans have been in hibernation for a bit. we're about to go get some championships. and that's what today is all. about now the Mountaineers here got a. good looking gun there that thing fires. off every time we score there's going to. be a lot of gunshots ranging in a lot of. Big 12 cities because what's about to. happen to all the schools of that. fantastic conference shout out to that. guy just walking through the shot. doesn't care about about a single thing.

Iowa State Arizona State Arizona state. was projected to have three and a half. wins this year last in the entire Big 12. they go on to win that thing because. they get a couple dogs in the transfer. portal well I think the people we're. about to bring into this team and the. roster that we're about to keep here. he's about to win a big 12 Championship. why and then with the way Rich Rodriguez. coaches his team actually we have. footage of his first team meeting from. yesterday let's go ahead and run that.

thing just so you can get a nice little. expectation of the type of team that is. about to be calling Morgantown home off. it's an honor to be here to be back here. uh this is my home it was a tough. decision to leave the team I left. because they accomplished so much but it. was an easy decision to come to the. place that I love so much and it won't. be easy I promise you you'll probably. work harder you've ever worked in your. life you sometimes you hear coaches brag. about I got 25 years of experience but. if they never learned or they never grew. they got one year experience repeated 20.

some times and I'm I'm a better coach. now than I was a year ago I'm a better. coach now than I was 20 years ago I'll. be a better Coach next week than I am. today people have asked me what's hard. edge mean that means you're going to be. mentally and physically tougher than. anybody and everybody that you go up. against you'll be mentally and. physically tougher than anybody you play. or you won't be playing and some of. you're kind of louds down in your. seat if you're going to be a lounge down. in your seat guy you're not going to. make it if you're going to sit up in. your seat and you're e to get after.

somebody's ass you're going to be just. fine if you're going to play fast you. better be in shape right we'll be in. shape most of the time we're going to. get after their ass they didn't hire me. because Rich Rodriguez played at West. Virginia because Rich Rodriguez went the. bowl game 20 years ago or whatever. whatever happened back there I didn't. get hired because of that I got hired. because they thought my staff and I. could help take us to another level you. want to win you'll be fine so I. appreciate you guys it's it's an honor. for me again to be back home to be in.

the place that I love and the place. where I'm going finish my career and a. place where I can you know finish it. right and finish it right with you all. lead the way okay appreciate it see. [Applause]. you and obviously we'll be hearing from. coach rod on this particular program. from the back here in a few minutes and. he's going to get introduced by Ren. Baker when this press conference kicks. off at 1:30 Eastern and we will carry. that here live on ESPN and then carry it.

plus ESPN plus Disney plus but there's a. couple quotes in there Boston Connor. that I think need to be paid attention. too they do they do Pat what do you. think Ty man hey I guess we have some. tech technical difficulties there I. don't know exactly what's happening Z. this is fun we get to watch the boy. scram sorry boys that they have to. handle this they have to figure this. thing out but they will digs you watch. that you see that whole atmosphere for. the kids going crazy whatever can Rich.

Rod actually can he uh I guess can he. the promises that are made for him you. think he can live up to it yeah AB I. absolutely do because I mean he has been. a proven winner no matter where he's. been whether it's it's been West. Virginia you know and then he went to. Michigan and I don't know if it was his. his fault there or not in Michigan it. didn't work out but he wanted Arizona he. wanted he wanted Jacksonville State. everywhere he's been he is one and then. you get back to Morgantown and there's. always been already been talk about you. know certain Major League Baseball.

owners who are who are back in the fold. for the fun and uh what's it Ken Ken. Kendrick Ken Kendrick for of the so he. is a big WVU guy and he is a big. supporter of Rich Rodriguez and we know. he's back on board okay I think Pat. might be back Pat what's going on man. yeah we're back I don't know what the. hell just. H who's proud on you technology sounds. like the Zoom disconnected but we're all. the way back AJ they could hear you tone. they could hear you there even though. you couldn't hear us Ken Kendrick's. obviously a big part of this Arizona.

Diamondbacks owner he is a West Virginia. boy from Princeton obviously went on to. do well he and uh Rich Rod I believe uh. the term is thick as thieves so whenever. you got a billionaire ready to get back. on board with the program he said it. would have been anybody but and whenever. you got some other people that are ready. to get back on board like my entire team. and then all the friends and family of. Rich Rodriguez who I don't think were. able to come out and say that they were. friends and family of richrod I don't. think our team back in the day was ever. allowed to celebrate because we lost one. game that would have sent us to the.

National Championship but that one game. to go to the National Championship was. earned and the reason why we were in. that game is because every single day we. went to work we won a lot of massive. games obviously we won four straight. bowl games two BCS games we have massive. massive resume that we could hold up. against any other team in the history of. the country but hell. yeah we lose that one game he ends up. leaving the way it all goes we can't. even talk about it you go over to the. facility I mean Pat White the photo but. it's in the way back now it's like the.

Glory Days of West Virginia feel like. we're going to be all the way back the. buzz of West Virginia is going to be. back and the team that is going to be on. the field is going to be one that makes. us all want to talk [ __ ] about because. they are going to be dos and con man. whenever you see all those people that. you get to meet back there what is your. first thought what is your first. impression and look at the people that. filled up here just for a press. conference awesome it's a football town. I think that's the biggest takeaway is. like this is a place that wants to be. good at football and not every place is.

like that and you know we talk about NFL. teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers you. know you want people to come back after. they you know finish playing there and. that this is a place that's like that. and you know the reason this press. conference is packed and because this is. so much fun is because in a year from. now when you know West Virginia's. preparing for the college football. playoff they they'll remember you know. buying beers and coming to a press. conference and knowing that that's where. this thing is headed with Rich Rodriguez. yeah it's uh it's a special time in. college football because of the 12 team. playoff if you win the Big 12 you're in.

if you put up a good record in the Big. 12 you're probably going to be in the. college football playoff and if Rich. Rodriguez gets in the dance and his. gritty ass team and his tough team plays. against anybody in the country they're. going to have to feel it AJ I know that. you grew up in Ohio AJ I know you're an. Ohio State guy I see the o on your there. but you grew up in the era when this. West Virginia uh West Virginia team was. buzzing college football is better when. this flying WV is at the top of.

conversations and I think we're getting. right back into that time AJ absolutely. I mean I I've told you many times I. remember like the The Glory Days of West. Virginia just watching from the outside. as a fan and how like the the athletes. and yeah Rich Rod he's a personality. he's a character I I think he wouldn't. understand that he gets that like he is. a dude he's a polarizing figure that I. think the people that ride with him ride. with him forever and I think that's a. great thing yeah you talk about. polarizing there has been some obvious. reaction in the state that haven't.

forgot about what happened after the 139. game and the way that whole thing ended. and I Know Rich Rod would never come out. and say all the behind the scenes stuff. that was happening obviously there was a. lot of drama there was a lot of. miscommunication there was a lot of. misunderstanding there was a lot are you. going to support us to get to the spot. where we want to go and inevitably not. happening all Rich has to do and he. knows this and I think we all know this. he puts a team out on the field that. this state would be proud of they're all. the way back in board and I think the. thing about Coach Rod is and and this is. just strictly over getting a chance to.

chat with him over the last couple weeks. it's unfinished business he wants to. make it right you know and he uh he. loves this state he loves this team and. uh for me and for all the guys that are. on that team that have carried a heavy. burden through these past two decades. because of what happened he knows that. if he goes and wins for this state. hopefully that'll all be kind of. forgiven and I think that's his. motivation I think that's his goal and. for me I told him the day he was doing.

his interview with Ren Baker I said. listen I need you to hear this before. you talk to Ren I think about that game. every single day of my life it is a. thing that I don't think I'll ever be. able to get away from I often wonder why. it went the way it did why couldn't I. make a kick in the first quarter why why. why I said the ability for me to come. back and help and for you to lead the. way would be nice for my conscience it'd. be nice for the weight that I carry. around every day so I am fully committed.

to making West Virginia win again Rich. Rod's fully committed Ken Kendricks is. fully committed oh yeah and uh I know. Bill. bellich I know Bill bellich down to UNCC. is certainly a sensational storyline and. we're friends with coach bich greaty and. we're friends with Lombardi who's the. general manager down there the best. story line in college football out of. this hiring cycle is Rich Rodriguez. coming home and making it right and uh I. stand by that and that is why that is.

why we're here conman the energy is. palpable they've had some beer since. 10:30 a.m. in here and the uh the. Country Roads trust is raising money. people are donating money nil's up. revenue is going to be up it feels like. this is a turning point for this. particular institution well that's thing. with college football right now is when. you have the support of everybody that's. what means the most you know you talked. about nil West Virginia has the people. you listed a few of them that want the. football team to be good the Athletics. to be good as a whole and ren Baker I.

mean sure he nailed it with Rich Rod but. if you just look at his track record. here I mean he's nailed it with the. basketball coach what nailed it with the. baseball coach now they with the soccer. coach now they with the woman's soccer. coach volleyball coach going to get some. wins here too I mean like you got to. just trust the entire thing that Ren is. doing and to your point I mean there. there's something about a guy who has. unfinished business who has that chip on. his shoulder that wants to go and win. for the state that he's from for the. college that he played for in a college. that he used to coach for I mean it.

really is kind of the perfect recipe for. Success here at West Virginia right now. and you heard in that team meeting he. said I'm a better coach now than I was. last week I'm a better coach now than I. was 20 years ago I think he has changed. his coaching style he's still in there. though oh yeah whenever he saw those. dudes lounging if you're a lounging guy. just lounging okay this might not be the. place for you okay if you want to sit up. and get eager to get after somebody's. ass this is the spot for you if you want. to win this is the spot for you so I.

would like to make a public declaration. to all the dudes entering the transfer. portal or all the high school recruits. and I didn't tell Rich I was going to do. this or anybody and nobody really tells. me what I can or can't do which is a. pretty cool thing it's awesome yeah yeah. that's a cool thing it's sweet that's I. mean that's why we're here it's pretty. cool pretty cool thing to be able to do. that if you're a dog okay if you work. your ass off if you love ball if you're. going to be able to stay eligible okay. need to do the.

classes he Rich Rodriguez team is the. team for you he's going to ask more out. of you the wait room's going to be tough. the meetings are going to be tough the. practices are going to be tough but the. lessons that he's going to drop into. your life are going to carry you forever. and I was watching that meeting. yesterday and it's the attention to. detail that has helped me when I became. a pro in the NFL helped me whenever I. started running my own business I. thought about the things that Rich. Rodriguez told me whenever I was 18 19. 20 years old and maybe the lessons. didn't hit at the time but they went for.

the rest of my life I'd be honored if my. kid chose to play for Coach rod and I. think if you're a dog and when to become. the best version of you I think you come. right here to West Virginia we got money. oh yeah we got money we got a path to. the college football playoff and we got. an absolute dog as a head coach who. wants to make it right now AJ with all. that being said there was a massive game. last night in the NFC West San Francisco. 49ers Los Angeles Rams the most boring.

game maybe ever televised m 9 to6 15. total points I'll have you know the West. Virginia Mountaineers are not going to. look like that with Rich Rodriguez as. the head hell. yeah get ready for explosive plays get. ready for high flying action and for me. as somebody that picked a Rams plus. three and a half look for the West vir. Mountaineers to be a gambler's best. friend as well I I think whenever I was. when I was here in West Virginia and. obviously whenever I say I I mean uh the.

teams that I was a part of obviously we. had the great pat white at quarterback. who hopefully we'll be around town a lot. more with Rich Rod coming back we had. Steve Slayton at running back which I. hope we'll see a lot more around. Morgantown with Rich being back we had. Owen Schmidt The Runaway beer truck at. fullback we had Reed Williams at. linebacker we had Dan Moses offensive. line we had Jello Darius not we had. Stars everywhere but also in tone you.

can correct me if I'm wrong because you. were certainly an Italian uh for your. entire life especially during those eras. I think we covered more than any school. in the country as well they always. counted us out they always gave us. favorable lines and West Virginia. covered so now that gambling is you know. a national thing I think this West. Virginia team is going to be beloved by. everybody so uh I am very very eager for. this to get started let's talk about. about the game last night a little bit. because the NFC West is certainly.

something the Rams are hot the Niners. come off an absolute ass beating of the. Chicago Bears and what they were able to. do obviously against the Bears they were. not able to do against the Rams Rams. defense gave up what 40 plus points to. Josh Allen just a week before they shut. it down on Thursday night that NFC West. now all of a sudden becomes a massive. question mark who's going to win it. who's hot well Gino Smith in the Seattle. Seahawks uh-oh. [Applause].

another West Virginia Legend is leading. them 58% playoff probability at this. moment and remember Rams and Seahawks. are on a collision course to the last. week of the Season feels like this is a. chance for the Seahawks to goad and get. a playoff spot at least win the division. back there in studio the fact that the. Seahawks are the team that we're talking. about winning this particular division. instead of the ners instead of the Rams. and even the Cardinals had an. opportunity is vastly different than the. convo before the season and that's.

because Gino Smith is an absolute dog. the reason why we know he's a dog is. because he survived morgant town. okay you survive morgant Town that's. better than a degree and uh what Gino's. been able to do and what that NFC West. has done all season has been. electrifying except for last night's. game aent yeah I know uh the Seattle. Seahawks fans sometimes I know get upset. with the the program if we don't give. enough love to this team so I mean you. know it's a whole West Coast thing. that's that's got to be part of it I.

would imagine but the Seahawks they're. legit and as you said Gino I I think. Gino gives a team like that confidence. that sometimes that jamus Winston can do. you know J and I'm not saying that. they're the same they play the same or. anything I'm saying like the he feels. like everything is under control he's. seen every single thing possible tied. when you watch Gino play I guess did you. expect him to be doing this at this age. uh I mean I don't know if anyone. expected him to be doing it at this age. but he's just consistent I think that's. the biggest thing like yeah sometimes. going to he's going to give a couple. away but like I mean just showed that.

highlight of Jackson Smith and jiga like. he's a guy they drafted in the first. round expecting a lot out of him and. with Gino like they've they've realized. like hey this is a dude like so we have. DK metf we have him they have these. great weapons and I think with the with. the Seahawks it was always like you know. they have this new regime coming in so. at what point is that culture kind of. going to set in because we talked about. at the very start of the Year hey they. painted over the legion of boom and all. the great things they accomplished with. Pete Carol but I think everyone when.

talking about um McDonald and his staff. it was like Hey this guy is this guy's a. good coach and Ryan grub is great too. granted he was you know coming from. Washington had a little stop at Alabama. but once they actually kind of get a. little time to get their culture in. place you have a guy like Gino who is. he's just consistent he's Rock Solid and. and you never hear him bitching or. complaining about anything like these. last several years really since he's. been a Seahawk he's been one of the guys. in this Division and in the NFL as a. whole that you can kind of hang your hat. on and know like hey Gino's going to go.

out there and perform if he has to and. the thing about Gino I think is much. like this West Virginia team you know. coming out of college he signs with well. we don't have to say that no no we don't. no we don't don't have to talk about. that uhuh it was a big deal at the time. huge it was a big deal at the time now. you know obviously things are coming to. like potentially exact things things. always come full circle just like coming. back to well that's what I'm saying so. Gino obviously coming out of college out.

of West Virginia obviously a massive. story and he ends up in New York doesn't. go as well obviously we heard the. stories has to Bounce Around The League. okay has to have a couple trying times. has to hit a little bit of adversity has. to look himself in the mirror and see. what type of person he is and then all. of a sudden he finds his opportunity in. Seattle and becomes an absolute rock. star and that's what Rich Rodriguez is. about to do coming back here to West. Virginia I think coming out of West. Virginia coming out of West Virginia. obviously [ __ ] of the Walk here we go. then he has to around a little bit has. to look himself in the mirror face some.

adversity and then he comes back here. the best version of himself speaking of. West Virginia people creating the best. version of himself who's the best team. in the NBA right now oh uh that'd be Joe. mou's Boston. Celtics West Virginia great no big deal. no big deal love that guy I didn't know. that a West Virginia guy is leading the. best team in the NFC West and also the. best team in the NBA in Joe Missoula. yeah there's no big deal in it and when. I look look around this uh Coliseum I.

actually think there's some room for him. to maybe go up in uh one of these. Rafters I can see Joe moula being up. there very soon well you look up in. these Rafters and you see legends like. uh Deshawn Butler obviously and you see. Mike gzy and you see Kevin pittsnogle. hell. yeah and obviously Johnny West and hugs. and the entire Squad West Virginia has a. lot of history a lot of dogs and uh. today is all about celebrating that when. we look at last night's G mhm you stayed.

awake for that thing uh yeah I did I was. watching other TV shows with it on but. when it's that poopy of a football game. you just kind of have to find ways to. stay awake uh I mean as someone who bet. the over I was pissed off watching it. the entire time so it was kind of one of. those hate watch situations it's almost. sad because the 49ers every year we go. into it saying hey this could be their. year this could be their year and for. their season to be over already already. does stink Matt Stafford PUK and deua. weapons you got to love them and at the. end of the day when think about these. teams Jos SM Seahawks are kind of the.

ones that are going to you know Edge out. all these other people anyway so who. cares yeah and uh I think Gino has a. shot I think Matt Stafford getting as. hot as he is and them getting as healthy. as they are is obviously good and the. Niners stinking was not on the Bingo no. no it wasn't or or having players quit. middle of the game they didn't see that. coming at all AJ how do you feel about. Campbell just say nah I'm not playing. you bring kinlaw back give him all my. Snaps then he can't finish the game even. though he had nine tackles or whatever. now you want to put me in I don't think. so he tapped out of that game and.

actually just walked off the sideline. and every person that's ever played. football whether it's in the NFL or just. in general said can't do this this is. treasonous behavior you even heard dener. say that once again can't stress this. enough that is not a Rich Rodriguez guy. no if you are if you are ever planning. on walking off of a field in the middle. of the game just because your feelings. are hurt do not think about coming to. West Virginia with Rich Rodriguez in. this entire thing but what do you think. about what happened there last night AJ. would love to get your thought yeah I.

mean obviously I don't love it and I. know his teammates have already come out. and they have to answer for it and. they've you know I guess said how much. they're how disappointed they are and. how I've never really seen that happen. yeah you can't do this I mean you can't. do it I understand the I understand. wanting to do that you're getting to. that point to where you're that upset. you're that frustrated or pissed off to. where you want to do something like this. maybe or flashes through your brain but. you can't do it because you're pissed. that you're not out there and then all. of a sudden they want to put you out. there and you say no I'm not going to. play so it's like okay do you really. want to play or not I mean I guess be.

who you can afford to be uh he was with. the Packers right yeah yeah oh yeah yeah. Ty you guys liked him at the Packers. he's trying to get out of there to get. back what do you think he's trying to do. here what's the move no so a lot of. people actually brought this up last. night uh so when he first got to the. Packers I think they signed him off the. Cardinals practice squad and kind of. threw him a lifeline and then he ended. up having an all proo year and was great. and then the following year not so much. they decided not to resign him and. towards the end of his run with the. Packers he went to social media and. started bashing the front office and and.

all that kind the scheme like making a. bunch of excuses for why he didn't play. as well as he did the year before and. then they did the Niners signed him for. I think it was a oneyear $5 million deal. basically because they knew that green. law you know it was going to it was. going to take some time for him to get. back and I think that's kind of some. people were saying that is like hey that. was that was kind of the thing all along. is like when these guys got healthy like. they they were going to be put back in. the lineup so it's weird especially last. night given the situation and how close. that game was like them still very much.

being in it and needing a win that he. would just walk off like that but a lot. of people were saying hey writing was. kind of on the wall especially if you. look at the way he kind of exited with. the Packers as well well listen if. you're going to tap out don't come to. West Virginia joining us now ladies and. gentlemen the founding father of hard. Edge back as the West Virginia. Mountaineer head coach of the football. team ladies and gentlemen he's in the. back. head coach Rich Rodriguez hey.

[Applause]. Rich coach hey. P coach hey I want to let you know it's. an absolute honor to be out here knowing. that you're the man that is Manning the. football team once again and I can't. wait to make trips to Morgantown on a. much more regular basis so let's just. lead off with that how is it yeah you. need to yeah you need to bring your show. bring your crew bring your teammates. bring AJ in fact AJ I really I've heard.

you gave an endorsement for Old Coach. Rod here and so I really appreciate it. I'm gonna get you some gear too because. I got some gear looks better than what. you got on but anyway I appreciate. your I'm respect shot I respect yeah but. uh but but Pat you're special and uh I. am so proud for what what you're doing. what you've done and and I told I want. to be on every week now you're going to. have billich on there and Aaron Rogers. on there you need to have Coach rod from.

West Virginia on there every week now. so all right sounds good hey that sounds. good to me if you'll come on and uh. you'll chitchat with us every week I. would love that obviously it's been very. nice catching up with you uh not only. over the years obviously text back and. forth every once in a while but the last. few weeks as this became a potential. reality it's been nice talking and. catching up and seeing your growth and. seeing how you're handling everything. how has it been to be back in Morgantown. was that a surreal moment yesterday when.

you get off that plan that is the. perfect word surreal cuz it's been 17. years I've been back in a state uh. obviously my family's here my wife's. family's from here and but I've I. haven't been back to the facility uh for. 17 years and uh I kind of like what. they've done with the place you know. it's uh it's really phenomenal what. they've done facility wise uh certainly. the support is there I know this the. mountainer man Maniacs are still there. and uh we're still one of the top party. schools in the country. that's a good thing I guess so uh but I.

I am I am so blessed to have this. opportunity really am okay so we see you. walk around the building yesterday we. see your team meeting okay and uh. obviously the smiles and catching up and. I think there's one or two people that. are still in the building from your era. if I'm not mistaken so it's probably. nice yeah there's a couple yeah probably. nice to see I didn't know they were. filming my meeting though I I would have. uh you know my my daughter Raquel told. me afterwards so you always know the. cameras are on but I'm glad I didn't go.

to go off like I had had done before. with at Pat McAfee or some of his. teammates so if it means anything good. meeting it was a great meeting uh did. you know you were going to do that how. much do you prepare for that and when. you looked around that room I saw the. one part that I saw and I told you about. this whenever I saw you in the back. before I came out here whenever you told. the guys if you're going to Lou I see a. lot of guys lounging and if you're a. lounge guy I don't know if this is the. place for you because yeah yeah yeah you. know kind of looking disengaged but I I.

I kind of treated kind of nicely. yesterday cuz it was the first team. meeting I didn't want to come off too. strong so I was and I was I was I wasn't. really hoping to see somebody lounging. but I was kind of hoping I would see. somebody lounging you know what I mean. so I I didn't I didn't know I didn't. know their name so I didn't have to. embarrass them by by nameing I'm glad I. didn't because they they they weren't. doing anything really that wrong but it. was just kind of a attention to detail. that that we're going to get started. with from the jump yeah so you got to.

set the precedent early obviously that's. why it's called precedent but I'll never. forget one of my first meetings I'm. sitting like this you know casual just. head back I'm here okay I'm on time and. also you're 15 minutes early okay you're. 10 minutes early you're late you're on. time you're late you're 15 minutes early. every damn time Pat McAfee I'm like you. got a coach okay that's the type of. stuff that you preach uh preach and. teach that I've carried into my life I. appreciate you for that but one of those. first meetings I'm casual sitting like.

this you know what's this guy going to. say can't wait to hear this got a sweet. accent can't wait to what he has to stay. his intensity is going to be awesome and. literally before you even start anything. sit your ass up mcafe was like wh all. right we are we are in this thing and. then it was immediate like hey how you. do anything is how you do everything. that is how you was it was the same kind. of meeting remember the meeting we had. when Dell Rivas returned that punt. and uh we had yeah though we were.

watching as a whole team I do remember. that meeting uh and I think you probably. were a brunt of some of the discussion. during that punt return you and about. five of your teammates I do remember. that one yeah but coach you talked and. uh you said you want a little easier. there but it seems like you're still the. same coach we're going to be accountable. we're going to be disciplined we're. going to be passionate we're going to. fly around but you said you're a. different coach now than you were 17. years ago what does that mean for you. and did coaching your son Rett change.

you is that something that potentially. change it did I think every year it's. like I've always said this some coaches. brag about well they got 25 years of. experience and whatever but if they. never grew or learned or got better they. got one year experience repeated 25. times right and what I've tried to do is. be a better Coach every year whether. it's schemes or methods or how you run. your program and that's what I feel uh. the most proud about that the coaches. myself and the coaches that have been. around me on our staffs have gotten. better every year I'm a better coach now. than I was when I left and but I needed.

to be and if I want my players to be. better every year I got to be better. every year and that doesn't mean we. don't make mistakes but at the same time. you know we got a great passion I still. have a great passion for for football I. got a great passion to coach and I still. think good players want to be coached. there's there's kind of a tendency today. of players not getting coached and. coaches not coaching players and the. good players want to get coached they. want to get better and that's our job to. make them better that's not always easy. but sometimes you got to be the bad guy. as a coach but you that at the end of.

the day when you make them better all. right you they'll appreciate you more as. a coach in my opinion coach I'll say. this I've been lucky to be a part of. college game day and I've got a chance. to see like every single building the. teams that win all coach you know the. teams that kind of are in the middle. kind of let [ __ ] happen you know let the. lounging happen let the oh I need more. money in the middle of a season I'm. going sit out like I think that is why. you are the perfect guy for this job in. 202 before especially at this school and.

last question for me before AJ and the. boys have some for you when you looked. around that room and I know you said. you're were looking for somebody to. loung so you can point out the fact that. hey in my meetings that it's not how. you're going to be engaged we're going. to want to get after somebody's ass how. many people do you legitimately expect. to remain because I've heard a lot of. conversation about around the college. football world that's like Rich's got to. get in there and he's got to start. recruiting these guys that are on the. roster to make sure they stick around I. and I know not everybody's going to like. this we got a clean sweep I'm okay with. it if if we got to get rich rods guys in.

there I am I'm okay with it because I. was on a group text last night and I. told you this about with a lot of my. teammates old teammates and they were. like those dudes have no idea those. dudes have no clue what it's about to. what's about to be asked to them when. you look in that room and you talk to. some of these guys do you feel like. there is some carryover that would be. able to fit into a coach Rod culture and. how do you feel about the roster yeah I. you know that's that's a great question. I because I haven't I watched a little. bit of practice this morning but I. haven't watched film I haven't really.

watched their games I haven't really. kind of studied their their talent so to. speak uh but from that from that. standpoint if they're a talented guy and. they work hard and and they buy into the. program I want them around if they're. soft or lazy if they if they don't want. to to to give their best effort then I. don't want them around I mean it's. pretty simple right it's like the two. wor four-letter words are soft and lazy. and that to me has nothing to do with. Talent OR or what year they are and and.

then and this is and that's coming from. a state that I know very well the people. in state of West Virginia work hard they. don't want to be soft they don't want to. be lazy and they don't want the people. playing and representing them being soft. or. lazy I talked to you the other day about. this and you said uh you said you know. the way my teams have always been. described is tough and I take that as a. badge of honor cuz I'm from West. Virginia West yeah your ties off I mean. you're getting jacked up over there get. jacked up over there suit the ti is. getting all disheveled yeah I get it you. know you want to go get after somebody's.

ass right now you know you want to get. these people even better but you said. every position I want to be tough every. single position I want him to be tough. and uh we could feel that when we were. in your locker room and I think these. guys will feel it as well AJ has a. question for you from the Ohio State. Buckey yeah coach I love that the the. soft and lazy I I agree with you. completely on on that sentiment but when. you're going out and trying to recruit. players that are not soft not lazy I. guess how do you know when they're a. rich. a WVU guy and how are you going to.

locate them and then ultimately what are. you going to do with them once you bring. them to campus yeah I think the. difference now with with uh so much. turnover in college football and we got. to face it you you've got to build a. program but you're also building a team. every year and you might have a a bunch. of new guys every year uh but if you. bring in the right guys your culture. would be consistent you know from that. stample you can't sacrifi every coach. talks about they have culture culture. but they sacrific their culture for one. player or two players then you can't do. that the culture is the culture and then.

everybody comes in has to adapt to what. you're doing how you do things and it's. hard to do that because you know you. don't really know the guys sometimes in. the transfer portal or sometimes you. don't really know the guys in high. school so as coaches we better really. vet and think is this our type of guy. you could tell by the SP skill and the. speed and all that but is he our type of. guy can he make it through a practice. will he buy into what we're trying to to. do does he want to be coached and if. they do all that they're fine but. sometimes you you evaluate wrong I think.

one of the strengths that I've been. blessed with my staff has been blessed. with we can evaluate those guys that fit. that part they have the talent but they. fit that hard Edge and we talk about. that hard sometimes guys don't have it. because they've never been taught to. have it some guys have it naturally but. they all got to have it to be in this. program you got a good radar of hard. edge huh walk into a room soft soft soft. tough soft I like that that's a good. thing to have in a football coach I'll. let you know that well you know I like.

when my Kicker would knock the hell out. of somebody when he's trying to take. make a return you know what I me. [Applause]. P I don't think you was that jacked up. when you were playing for me but that's. okay but you were good coach Rod uh I. was strength and conditioning. All-American uh here at West Virginia. actually uh hang cleaning 365 like 10. times with uh barwis Beach which leads. me to that when you said to the boys in. the meeting if you want to play fast. you're G to have to be in shape and then.

you just matter of factly said we're GNA. be in shape and uh that was the line. that we all said these dudes don't fully. understand when does that start for you. like when I don't think I understand the. whole process here cuz they have a bowl. game and then it's what probably. probably a break and then after that. yeah a couple weeks and then they'll. start in the in a winter conditioning. program in January I did asked too that. that the law school Hill was still. available because we're going to use. that Hill you know mean yeah and they I. guess they still on it so that's a good.

thing I don't have to introduce it to. them again so they know where the hill. is at you'll be able to find some hills. around here you know every time you land. in here it's so like I think I forget. every time we fly in it had been a long. time since I came back uh the last time. for the spring game and everything like. that you fly in here the foliage the. views the people the town I mean it is. ready to host recruit and win again you. know and I I think that is. I it's very evident I think it's very. evident.

coach yeah you could and and and I was. going to mention it later but you can. win a National Championship at West. Virginia you can win a National. Championship at West. Virginia you can win a National. Championship at West Virginia we are. this close which is why I'm happy that. you're back and I know you're going to. talk about your press conference but. that was a big thing I told you I said. hey I need you to go back there and do. this so I can get this off of my. conscience and you said you too you've. been thinking about this for a long time. as well right making it yeah I want to. make it right let's make it right how do.

you feel about that though like. legitimately what is the cuz for me it. shows up when I'm laying my head down at. night okay my head lays down at night. and I think about what I got to do. tomorrow and then all of a sudden I. think to myself man if I had a [ __ ]. national championship ring this would be. so much cool but we were that close you. know and then I put and then I go to. sleep and then the next day I forget. about it and then I'll have lunch and. somebody from LSU or somebody will talk. and be like hey you remember I'm like. yeah I do remember so it's like with me.

every single day for you have you been. trying to bury it for a long time or has. it been something been with it's it's. always out there but here's where how do. you get there you can't think like okay. we're going to win a National. Championship and then it magically. appears it's like what do we got to do. tomorrow to win every th every every. decision I make in this program every. decision the coaching staff makes every. decision that the players make does it. help us win if it doesn't help us win it. ain't the right decision so that's kind.

of the mindset we're going to have from. day one hey I can't wait to watch you. make it right con man has a question for. you coach yeah coach friend of yours guy. who actually coached for you Tony Gibson. got hired down in Marshall and he. brought up the idea of the friends of. Kow coming back is that something you're. interested in do you see that happening. and if you were to maybe play a. rethinking like 63 nothing West Virginia. or how does that is it a respectful game. where you kind of let off the gas a. little bit yeah well uh Gibby is a is a. great friend of mine uh was a great.

staff member and we're still uh very. dear friends but I don't even think you. you think I had spent one second. thinking about Marshall you're wrong I. could I could care less what's going. on it's blue and gold yeah you're damn. right you're damn right this is the team. of the of West Virginia now there is a. game there is a.

game obviously Marshall friends of CLE. bow shout out to Governor Mansion at the. time then he became Senator Mansion then. he was independent Mansion then is he. president Mansion no can't be whatever. the case still around he created that. friends of coo initiative the other. rivalry third week September 13th 9913. okay that's going to be in West Virginia. in Morgantown and I know you got games. before that and how can we win right now. that's obviously the football Gods.

putting something up on a te potentially. early in your first year and how do you. view the thought of that particular game. well I probably misoke misspoke a little. bit earlier when I said the two worst. four letter words were soft and lazy I. left out pit. [Applause].

coach this gu doesn't know I'm in the. middle of a live show right now good to. see you buddy kind of doing something I. appreciate you we'll take a photo in a. matter of great no no not you I'm. talking to this guy right here that's. lit R trying to get a good guy this good. guy right here looks good um you do know. that that particular School. literally wins nothing no B they hang. their hat on beating us in that one game. legitimately that's it so let's make. sure September 13th that that kind of. all goes away that's right quick one.

last question here one of my guys back. in Indianapolis Tai Schmidt has a. question for you coach Rod yeah coach. just curious everyone you know when they. talk about college football now it's hey. the the transfer portal has changed. everything or nil has changed everything. but in your opinion how has the game. itself changed from the first time you. were at West Virginia to now and do you. think you can still emulate the team you. know upcoming this next year similar to. the teams you had you know when Pat was. there and you were so.

successful yeah that's a good question. you know back then this is 20 years ago. or so there wasn't a lot of teams that. that had spread formations shotgun and. uptempo uh a lot of the time now there's. a whole lot of teams that do it and so. teams are defending that kind of style. of offense differently now than they did. 20 years ago so you have to adapt you. know we're not exactly the same as we. were 20 years ago but our core is the. same I still believe in Tempo I still. believe in conditioning I still believe.

you got to be able to run the football. first and be strong up front and I still. believe in playing with 11 you know our. quarterbacks are going to be part of the. play whether it's a run or a pass all. the time so uh we still maintain that. but it's uh a lot more creative defenses. that we're seeing nowadays and we have. to learn to we've learned how to adapt. to that all right coach we can't wait to. watch you this crowd can't wait to see. you in about an hour or so you're the. man thank you so much. thank you thanks appreciate. it let's.

go let's. go man it's going to be leading that. Rich Rodriguez we appreciate it yeah. [Applause]. coach I saw his brother I saw his. brother backstage couldn't even tell. they looked uh they looked exact like oh. is that twins twins he lives in a state. his family lives in the state mom lives. in the state wife's mom lives in the. state. friends live in the state the business.

people in this state love. him I'm thankful Ren Baker made the. decision now whenever I say this I mean. this I am a money guy here now AJ. because big money guy yeah not no the. big money guy is Mr kry we. very we are very thankful for that. particular billionaire and uh we would. like to say to Mr. Ken if the pockets are open we're. winning the whole damn. [Music]. thing Ken knows that Ken knows that but.

as a contributor to the program I will. say uh you know Ren Baker I I think he. kind of felt obligated to talk to me. throughout this process and I tried my. absolute best to be like hey just. Empower Ren because Ren I believe in I. have faith in Ren I like the way he. operates I like the way he handles. himself I think he's young I think he's. he loves the state of West Virginia. he's got a real nice house did you see. oh my God the view out the back holy.

[ __ ] he's got a real nice house here so. I think he's really loving being in West. Virginia but I tried my best to remain. completely out I didn't want to put more. pressure on he certainly knew where I. wanted this whole thing to end up but I. didn't want to put any more pressure on. him he left no stone unturned he. interviewed everybody literally. everybody it was the the broadest search. I think maybe in the history of college. football like the amount of all roads he. said LED to Rich Rodriguez in this. particular coaching cycle and it's like.

if you just took the resumes if you just. took the RS and I talked to one of the. money guys back in the back sweet mullet. fantastic sweet we're talking to some. money guys back there got a construction. guy back there he's got a lot of money. he's awesome builds a lot of stuff lot. of stuff they're just coming to the. Press they want to see the press. conference well I think they were. potentially a part of the whole process. but they're all very excited that Rich. Rod uh is back they said just take the. resumes take the name off the top and. just put everything else down and then.

just go ahead and see who's the best. coach not only for this particular job. but for any job right now it's open and. then obviously that's rich Rodriguez's. resume and then if you think about the. state of West Virginia and the fit in. the culture it's a guy that's from here. now there are some people that are a. little bit indifferent so I thought. there was a chance at Ren Baker because. he's young because this is his place you. know he wants to kind of reinstate his. own mindset his own decisions I thought. there he would go a different way. legitimately and I would have been all. right you got to do what you got to do. wouldn't have been around as much but.

certainly will support the entire thing. so the fact that Ren Baker put the pride. aside of saying a it's my guy he didn't. listen to any of the outside noise and. he made his own decision because he. thinks that this is the right decision. to win like I'm incredibly proud of Ren. and I'm I hope it happens for him had a. baby Ren. Ren Now ladies and gentlemen uh we go. from Rich Rodriguez who will be out here. for a press conf conference uh to some. NFL conversation no okay let never mind.

we will leave the NFL and we will go to. soccer good sport. fantastic good at it here West Virginia. soccer team M very good at at at the. sport men's and women's doing their. thing uh and kind of bummed out that. this guy didn't go to West Virginia but. he decided to become Pro they call him. Captain America he has a documentary. coming out on Paramount Plus available. now yep ladies and gentlemen Christian.

pissa. yeah. well can you hear me. okay yeah we're just kind of watching. you figure out how to yourself on the. screen there you know yeah I don't have. much space there to work with let me all. right no but there we go spatial. awareness is something you're great at. Christian let's talk about this. obviously you are being tasked with. Captain America carrying the United.

States of America soccer team into this. next era new coach and everything. documentary is going to be covering you. playing overseas being an American how. did it feel exposing yourself to the. cameras and how do you think the world. is going to react to what your life has. been as an American Soccer Star playing. in. Europe it was something new for me for. sure uh I wasn't uh used to that you. know that inside access people you know. follow me around at times a lot of. cameras but uh I enjoy the experience I. think people are going to get a pretty. cool look into kind of yeah some of the.

difficulties I go through on a. day-to-day basis a lot of the stuff what. it's like being American over in Europe. trying to play at the highest level so I. think it's a it was a perfect time and. and I hope people enjoy the the look. into that I can't wait uh obviously the. United States has been trying to break. into the international soccer scene I. grew up playing soccer uh I think there. was always dreams and aspirations of. America getting onto everybody else's. level does it feel like we're closer. than ever Because of You Raina who's.

that goalie it looks like he's 12 he's a. stone from Fairfield. Connecticut oh my oh I'm blanking on it. I should have looked at. the I'm sorry to school with them we're. closer than we've ever been or think. we're what do you think how much can we. talk [ __ ] about the United States soccer. at this moment do you. think I mean I i' definitely say we're. closer than we ever have been I think uh. like like you mentioned there's so many. top players now playing in Europe at the.

highest level and we've we've just never. had that before so absolutely I think. fans can be excited but uh yeah now it's. on us to go out and and show and and. prove why we're you know why we can you. know hang with the best and beat the. best goad AJ Christian when you were uh. they were filming for this docu series. obviously did you was there ever a time. when you forgot the cameras were there. and you felt like you hear people back. in the day for the real world like oh. after a day or two you forget the. cameras there and you just go about your. life did that ever happen for you. yeah I think at times my my good friend.

Daniel has been uh has been working on. this with me so he kind of can be real. lowkey and um yeah it definitely feels. like sometimes they're not even there uh. so that that that's a good thing though. I think that's how I want it to be I. don't want any big crew following me. around all the time but uh yeah there's. definitely moments like. that CHR what do we need to become so. because it feels like thees that they. have in Europe where as a kid you kind. of go to an academy you spend your life. playing soccer pretty much kind of. forego High School forego College you.

kind of learn how to be a professional. soccer player what do you think the. United States needs to do to catch up or. is sending the Americans over there our. best. path yeah I think for me it was. definitely the best the best thing to do. to go over to Europe at the time that. first year in uh in Germany when I when. I left home and uh it was a big. sacrifice for me and I realized that. these kids that were I was competing. with they didn't want anything to do. with me they they were thinking you know. what this guy's coming to take my place. that's not going to happen so there was.

a a competitiveness at 15 years old in. the academies that I had never. experienced before and I think that's. what it's going to take to to get us to. the next level is that kind of. competition every day in that fight I. just I I never saw it in the US quite at. that level but with that being said I. think theems are have come a long way. Conor has a question for you Christian. yeah goal Matt Turner we all know that. sorry shout out Fairfield ghost Stags uh. chrisan. how has it been going from England to. Italy obviously you were with Chelsea.

for a little now you know you're killing. it with AC Milan before you got injured. how is that transition. been I've loved every second of it over. here I I think uh I think the Italian. lifestyle and culture in general just. fits me a lot better well maybe most. people with the weather and the food and. those kind of things but also the club. and the way that uh the way they've. treated me and given me a lot of uh. trust and confidence and allowed me to. to kind of return to my best form um I. I've just enjoyed the transition a lot.

and yeah I think it's going really well. what do you know about Coach patino cuz. I know that uh we're we going to win the. World Cup whenever it's in uh the. America uh Canada United States and in. Mexico we're going to go to every game I. think Connor is actually going to go to. every single game he's going to be on. field reporting what do you know about. Coach Ponch and uh we're going to win. the World Cup that's how we. feel I love the confidence uh we need. you we need you guys man at those games. and and hyping people up getting. everyone excited uh get the country.

behind come to practice if you need us. you need us some practice we'll come. whatever you need all right hey that. that that could work for sure but uh. yeah you know we've spent a little time. with the coach so far and uh yes short. stin getting to know him a little bit. and and working with the team he. obviously has a lot of experience. coaching at the highest level in Europe. so I think uh I think it's an exciting. time and and we should definitely uh. look forward to it last question because. I think a big part of the story line is. about how Americans get treated playing. European soccer you know and I think I.

think we read something where one person. compared it to what the Europeans were. like in the NBA like 30 years ago in the. 90s back whenever like K coach was. getting a final shot instead of Scotty. Pippen and the reaction and everything. like that I think there's a lot of that. chatter do they view American soccer. players still the same way they did 20. years ago and if they did do you ever. look at them and say what the hell have. you created over here in Europe you ever. say that or or. no maybe not exactly that I think uh I. think they may have they may have taken. me uh you know taken that line and ran.

with it a little bit in some ways of you. know that American bias I think I think. for sure you could see the English have. that running joke you know that we can't. play football you know whatever but I I. I would say that I don't I don't feel. that way anymore I I honestly um I think. it's come a long way for sure I I don't. look at myself as a victim or looked at. in any way I think anyone coming into. Europe from anywhere else in the world. it can be difficult um so there's always. challenges in that way but I think I. think I'm well respected and and I don't.

necessarily you know think that they're. out to get me in anyway like that do you. do you ever think about telling them. that America is better than all of their. countries combined do you ever think. about. that oh yeah I think about it I think. about it maybe I don't say it but I'll. always think it just it at breakfast or. lunch looking at them where are you from. oh that country sucks in comparison to. mine just just all just let them all. know okay and we want you know you're. doing us incredibly proud keep kicking. ass out over there and uh we can't wait.

for you to win the World Cup so we can. act like American Stooges all over the. place we appreciate you man yeah I. appreciate it appreciate you guys for. having me us us that's cuz of you hell. yeah come on it's a football press. conference J in USA for soccer we're all. behind you ladies and gentlemen he has a. documentary available now on Paramount. plus Captain America from the soccer. team Christian p yeah. Christian it would be so much better if.

we just beat everybody in that sport cuz. you know how they say it's the world's. game it's the most beautiful game it'd. be nice if we just if people like this. would just go in there and just smack. them around and we'd win the World Cup. especially in America could you fathom. we win the World Cup in America and we'd. all be saying it's. coming it's Tom Jones Tom Jones. is. Tom you were singing no no no I was. singing the uh the Gumpy was singing. Diddy for sure no I wasn't that's.

[ __ ] hog shut up you weren't singing. Tom Joneses you were singing Puff Daddy. no I wasn't no I wasn't that's not true. that's look what you going get me run. out of this bu guy loves Puff Daddy. that's not true Tony don't do this don't. do this digs all right we are 37 minutes. away from this press conference. happening and um I think this place is. going to be on fire you know as people. filed in look at I mean this is pretty. insane I saw the North Carolina press.

conference yesterday that was. cute hey lbo that was cute hey Bubba. that was cute bill that was cute look at. these beautiful Mountaineers showing. [Applause]. up country roll. [Music]. [Applause]. I. WG it's.

[Music]. [Applause]. beautiful listen recruits you want to be. a part of this place okay and they got. you know Koozies that's what he wasn't. trying to shake my hand he was trying to. give me one of these Koozies my man. right here absolute dog we're ready we. are excited very sweet. that's a good one I like that.

one. down reaching. out touching. me touching. you sweet. Caroline all right so I just want to get. one more in if we could that is uh. that's every single conversation let's. get back to the NFL Odell Beckham Jr no. longer a part the Miami Dolphins what no. way sorry that's a bomber sry a hell of.

a run he and the Dolphins have uh. elected dep part ways I believe he was. getting a $3 million salary I think it. was like a million with some upside he. obviously had done nothing for the Miami. Dolphins thus far we saw him whenever he. played the Indianapolis Colts he just. did a conditioning period he just ran. Sprints down the middle of the field. obviously at that point they couldn't. throw the football because two's out. then he would go to the sideline he's in. shape we can say that we've seen with. our eyes look for him to go back to like. the Rams they're saying the Chargers. need a weapon I assume he has a a house.

in LA and then maybe even a Ravens what. if the Ravens had another weapon uh I. don't know if gumpy's microphone works. back there or not Gumpy diard Dolphins. fan how do you feel about the loss of oh. jeez yikes never mind that's what his. thoughts are he just farted into a mic. seemingly the Ravens kind of makes sense. cuz he was there last year and actually. performed pretty well with them last. year and if Deontay Johnson's going to. not go into games you know odel right in. so Odell Beckham Jr could be a massive. free agent signing is that what we're.

assuming here is there going to be. interest AJ is that what we're thinking. yeah I mean I I would assume he clears. waivers obviously but yeah someone will. bring him in for a nice little playoff. push you what what do you pay him you. only owe him what minimum for whatever. games he's there yeah I would assume. it'd be League men get a nice weapon in. there maybe drop some plays for him to. have success when he was with McVey. obviously he had success with the Ravens. he had some success this year with the. dolphins hasn't been great following a. knee injury a knee surgery I believe so. maybe gets back into form somewhere. college football awards were last night. congrats to jenty winning Maxwell and do.

Walker congrats to Travis Hunter winning. to bed Eric and the Walter Camp and bnov. and congrats to coach Signet winning the. coach of the year now the reason why. that's so important he goes from JMU to. the Big 10 brings like 13 of his guys. almost goes undefeated win coach of the. year look out for Jacksonville State's. Old Coach to come back to West Virginia. and do the same damn thing we'll see you. on the other side of this break be a. friend tell a friend something nice. [Applause]. nice joining us is a demon ladies and.

gentlemen O The Mentalist will be. joining us all right O Let's Go what's. the pick I'm not giving away for free. Bill what time is it right now 757 write. it as big as you. can. wow it's about to get from this point on. I never touched this bad boy we're going. to revisit later in the draft all right. I get in here you six of a b almost two. eyes hold it hold it oh don't drop it. that. AJ take the cards look through them and.

here's the thing I want this to be. random yeah you. can my hands my hands are bit Frozen but. yeah I want you to take but hold on. I Bill's Bing Shawn pton right nowy Bill. AJ slow slow slow lift no no no one of. your guys take off a piece could be a. right here and don't look at it lift it. up put it against your body that feel. right yeah a don't feel like this is the. right moment for you you want to change. put it back put it's up to you all right.

lift off wherever you want more or less. no that's okay now three times this is. this is a good one is are you sure yeah. of course stay right there locked and. loaded oh you [ __ ] up my shirt and. there is a white piece of paper is that. right that's all that's in there take. that out I want you to see this look AJ. open it up no no [ __ ] way way and. show us and show AJ what you got what is. that show us N Turn Around and show us. where you're at you ready yep turn it. around no way shut this guy 757.

that that's been in there since 757. imagine that you somehow know the game. of the year next season tell us what are. the two teams that you're seeing in this. game say it Packers and 49ers who do you. think's going to win that game Packers. 34 ners 27 tell me on your life did I. tell you to say anything did I say you. did it and I swear to God if you get. this right I'm going to I'm going to rip. your [ __ ] tell the game of the. year Packers beat the 49ers.

3427 remember this screen grab what it. happens this season open up what's been. in there since 757 come on dude there's. something wrong with you open it up it. says Brock B. ra [ __ ] way no way these guys a witch. Bears Caleb William we it commanders. Jaden Daniels Patriots Drake. Cardinals Marvin Harrison Jr Chargers. Joe Al Giants Malik neighbors Titans JC.

leam Michael penck junor romad dun. Vikings from jets with the Jets JJ. McCarthy Jets from Vikings Olu fashanu. Broncos. Bo Nicks and in the 13th pick oh my God. Bowers to the. Raiders taped on his J in 757 right now. it is 950 the following program is a. collection of students talking about.

happenings in the sports world it is. meant to be comunic informative the. opinions expressed on this show do not. necessarily reflect the beliefs of their. peers their boss or ESPN there may be. some cuss words because that's how. Cubans is the real world talk if you are. a young please SE permission before. watching any. further hey. why let's. go this show stinks and the fact that.

you listen we are very very thankful for. that could be on the line with a. gorgeous assist the alltime leading. tackler for the Green Bay Packers. you up up damn it be a friend tell a. friend something nice could change their. [Applause]. [Music]. life hour two of the Pat McAfee show. I'm AJ Hawk sitting in Pat's desk Bill. bich a coach at North Carolina Rich Ro.

it's back at. WVU. football it's what's happening patc man. what are you guys doing I see you guys. some uh some what Libations they call. them you guys are pouring out it's a. celebration okay there's some beers. being sold in the concession stand here. celebrate press conference but also the. uh Country Roads trust is um is the. moneymaking operation here for the. sports they have uh beer that's. available here they have whiskey here.

they have uh this particular bottle here. cheers beers and Mountaineers that is. real yeah they have this one here you. can't buy it uh and I said well why why. do you have it if you can't buy it I. thought we were trying to make money. well a guy uh bought the entire barrel. for a lot of money that guy's right here. the guy that gave me the uh this guy is. a dog right he's got some uh incredible. boots on he's an absolute Beast so we're. just doing a little mixing we're trying. this stuff out and uh you know if you.

want to buy any of it sport West. Virginia you certainly can but we are. just a matter of moments away from uh. another West Virginia man Nick Sabin. joining us in about 10 minutes. yeah and you hear the pop for him. because it is very understood in this. state that Nick Sabin is a West Virginia. guy now obviously he would go elsewhere. and have massive success but throughout. this entire coaching searching process. for Ren Baker Nick Sabin was somebody. that Ren was able to rely upon I can't.

wait to talk to coach Sabin about why he. thinks we got to coach Rod coming back. but I also can't wait for Nick Sabin to. get a chance to experience these people. just like he did whenever we were in. Morgan Town to kick off this season I. think he's reminded of how much he's. beloved and how great of a football town. this is how do you feel 1 hour into this. program four hours into this day in. Morgantown how do you feel about the. energy and The Vibes oh the energy and. The Vibes are fantastic I mean to be. honest I watch you pour that beautiful. nectar of the Gods into that Coke Zero. and I very much want to try it but I.

think with Sabin you know helping Ren. Baker H in West Virginia goes back to. how much of a football state this is cuz. he hasn't you know been really. associated with the football program as. close he's a Bama Boy you know obviously. won a national championship at LSU but. for a guy like that to you know give his. time to Ren Baker to West Virginia I. think it kind of goes to the point of. like they love football here they want. to win here and hiring a guy like Rich. Rod from West Virginia it just means. more I think to the team to the state to. the university that's a guy like that.

yeah tone digs obviously you're from uh. Plum up the road from me and I think. you've had a few nights in Morgantown. yeah oh yeah yeah I got kicked out of uh. you know the lazy lizard and Club Z at. the time you know that those were good. experiences lot of uh Plum kids go down. to Morgantown and then all of all the. friends follow because as Rich Rod said. earlier it was the number one party. school in the country at the time yeah. time at the time I I don't know what. happened getting back there so.

I I think and I don't want to talk out. of pocket because I was not here during. this time and I was not plugged in um I. think there was a time where there was. an idea that we need to potential. because remember whenever we left the. Big East and we were trying to find a. new conference the SEC said uh. academically I don't think so the ACC. said uh academically I don't think so. come on the Big 10 said uh academically. we don't think so now those are all. excuses cuz they didn't want to get. their asses whooped by the West oh.

yeah but I do believe if you look into. stats and analytics it was potentially a. thing but that was a part of the charm. of West Virginia like hey you go down to. Morgan Town the football team's going to. win the basketball team's going to win. and you're going to win because you're. going to have a great time now a lot of. the buildings that were hosting those. good times maybe we're falling apart at. the scams you know maybe there's an area. you know Grant Street mlan I grew up in. that area Sunnyside area that is where.

my house was houses were they uh we. hosted some some great team chemistry. building cookouts there sure not parties. uh the whole city would show up fire. marshal would come through cops would. shut down the block it was kind of. understood what was going on they kind. of demolished that entire area put up. these big apartment complexes so I think. it's kind of taken away from that. particular aspect but you walk around. Morgantown it is beautiful yeah so. whenever you talk about recruiting or. bringing people in you come into this.

Morgantown you see tradition history and. obviously Woodburn Hall and everything. up there and mountain lair is beautiful. and everything you could potentially. want from an academic standpoint is. available here but there's also an. energy of a good time here and I think. coach Rod is very adamant to bring that. back I I think that is something he's. we're going to win games and we're going. to celebrate them that is how this is. going to go that is what the fall. semesters are going to be like in. Morgantown West Virginia and we're gonna. get great degrees right we're gonna get.

great degrees best we're gonna go to. school we're going to do our thing not. quite L cheer. there and maybe even someday I'll. graduate yeah why not I mean after all. this money you're given you have to they. got to give you. one I mean maybe a doctorate I mean. that' be cool yeah other guys that come. back I know there celebrities that get. those no I want to earn it that's what. West Virginia is all about you know I. want to earn it hard Edge a hard Edge. yeah and uh I think we are going back.

and you know I think like I mentioned. all those guys from back in my team's. era like they're all pumped to get back. in and see how how can we help you know. like how can we help this thing get back. to what it was and that's what today is. obviously a celebration about last. night's game Niners Rams got to talk. about it obviously the only football. game that took place this weekend Army. Navy is happening and I believe that's. it okay that's good news so the only. game that has taken place or for us to. chitchat about on this particular Friday.

is Niners Rams snoozefest AJ your take. on the game Thursday Night Football. little bit of B snoozefest hate puka. still doing puka things making. unbelievable catches and trapping into. the dude's uh helmets and uh that deep. ball late in the game I think was huge. for the Rams but uh yeah Matthew. Stafford he's a wizard still doing it at. this age yeah Matthew Stafford was. drafted in the same draft classes myself. and uh he got enough money as the number. one overall pick then to buy the entire. city of Detroit just like AJ just like. AJ Hawk did as the number five overall. pick so the fact that he still plays the.

way that he plays Shawn McVey had him. doing quarterback sneaks he did a boot. an empty boot on like a third and two or. something like that he was getting his. ass beat last night and it was very. visible and I don't think Matthew. Stafford cares he just wants to win. football which is why Matthew Stafford. would have been a great Rich Rodriguez. West Virginia M Perfect all he wants to. do is win ball and I think that's like. the big Noble thing about Matt he can. spin it obviously he's been playing a. long time he is a tough dude and I think.

it was evident last night in this game. and I think it's been evident throughout. his entire career AJ well I mean there's. if anyone's seen any of the clips the. Matthew Stafford miked up he basically. has a broken back and he's gotten. demolished and he keeps coming back over. and over and making plays I think that's. that's his career that's what he's done. of you guys you guys having a chug off. on uh Coke Zero and booze I would never. no the issue here is floater you see the. whole one s is small yeah got small hole. yeah so when you're pouring this. delightful 1863 West Virginia Gold.

available now some of them buy some boo. support some sports I mean that's not a. bad thing when you're trying to pour it. in there it gets on the rim on rim so. every sip is basically a shot of whiskey. and then there is a little bit of Coke. Zero delicious this is this is West. Virginia Gold yeah it's fantastic I mean. they're going to have $50 million in nil. because of this [ __ ] it's worth it. listen I know uh there's some whiskey. drinkers out there and Ty we need to get.

you some of this Ty I know you're. hammering about a bottle of night so we. need to get start on these 1863 T yeah I. haven't been able to take my eyes off. that since it was first placed on the. desk I've kind of just been getting lost. in it uh as we're looking at it and you. guys reaction to it you know it seems to. be going down smooth I I do need to get. myself a bottle or 50 of that. 1863 yeah support the team support the. team Ty also would like to let you know. here at West Virginia not just about the. good times and the good boo no no we're.

also Innovative there's a ball marker. right in the top of the thing here this. is a ball marker oh wow for golf pretty. cool that's neat take it on the golf. course get absolutely [ __ ] housed and. then spot and Mark your ball on the. green we're thinking about everything. here in West Virginia joining us now is. a uh an export of West Virginia born and. raised here played football here played. baseball here then he went out into the.

college football world and became the. greatest of all time ladies and. gentlemen coach Nick. s. coach how you doing coach I'm doing. great you're back in West Virginia huh. that's right we got a big press. conference today announcing Rich. Rodriguez as the head coach Ren Baker's. going to be out here in a matter of. moments which leads me to my question. for you I don't think it's any secret.

now at this point probably because of me. uh that's on you were a part of this. coaching search process alongside R. Baker why did you want to help and how. did you go about doing. that well you know West Virginia. University has always been really. important to me and I grew up there. being a big time Mountaineer fan um. biggest thing that happened to me in a. year was when my dad take me to one. Mountaineer game uh every fall and uh it. that that never leaves you you know I. remember when I was a kid watching Jerry.

West play basketball I mean it it's it. that never leaves you so my heart's. always been with West Virginia I. actually coached there for a couple. years and I love the people in the state. um we have a lot of good friends and. relationships in the state and um I'm. happy that rich is back and I think. he'll do a great job there him being a. West Virginia person grew up about six. or seven miles from where I grew up and. I'm glad that he came back and he had. great success there in the past. obviously coaching great players like. you uh helped him do that but other than.

that um we're just excited for him okay. so let's talk about the process a little. bit uh everything you do you are very. much deep in it you're going to be. well-versed well researched for. everything I got to see that with. college game day it has been an honor to. watch you work and work alongside of you. whenever Ren calls and asks for some. assistance what does that mean are you. watching film are you talking to people. what was really what your job in this. entire. process well I I think that um it's it's.

probably you know the cumulative effect. of you know a lot of years and. experience that a I have with working. with a lot of good coaches but also. watching coaches you know out there have. success in terms of what their process. is and you know what what kind of. principles and values that they try to. instill in their organization whether. it's discipline toughness the way you. compete in a game whatever it is and you. know I've always had a tremendous amount. of respect for Rich um and you know he.

came to visit us a couple times at. Alabama when I was coaching there uh was. very helpful and beneficial to you know. our staff uh he's great mind he he was. an innovator in the game I mean. everybody does Zone reads now like it's. nothing but he invented it so uh I think. this guy's you know great and I guess I. just talked to Ren a couple times about. who was the best fit who who is the best. fit for West Virginia it's not just. about coaching knowledge or what your.

record was in some other part of the. country but how do you fit how do you. believe how you going to relate to the. people how you going to be able to. recruit the kind of players you need to. compete against you know the competition. and dominate competition and I think. rich is the right guy to do that hell. yeah hell. yeah AJ has a question for you coach. coach uh Rich Rod's going to be up here. doing this uh introductory press. conference here very soon whenever you. addressed you got a new job and you had.

a press conference did you give much. thought to it did you have a plan going. in do you have a little speech written. like I I would assume you know thing. like that I mean I always had a message. in terms of um you know what we're going. to try to accomplish what we're going to. try to do um whether it was that week in. a game I mean I I remember the press. conference I had when I went to Alabama. you know the message was we want to be a. team that nobody wants to play I wanted. the people to understand that I wanted. the players in the program to understand. it the players that we were going to. recruit in the future to understand that.

so you know there's always a message and. um you know I think you know Rich was at. West Virginia once before uh the advice. that I would give him that his message. needs to be that you know he made a huge. mistake when he left and the greatest. thing that ever happened to him was. having the opportunity to come. back coach how do you feel like this. college football season has gone as we. pivot away from this press conference. and obviously as members of college game. day we get a different view because we. get to go to the biggest game every.

single week and in the future it feels. like we're going to be taking a lot of. stops in morgant Town West. Virginia sorry I had to do that had to. you know you've seen me operate yeah. what do you think about this college. football season how would you describe. that how it's gone thus far as we head. into the college football. playoff well I think that the thing that. has been most difficult for most teams. other than Oregon uh is have you've been. able to play with consistency and have.

you been able to keep the same standard. of Excellence as you progress through. the season and has your team improved uh. so that you can play consistently and in. not only you know big games but also. every game that you play and like be. where your feet are and be focused on. what you need to do I think that's been. uh the thing that's been most. challenging I think for most coaches uh. maybe the. circumstance that the players in is a. little different now so we all need to.

adapt and adjust to how do we figure out. how we can get these guys to play at a. high level on a more consistent basis. because a it's not only the season it. creates value for them I mean when a. player plays to his full potential and. he's not up and down in terms of what. his performance is and he's consistent. in the way he goes about his work and. taking care of business I mean that. creates value for him which ultimately. is what you want to do as a coach but. I think it's more challenging now based. on the environment that we're in and I I. think it created some inconsistency in.

play for some teams this year I think so. too and coach if you were still the head. coach at Alabama with three losses. they're getting in the playoff no doubt. smu's got no shot but hey SMU is very. thankful that you retired as we all are. that you're a part of college game day. con man's got a question for you yeah. coach after West Virginia hireing. richrod the second biggest hiring. definitely bill bich down at UNC uh what. do you think about that whole plan for. UNC I don't know if you saw the bill. bich contract and things of that nature. but there's escalators and stuff like.

that and there's an out possibly uh why. did you think he went to UNC and do you. see other guys from the NFL maybe making. the jump to college because it is much. more like the pro game. now well I I I I look I I'm happy for. Bill uh I think he probably wanted a new. challenge and this is certainly going to. be a great challenge for him North. Carolina is a great uh academic. institution as well as they've got. plenty of you know athletic tradition.

there and basketball football uh and. Bill's a great coach and I I think the. biggest difference and I coached both. you know I coached in the NFL was a. coordinator as an assistant as a head. coach and I coached in college and all. three of those UH responsibilities as. well is coaching of players is really. not that different you know people. always say wow that's really hard to. coach some guys in the NFL I never. thought that was a problem you know if. you're a good coach and you create value. for those guys they love you because.

you're going to extend their career. they're going to make more money and. they're happy the difference in college. is how do you bring guys to the team you. know it's different than drafting guys. than it is to have to recruit them. because recruiting is like a full-time. relationship building 365 days a year uh. in terms of not only evaluating the. players that you want but creating a. relation relationships with them to get. them now everybody says it's like the. NFL because they're making money now but. it really still takes you to be able to.

sell them that you're going to develop. them and I think bill will be able to do. that but I think the biggest thing that. will be a challenge for him is the time. that you have to spend recruiting making. phone calls talking to parents and all. those types of things to get the kind of. players that you need you know having. the resources is important to be able to. pay them and I'm glad that the players. get paid I'm not crazy about the system. that they're getting paid in but I hope. we can get that fixed but I do think. this guy is going to Bill do a great job.

there of getting good players and he'll. do a great job of developing those. players the biggest adjustment for him. will be the time spent recruiting okay. Coach on that note I think there's a lot. of people I. mean maybe myself included and I have. not been in your position or in the. college football World long enough to. think like this but like people see what. happened with Coach Prime where coach. Prime's not taking as many in-house. visits. he kind of does everything via FaceTime. or zoom and then he's able to land. obviously because he's coach Prime and.

everybody has faith and trust that he's. going to be able to get their boards to. become successful men how much do you. think bill bich will be able to cut out. of that old school having to recruit how. much can he just sell like hey you're. basically coming to an NFL Academy as. opposed to the texting and calling and. smoing and winning and two-stepping like. you see your ass to you know with the. family how much of that is he able to. potentially get away from or is that not. possible in college Paul still well I I.

I I I think it's not is important to the. same degree uh I think you still have to. do it to some degree uh but I do think. you know one of the you know I I was a. defensive coordinator Michigan State. when George Peis got the head coaching. job he hired me you know there to do. that and his presence because he had. been a coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. that won four Super Bowls his presidence. went a long way in recruiting with all. these kids I mean they all want to play. in the NFL and you know Bill can.

certainly sell them on the fact with all. of his success in the NFL and the ways. he's developed players and the. reputation he has as a coach that he's. going to be able to do that and that's. going to go a long way you know for. these players because regardless of what. they can make in. college it doesn't touch what they can. make if they have successful careers in. the NFL so I do think that you know bill. is going to be able to use who he is as. a coach as a tremendous selling tool and. be able to get great players because of.

it coach I hope it works out for him. because uh as I stare down a future. retirement it'd be pretty cool to be a. coach GM of a college team and not have. to do any of the recruiting that' be. sweet that would be sweet so hey good. luck down there lombo good luck down. here Michael hope you guys win every. game except for against the West. Virginia Mountaineers that's what I hope. happens uh tone Diggs has a question for. you back into Thunderdome coach yeah. coach I wanted to ask you about the uh. the playoff coming up uh when the.

playoff first started four out of the. first 5 years it was either you or Dabo. in the national championship game and. being the winner of that game and then. being a 12 seed how much how much um. does it benefit them that Davos have so. much experience in the college football. playoff and are they a dangerous 12 seed. because of all that experience that dbo. does have I don't think there's any. question about the fact that um if you. have experience you know it's it's like.

you know we all kind of create New. Horizons for oursel in terms of what we. do so when you make the playoffs the. first time it's like a new experience. you're not sure what the practice. schedule should be where we should go. how much time off should we have for. Christmas I mean you got all these. factors that you gotta because it's. different than the normal routine of a. regular you know week uh game during the. season so and then how to handle the. players how to motivate the players how. to make sure that you get them back to. top performance because you have some.

time off and how you manage the time off. I think all those factors are a benefit. when you have experience because you've. created that Horizon for yourself before. so you experienced it and it's it's. going to be beneficial to your players. and the confidence that you have because. you have been successful in those. situations I think is important as well. so um but I still think that you know. this competition now with the 12 teams. that are in there and who you have to. play you're not going to play any bad. teams so you're not going to be able to.

make a lot of mental errors turn the. ball over not score in the Red Zone you. know all the things that contribute to. winning uh that's still going to be what. in the end creates winning and losing I. think in these playoffs coach how do you. think uh the the weather may affect. affect some of these early games where. teams are hosting you know say Ohio. State's obviously hosting Tennessee. people are going on the road I know. Indiana Notre Dame they B played in the. elements before but how do you think. weather plays a factor in all this I. think it's a factor I I think you know.

cold weather wind um you know the ball's. harder to catch the ball's harder to. hold on to Ball's harder to throw uh I. don't think there's any question about. the fact that um it could have an impact. on some of these games depending on you. know how can these teams from the south. adapt to playing in the north um no. different than you know if you're a. northern team and you have to go play in. the South and. the end of August and it's 100 degrees. so uh I do think that it's going to be a.

factor to some degree but your maturity. as a competitor is an opportunity for. you to show that maturity when you play. in circumstances that aren't perfect for. you uh because like I used to always. tell our guys you know they would say. well you know uh when I was at Michigan. State I don't want to come up here and. play because it's cold and I would say. what if you get drafted by the Green Bay. Packers you're going to have to play in. a cold so it's an opportunity for you to. learn how to adapt and adjust and play. in those circumstances and situations.

and for a southern team to go north now. it's an opportunity to them to prove. that this is not going to affect who. they are as a. player coach I think uh Pat there you go. we back coach whenever you think about. environments whenever you look at this. college football playoff and we. obviously have a bracket for you here. obviously got Ohio State hosting you got. Notre Dame host H you got Texas hosting. which game Penn State is hosting I. believe it's a noon game so we won't get. the full white out which game are you.

excited to kind of watch and see how the. team handles the environment and how. this the school shows. up well I I think the Ohio State. Tennessee game is going to be. interesting game um you know first of. all Tennessee has a little bit different. kind of offense in terms of the spread. uh I think you know Ohio State everybody. thought their roster was one of the best. in the country which I still do but um. losing a couple you know tough games.

especially the Michigan game is uh this. is an opportunity for them to show who. they are you know their fans are all. upset because they lost to Michigan they. have a great opportunity to go win the. national championship and that's what. they should be focused on you know. looking ahead to try to do that and um. you know let all naysayers know you know. that old saying comes up again where we. can prove we are the best team in the. country and we have an opportunity to do. it because we're in the playoffs and it. starts with Tennessee so uh Tennessee. being in the SEC I have a lot of respect. for them uh and the kind of team that.

they have so it'll be interesting to see. how that goes all right coach we're. going to get to this press conference. here and continue this celebration back. in your home state of West Virginia I. miss you this week man we're not doing. dinner tonight I'm bummed out I'm bummed. out about it yeah I hear you but in the. meantime I'm glad you're there with Rich. Rod tell them I said hello and. congratulate him and congratulate all. those folks that are there for that. press conference I they did a good thing. here and they're going to be successful. because of it and we're going to be. behind them all the way oh yeah they.

love you coach you're the best I can't. wait to see you next week and cold ass. hey bring your Furs bub it's going to be. cold your little ass is going to be. doing one of these next week in Indiana. you're the best ladies and gentlemen the. goat coach David thank you. manach AJ you obviously can't see it uh. because we only have have a camera. facing this direction but it's starting. to fill up in this particular area here. that only means one thing I believe the.

proceedings are about to get started. here in a matter of a few moments. Connor think there's going to be any. flubs I think there's going to be no. flubs this entire Prescot no chance no. flubs at all from Rich Rod I think it's. going to be 100 miles hour on the gas on. the corner right down Broadway I'm very. pumped to hear what he has to say and. what the future of this program is going. to look like I triy to break the ice a. little bit by swearing a couple times. just to let Coach Rod know like hey if. one slips out you're okay but I don't. think he's going to want to I think he's. going to want to let these people know.

how thankful and grateful he is to be. back and I think uh you know making it. right is going to be the big storyline. AJ have you ever been in one of these. have you ever been one of these coaching. pressors I I was trying to think back I. don't think I ever have your question. for Nick was a good one because. obviously Miami Dolphins LSU then back. at Alabama he's had to talk numerous. times to a fan base this is a little. different obviously cuz he knows these. people but have you ever been in one of. these things no I never have and I just. I was thinking of like serani when we. saw his first press conference like your. first impression can go a long way we.

know that and he is serani is the man. we've seen that over the years but uh I. think the first obviously Rich Rod. coming back home it's a little bit. different but yeah I mean this is his. first time introducing himself to a lot. of those young kids in there for sure. yeah they've all seen the highlights you. know uh a lot of their older siblings or. even parents celebrated a lot of nights. maybe burnt some CES here. [Applause]. in that got banned that got outlawed.

just like flag planting in Ohio what's. you guys got to make wall that's not a. thing that's not to plant flags on your. field over. there that's not Ohio I don't know. anybody that supported that I don't know. anyone that supported that yeah well. just know this you can tell that law man. that if West Virginia plays Ohio State. at the Horseshoe and West Virginia gets. a win Rich Rodriguez will not let let. them plant a flag on anybody's field. this will be a respectful team this will. not be a team that tries to fight but if. you want to fight us we will beat the.

[ __ ] out of. [Applause]. you that was kind of the mindset for the. team that I was lucky to be a part of a. lot of people wanted to fight our team. that's what it was when we showed up it. was like when the Yankees showed up. people were getting their first sellouts. people's donors were showing up they. were having concerts outside because we. were coming to town ooh the West. Virginia Mountaineers are coming to town. let's make it a big ordeal and they. always try to like you know maybe get a. little chirpy with us before the game. and we were very much a team and you.

heard Rich Rod's meeting yesterday we. are very much a team that like Hey we're. not going to start this but if you want. to be about it we are certainly about it. and I think that's what's about to get. built in this beautiful state of West. Virginia. now without further Ado I do. believe it is time to make make this. thing official from the great city of. Morgantown West Virginia live from the.

WVU. Coliseum the official press conference. to announce Rich Rodriguez as the head. coach will begin. right now. [Applause]. yeah all right let's go let's do this.

thing ladies. [Music].

understand me clean legal football. nothing cheap nothing dirty but West. Virginia football West Virginia football. we held the roope till the end that's. the way we play football West Virg. University we play hard all the. time they don't know what. about football down of the field the. ball game is over baby right. here young men everything was against us. two Line.

Stands expected some big party we're not. having a party today it's a football. game you understand me we're playing a. football game it's not a party hold that. damn rope and we ain't letting it go but. you'll have fun when you play a football. game the way we. play rant. king first down. touchdown.

unbelievable ball touchdown West. Virginia win touch running Brady first. down West Virginia and that kick is good. 25 20 15 10o touchdown he did it. that's people don't tell you players. they don't understand how physical we. are you ain't backing down from no every. step on every step let them know what. we're about that means when they play. the M there you play West Virginia.

football put a little more take sh up a. little tighter a little. more e.

[Applause]. [Applause]. good afternoon Mountaineer nation and it. indeed is a great day to be a. mountaineer wherever you may. be we are here this afternoon to.

formally bring back Rich Rodriguez is. the 36th head coach of West Virginia. University it's back and it's to the. Future for the Mountaineer football. program and today Rich returns home. we'll hear from athletic yes. indeed we were talking a few moments ago. and you look back and 17 years goes by. really really quickly and you look back. and you saw the highlights there the. memories that we all kind of cherish. still to this very day and the.

Traditions that rich started back in. 2002 the plane of Country Roads after. every Mountaineer Victory and the plan. is yeah the plan is to hear a lot more. of John Denver going. forward and so without any further Ado. please please welcome our athletic. director vice president of West Virginia. University Mr Ren. [Applause].

Baker what a great day and what a great. atmosphere give yourselves a round of. applause there are a lot of people to to. welcome and thank but I want to start by. just saying thank you to Pat McAfee. thank you so. much this has been an awesome.

infomercial for everything that is. special about this program and about. this state I'd like to begin by thanking. all of you for coming today uh for the. introduction of our next head football. coach our fans and supporters are the. reason that WBU Athletics has been. successful and they are the reason that. we will thrive in the future so thank. you so much for coming out like this. [Applause]. today coach I met a lot of these people.

and a lot of them claim they went to. school with you I didn't know North. Maran was that big I need. to we need some fact checks on some of. the on some of that so I want to take a. moment to give a special thanks to some. of the staff members that assisted us uh. on the search Natasha Oaks Ben Murray. Rob alsa along and give them a round of. applause great job by them. Michael fale and Kathy Martin also were. very helpful as we went through this.

process and so thank you to both of. you give them a round of. applause and we are so happy to have. great leadership at this institution so. I want to take a moment to thank. president Gordon G our Board of uh. Governors Stephanie Taylor and all of. our leadership please stand up and let. us give you a round of. [Applause].

Applause the alignment vision and. Leadership at Wu is a reason uh that we. got through this search and they were. very helpful as we went through it it is. also an honor to welcome the Rodriguez. family back home. [Applause]. today Miss Rita R Raquel. we are so grateful that you've chosen to. come back home and uh we want to make. you feel warm and welcome back here in.

the state of West Virginia give them a. round of. applause so today's a day of Celebration. we celebrate our place as one of the top. 15 winningest football programs of all. time and today why yes give that a round. of applause hell yeah. and today one of our own is returning. home in a few minutes you will hear from. our new coach but I'll take a minute or.

two on the search process we had. tremendous interest in this in this job. from all over the country assisted by. Parker search we vetted dozens of. candidates interviewed over 15 narrowed. that down and candidates won this job. because of our history our tradition our. resources but time and time again we. heard it was Because Of You the. passionate fans of West. [Applause].

Virginia as I outlined at the onset of. this search we had some qualities we. desired in our next head coach someone. who understands and will Embrace West. Virginia values work ethic passion grit. and determination that makes us Mountain. years someone committed to building. Championship programs on the field and. leaders off the field. someone who can demonstrate knowledge of. navigating the complexities of an. everchanging College athletics world and.

someone who can represent us and be and. make us proud of their leadership of. what is the the most visible aspect of. the university and state finally we. wanted someone who would entrench. themselves in West Virginia this is an. awesome place to live and work it's a. privilege to represent mire nation and. we felt like it would be important for. our next head coach to understand that. one candidate stood above all others. coach Rodriguez is a.

[Applause]. winner he has coached and won football. at virtually every level of college. football he's an innovator and has been. known for his creativity and. adaptability of his schemes over the. years it was amazing as we interviewed. other candidates and I would always. asked them have you ever been to morgant. toown how many of them said yeah I was. there about 20 years ago to learn. something from richrod about.

offense I was like you do read the. newspapers right he's involved in his. search not only has he won at a high. level but he won here and West Virginia. is a fit job it's a great job but not. just everybody can come here and win and. we wanted some way that we knew could. win here. [Applause]. so we knew we were getting a winner but. we also wanted a leader so I talked to.

administrators from every University the. Rich has ever worked at I spoke with. former student athletes from different. places I spoke with coaches who coached. with for and against him and every one. of them spoke highly of his. competitiveness and his desire to bring. out the best in everyone in his program. his Relentless desire to chase. Perfection has been a key ingredient to. him winning games and building. Championship. programs one of the greatest things. about life is we get to learn from our.

mistakes and Coach Rodriguez was quick. to articulate and acknowledge he had. made some but he was sincere and genuine. in owning those mistakes and subsequent. lessons he learned from them I know he. is eager to return home to prove it to. his home state I believe this is my 25th. search and we did more calls on this one. than any other one. after all that homework I am confident. that we have the best candidate to lead. the program to championships and the. college football playoff although coach.

there was one thing I couldn't verify I. may have to ask Pat this he claimed in. the interview process he's never gotten. a 15 yard from Sportsman life I could. not verify if that is true or not I need. to deserved a. lot I believe Pat had something to say. about that. I also learned he's a loving husband and. father during our process and a. Shameless dog dad to two.

Pomeranians who I'm suspicious do not. have a hard. [Music]. Edge we got people cheering for the dogs. here. [Applause]. coach so it's such a great honor and. privilege to to have Coach back and I. have some advice to some of our. competitors you might want to put a. little extra tape.

on you might want to lace those shoes up. a little. tighter maybe put just a little more air. in that. helmet cuz West Virginia is getting. ready to hold the Rope spot the ball and. be West Virginia. football please welcome coach R. Rodriguez. [Applause].

here go. [Applause].

[Music]. oh man. wow got me jacked up right. there oh thank you so much it this is. [Music]. uh um. oh.

[Applause]. [Music]. [Applause].

okay okay any other pit fans can leave. the building. [Applause]. [Music]. good we're good guys it's great you know.

this is really surreal it is great to be. home should have never left you. know I am very very appreciative of the. opportunity to come back home to be your. head football coach at West Virginia. University uh big thanks uh to Ren. breaker he did it veral search. interviewed a th000 candidates Zoom. called 100,000 candidates and finally.

he's a smart guy you. know really. smart president G and the board I really. appreciate it I know there there was a. lot of people that wanted this job. because it's a great job and I've been. in the shoes before and so is my friend. sitting in front of me uh who I want to. introduce and you guys know a Hall of. Fame football coach and my coach Mr Don. nean right. [Applause].

here and I while I'm thinking about it I. want and I've always felt this way and. it's it's great to have Pat McAfee. representing West Virginia University. every day like he. [Applause].

does but I want and Pat and I talk I. want every player that ever played for. Coach any coach here at West Virginia. from coach Bowen to coach cetti to coach. D to myself to coach hogerson to Coach. Brown to coach Stewart every one of you. former athletes you are always always. welcome to come back home to West. Virginia. [Applause].

always I try not to get too emotional I. have so many friends and I didn't. realize North Mar had that many students. either uh I I had a grad graduating. class of 10,000 I think at North Maran. high school but all my friends from. North Maran and and from Grant toown and. all my supporters throughout the year a. couple I got to mention here a little. bit but uh they all been like family for. me forever and that's what's so neat. about coming back but I do have some.

really close family members that I. haven't got to see very much in the last. 17 years which um I am so excited about. having and and my mom. Arlene there's my mom Arlene right. [Music]. there my brother Steve and Kenny are up. here in the second row. my mother-in-law Barbara my. sister-in-law. darenda and I even got cousins here that.

I haven't seen in in a long time and it. it really means a lot to me and some so. many people that are that are here that. were there when I was back and made that. mistake of leaving 17 years ago that are. still here working it tells me they. still love this place as I do and it'll. always be home but. um let me take a second ah. [Applause].

there are there are three people that. have been with me on every Journey here. gone and back my wife Rita my son Rhett. my daughter Rael would you guys please. stand. [Applause]. oh.

boy I also want to thank and this I. Haven got a chance to do this CU this. stuff happened so quickly the last three. years I was down at a wonderful. University in Jacksonville State. University in Jacksonville Alabama and. they they gave me the opportunity to. build that program from 1A to 1A to to. get into a new league and try a new. journey and the athletic director Greg. sites and the president Don. kellingsworth and the people there were. been terrific to myself and my family. and I think it gave me the opportunity. to come back and maybe prove myself. again and be able to have this.

opportunity at West Virginia so I do. want to thank all the folks at Jack. State University it's a great school. it's a great school and uh appreciate. [Applause]. that also I have you know I lost a dear. friend of mine is he was like a brother. coached with me here and and just about. every stop and unfortunately I lost him. two years ago uh and I had great. assistant coaches but I had one in. particular who was like my brother named. Calvin McGee and I want to tell. [Applause].

uh uh he's he would have he would have. loved to been back as well but I think. there's there's so many people that when. this opportunity came up so many friends. of mine in the state that that love West. Virginia that have been supporters of. mine that said do you think you got a. chance to come back and would you come. back and of course you know. I've had thought about it you know I've. thought about it for a long long time. but you just don't know if everything's. going to line up right and then if uh if.

you're going to ever get that. opportunity again and and uh I can. promise you that all the support from. people throughout the state that have. been friends of mine that love this. state that love this University um you. know I really really appreciate I can't. thank you enough and they weren't doing. it for season tickets or sideline passes. or they were doing it because you know. their friends of mind but more. importantly they love W like I do and uh. there's only one school in the country. that I can coach at where I say I know.

the town I know it's like to be a. student there I know it's like to be an. athlete there I know it's like to live. in that state I know it's like to work. there and that's West Virginia. University in my. [Applause]. opinion you and I just and I have grown. and and learned and gotten better you. know I I know everybody says you learn. from your mistakes and you try to grow. and learn and I've tried to do that not.

just from 17 years ago but from 27 years. ago to 7 years ago to 7 days ago to 7. minutes ago you know when that when that. pit fan uh Yahoo up right there and my. younger days would want to jump off this. Podium and and talk to him in. person you know I'd have seen if he had. a real hard jge you know talk if he had. a fake hard Edge a real hard Edge but my. older mature self would say gosh I'm. blessed to have all you folks here so.

I'll let you all take care of it you. know. but uh I have I've tried to throughout. my career and in particular in the 17th. year since I made the mistake of leaving. is how can I make myself better how can. I not only as a coach but as a person. what can I learn. uh whether I'd be able to come back home. or not wherever I'm at where can I learn. and grow and be the best version of. myself and be able to help people like.

Pat McAfee like all his teammates and. the people that I coached before be the. best version of them themselves and I. had to do it by learning from mistakes. but I also did it because you know as I. I I told our players you know if you. just stay where you're at you're just. always going to be where you're at if. you have a little bit of edge to you and. you are mentally tough physically and. mentally and you work really hard you're. going to have success so when Pat McAfee.

has success that he has it fills my. heart because maybe just a couple of. these long lectures that coach Rod gave. him back in the early 2000s took hold a. little bit and then he did the work and. did what he dides so it's amazing thank. you. [Applause]. Pat and then not even is kind of to to. see Pac-Man Joe's on TV you know I. sometimes get a little nervous I got to. tell you a story quick story about quick. story about Pac-Man he he it's a this is.

New Year's Eve and it's 11:45 p.m. and I. get a FaceTime call from Pacman I'm. thinking oh boy and then he's on there. he said coach I'm at South Beach in. Miami oh boy 11:45 and then he said no. let me show you see you my family here. he's got he's introduce his wife his. kids and little Chris Henry Jr and I. said Pac 11:45 you're with your family. in a hotel room celebrate by yourself. man have you grown man I'm so proud of. him. so but all of my former players every.

former player I've had you know whether. it's here or any place I've been there's. so much gratitude that I have for the. work that they did and the processes. that I put them through and the way they. went about their business I mean there's. nothing more important to me than my. former players Owen SMI in the building. [Music]. [Applause].

standing up. his Owen Schmidt ladies and. gentlemen. yeah the prime example right walked by. my office I'll tell you a quick story. cuz I like to ramble on but I like to. brag about my players I don't remember. what year it was early 2000s and and. this young man walked by um with with u. with with a lady not much older than him. by my office and it looked like they. were lost and I sto and who is this and.

he said I this is Owen Schmid this is my. mother and I'm at a division three. school in Maryland or or somewhere and. I'm looking to transfer somewhere and. I'm like he looks like he's going to be. pretty good size and I said I didn't. have any scholarships would you be. willing to walk on sure he walked on and. so he had to earn a scholarship but I. remember before he earned a scholarship. the strength coach came running up to me. office Owen Schmidt is down there power. cleaning you got to come down and watch. him in the waight room I said okay I'll. come down there and he had like 300 lb. was doing a set of like 10 and then on.

the 11th set he put it over his head I. said damn that's pretty. good I said I I think we got a spot for. you Owen now he cost us a lot of money. cuz he broke about 15 face masks but. that's okay we'll take that but Owen. Schmidt and and and all those players. that I coached here all had one thing in. common they had great passion for their. teammates they had great passion for. football but they had great passion for. West Virginia University and uh that's.

not like that everywhere our players. will play harder than anybody in the. country I've always said that I think. this I I say this to my players all the. time you a lot of people in the stands. they you know they might not know the. X's and O's some of them think they do. but that's okay you know they might know. all the the schemes that they're doing. but they can sit in those stands. especially at West Virginia and watch. your team and tell if they're playing. hard you all can do that and so one. thing that I I don't make a lot of.

promises and all that kind of stuff but. one thing I promise you you turn and. watch West Virginia players play they. will play their ass off they will play. [Applause]. hard so I know Ramble On Tony's going to. give some some questions and we'll have. something to me. um but I do uh want. to all right let me cat my breath.

here. this I have thought about this moment. you. know uh. I get the coach at the greatest. University in this. [Applause].

country I get to live I get to live in. the greatest state in the. [Applause]. Union and more importantly I get to be. around the greatest people that you. could be. around thank you very much let's go. Mountaineers.

Thank you Rich we're going to open this. up to the media members who are here and. we will do a question and answer we've. got Charles and we've got Richard with. us here with the microphones and so our. press members if you would please raise. your hand identify yourself and to whom. you are asking the question go right. ahead so rich let start with the.

emotions when when Ren called you. offered it to you can you explain what. that was like and how long did it take. you to say. yes uh well I think I said yes before he. completed his sentence uh I think the. you know Ren was fair thr and I've been. fortunate to be through a few of these. processes before and you know there's. there's always a time frame to go with. it but everybody was really. professional um it was no you know lead. you one way and go another way asked all.

the all all the questions even the hard. questions and the last but the last 24. hours you know when you get interviewed. you're thinking okay now I'm a finalist. and I'm thinking to myself well let's. not this reading I like let's not get. our hopes up too high because we don't. want to be devastated so probably the. last seven or eight hours he tortured us. you know till till the finally was the. call and said you ready to come back. home and the answer was uh before he. finished the sentence are you kidding me. I might have said a bad word in between. everybody yeah very.

nice Luke bla daath and am so coach. obviously you experience today an unly. fan and there are fans out there who. might still carry some hard feelings. about the end of the 07 season so do you. have a message to fans who are a bit. apprehensive about your return to Morgan. Town sure it you know I understand. there's fans up upset and. you know at least they care right but. sometimes you know that uh not. everything is uh as you think it is but.

I made a mistake and I my my promise to. not just the folks that are upset but to. everybody here and everybody that's. that's been very very supportive all. right I will earn your support we will. earn your support and your trust back. and I'm I'm committed to that and I've. thought about that even before this. opportunity I wanted to be able it's. such a it's my home and it's such a. great state that that I want to be able. to come. back. and well I'll prove to them that the man.

to my right made the right. decision Mike Mike Austin with West. Virginia sports now coach separate from. the personal and maybe those detractors. that Luke's bringing up there could be. some others and we we've heard this. since the announcement that say you. wanted Jacksonville State but that's a. different lower level than the power. four you did have success but it was. many years ago last time you had a big. big success at Arizona and they're.

apprehensive that you your success at. Jacksonville State would translate in. your success in the past would translate. at the power for level in in this. current culture how would you respond to. to that criticism that it was too long. ago for power for success I mean there's. a lot of there's a lot of opinions a lot. a lot of them are uneducated you know. and some of them don't know the. resources but I don't it doesn't you. know all we've tried to do is every. place we've went to build the best. football program in America and some had.

different challenges I'm really proud of. of what happened to Jack State the. players and the staff we had there we. went from a. onea team to a 1 18 team and nobody's. ever done that and went went to two. straight bowls and won a conference. Championship in their second year and. played some pretty good football you. know against some teams I don't there's. a lot of power for teams that it. wouldn't want to play Jack state right. now I can tell you that but that with. that being said you know as I mentioned. earlier if I was the same coach now that.

I was in. 2007 uh then I didn't follow my own. guidelines for my players and my staff. about getting better every day and I. know the landscape has changed the. gopost have moved and we've moved with. it the the the great part about it is. that this opportunity for me was so good. not only because it was home not only. because I wanted to come back make it. right but because the school Ren and. everybody here associated with President. G and the board are committed to having. us have a seat at the table and trying.

to win you know we're not they're not. just going to compete they want to win. and we're used to winning here so that. to me was extra appealing and I you know. all the naysayers all that kind of stuff. you I'm going to just say just wait till. we play and then you'll see what's going. to happen well you'll be all right. all right coach uh Joe Smith here with. reddits college football press Corps I. would uh main thing I want to ask you is.

you brought this program to some of its. most national relevance its most. national success during your previous. tenure here the it's 17 years ago the. sport has changed the university has. changed we're in a different conference. can you talk vision is to bring West. Virginia football back to National. relevance and success and how that might. have changed since your first ten you're. here yeah the biggest thing has changed. obviously the transfer poor old guys are. almost free agents every year and. they're getting paid uh not all this. stuff is all bad but you got again you.

got to be positioned to do to do that. but when coach nean was here in winning. when I had some success here whenever. they had success here you got really. really good players and you coached them. really hard that's what happened when I. played here for Don nean he had good. players I wouldn't be a great player but. I was okay but he had good players and. then we got coached hard all players. here and some of you here I had a lot of. really good players and they played. really hard that formula has not changed. and I think that's the key our key to. our success we're going to find really.

good players that want to be at West. Virginia and then they're going to play. really hard and then we'll. win. Derek hey coach Derek red from Ogden. newspapers right here um you've been on. a coaching Odyssey for all these years. you've had great highs you've had some. lows youve had twists you had turns and. you talked about like what you've. learned and how you have kind of evolved. your as a coach through those years what. are some of the biggest things that you. have taken some of the most important. tenants that you have taken from those.

different stops that you're going to. bring to here to make you the best. version of yourself for this team yeah I. think every place is unique uh I said. there's certain principles that you got. to have at every place you're at as a. coach but then certain places are unique. and then and how you you know attack the. recruiting how you get your talents you. know how do you acquire your talent you. know your Staffing you put together but. I think the biggest thing is that and I. know this a lot of I say older coaches.

like myself maybe you want to call me an. older coach I feel young I feel good by. the way I don't know if you all know I. talking about contract length or nothing. like that we had we hadn't put that out. yet you can answer no I'm just saying I. got a 5year contract but I would have. signed a lifetime contract but then if I. lost you it killed me so I. me he did offer that up legitimate thing. and I know there's a lot of guns in the. state of West Virginia too you know what. I mean but I forgot your damn question. what was you. [Music]. asking what are the tenants that you've.

taken through through those travels. tenants I taken pretty simple you get. really good players and Coach them. really hard and help them get better. you're going to win it hadn't changed. the for is the same for Don nean it's. the same for Rich. Rodriguez. [Music]. Kenan go ahead is that Avon Coburn in. the front row. Avon Coburn right here in the front. row Keenan Cummings with WB sports.com.

uh Rich you mentioned good players what. is your plan for recruiting here how is. it different if it will be different. from last time and how do you balance. you know high school traditional. recruiting and the transfer portal now. yeah the difference in recruiting now is. like we we're recruiting right now. because we're in the transfer portal. typically December was a quieter time. the first couple weeks in January is a. quieter time then you go hope you signed. everybody in February now you got guys. in a portal for another week and a half. or so and you got to try to retain guys. I don't want to lose any really good. players going in a portal uh so that's.

that's the first priority the second. priority is we better try to find some. guys that we need out of the portal so I. got to we got to evaluate our current. players and how good they are and then. we got to be completely honest with our. guys not just now but certainly in the. spring where they stand cuz I don't want. to have a guy and tell them well you're. going to be a starter but he's going to. be a third team guy he probably needs to. go somewhere where else so the the. revolving door so to speak from a a. transfer portal situation I like to see. it slow down a little bit but.

unfortunately that's the landscape that. we're in and so you have to constantly. evaluate every day about building not. just your program but building your team. go right ahead uh Tanner mounts blue. gold Sports obviously you had a lot of. success here at West Virginia earlier. when they were in the Big East now in. the Big 12 what are the differences that. you see in the two conferences and what. could be some challenges that you see. yeah I don't know if the from the. football standpoint uh ability wise or. schematic wise or what Havey that it's a. whole lot different it's just a.

difference in you know the location you. know some of the schools you're in the. Big East most schools you're competing B. you usually compete against them in. recruiting and all that back then. because everybody's in the same region. and recruiting was different now. everybody's everywhere but so is. recruiting is everywhere because of the. transfer portal so that's a little bit. different I it was kind of unique when I. was talking to Ren about that and. they're looking looking at the Big 12. I'm like I'm more familiar with the. these teams than maybe any other league. because of my time in a pack 12 you're. talking about Arizona Arizona State Utah.

even played BYU a couple times so I. probably know those programs know those. regions know how they recruit or least. how they've recruited in the past more. than any other. [Music]. league go ahead Justin this question is. for Ren um obviously going back a couple. weeks ago to the Neil Brown decision of. the Billboards across town there was. obviously some kind of divide in the fan. base at that time do you think this hire. helps alleviate some of that divide or.

or or not yeah you know listen I I think. you want to be careful how much you over. value any particular fan sentiment at. any particular time I mean listen Sports. is where you get to come and you get to. be irrational and emotional and so I. think my job is to not weigh that into. to the decision making M Mak and I love. the fans and I love when they love me. and I I I ignore when they when they. don't um because that's part of the job. right like you you just have to make the.

best decisions that you can armed and. equipped with the best decision that uh. the best information that you have um. but here's what what I know about West. Virginia um listen I heard from both. sides and and coach and I talked about. this he knows that there are some people. that have hard feelings from 17 years. ago U but West Virginia love to see West. Virginia do well and West virgins love. to see this program do well and. represent this state and um when I sat.

with him no other candidate had the kind. of passion for this state this community. this University and this football. program the way that he did um it's very. personal I mean you know and and and I'm. excited that he's here and I think we're. going to Rally the fan base we're going. to win games and there won't be any kind. of division everybody will be rooting. for the. Mountaineers John. coach John low golden Blue Nation how. does this job as a coach as a CEO of a. football program compare now to 2001.

yeah I think that's a great question I. think it's what's because of the. changing landscape of college football. college athletics in particular with. with the uh nil transfer portal uh there. are so many different things that a. coach has to be head coach particular. has to be involved in you know you. always been involved in as a head coach. and help raising money but before you. were raising money for scholarships or. you're raising money for facilities and. now you're trying to help raise money to. pay players yes there's only a few. schools down south that used to do that.

you know what I mean they would they. would do it through the churches you. know what I mean they have a little I. always call those utg's under the table. gr under the table stuff you know uh I. had I had a I have to tell this story I. had an athletic director friend called. me and he said well it used to be you. couldn't one of your players would fly. into the airport you couldn't go and. pick him up in the car cuz it was a. violation he said now you just give him. a car and give him the keys and say take. it so things have changed a little bit. but I think an answer to your question.

there's a lot more a head coach has to. do now uh outside typically ex's and O's. and and developing players so to speak. so you better have a great staff and I. still I'm still involved in the football. part of it because I love it I still. call plays but I I'm going to put. together a great staff and fortunately. we have the the means to put together a. great staff that can take some of that. burden off of me in all these aspects. quick followup how does the state of the. program compare where we're at right now. to 2001 yes oh I think the I think the.

kids are uh I think kids. nowadays are are probably bigger and. faster and smarter as somebody asked me. other question I said well 20 or 30. years ago when I played for Coach nean. 40 years ago you know they coaches tell. you run through the wall you you'll run. through the wall now you tell them run. through the wall but you got tell them. why if you don't give them the right. answer they'll pull their phone out and. say that's not what it says on Google I. don't know about that so they're smarter. I don't know if they're as tough.

mentally and that's that's the challenge. that's what we try to do as coaches make. them a little bit tougher mentally but. the kids are more talented and smarter. now back on the camera deck go ahead. sir the thought is immediately why the. [ __ ] would Bill bich want to go do. college football let me put this in. capital letters if I if if I was in a. college program the college program. would be a pipeline to the NFL for the. players that had the ability to play in. the NFL it would be a professional.

program he showed up this morning boy he. looks Jolly hey guys good to see you. guys can't wait to joust with all of you. in every postgame press conference. should be fun brand new general manager. for the North Carolina Tar Hill football. team front of the program gone to. [Music]. soon guys welcome to Chapel Hill guys. it's exciting to be here I'm not going. anywhere yet Pat you can't kick me to. the Cur yet I'm not ready to go anywhere. you got a lot of work to do you're down. there in Chapel. B before the Big 10 Championship there. was a shrimp eating contest Joey.

chestnuts of course does what Joey does. and he ate 21 lbs of St Elmo shrimp. cocktail Joey of course took home the. victory we were having a good time in. the suite around the third quarter I. left the suite to take a leak as soon as. I open the door I see Joey chestnuts. High tailed for the restroom and as soon. as I get in there I hear Joey chestnuts. saying is there a stall over is there a. stall open and uh of course no both of. them were taken immediately Joey just. [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ] do you.

understand where you sit now in relation. to the other teams in the NFC West uh I. don't know where we sit in uh standings. to them but I know that uh we played. somebody in our division on Thursday. okay all right let's great Chey thank. you shefter thanks for the question on. Sunday that's what they asked for me to. do is that fine CH top right can you. lick it and didn't do the thing and. it I. know. okay no that's us making a sound Buddy.

Jesus Christ no no no it's working I. swear I got to take my earbuds out hold. on it's. working living that high and they start. getting physical and man a superhero an. anonymous bystander at the restaurant. says what are you doing you guys can't. do this drops one of them in the middle. of the bar after getting swung on and. saying boys you can't do this listen to. the descriptor of our hero like going. the rock Hispanic guy with black hair.

black do you smell what a rock he's a. cookie one more time he needs it one. more time. come n take take me. off you'll need to one shot on. me it is official Rich Rodriguez is back. to be the coach of the West Virginia. Mountain. to go forward to where we want to be we. had to go back to when we were the best. we ever were basically everybody that's. ever played for this guy has come out. and said if Rich R was able to get the.

capability to be in a P4 program and. have resources behind him back in a. state that he knows better than anybody. else cuz he's born there grew up there. played college there his family still. lives there if there's anybody that. could come and do a better job coaching. than Rich Rodriguez we'd like to see can. you see him and D trying to yuck it up. trying to yuck what's up Co. pretty good Dao that was a good was that. Dao I didn't know dabo's in.

studio did it think it was going to go. over. [Music]. that you got banners you got Rings you. got stories forever all your offseason. training every single weight that you. lifted Hill that you ran Sprint that you. took vomit that poured out of your soul. because you're giving your. [Music].

[Music]. all who's that call me down the train. it's a me in the red and. black and go. [Applause].

dogs have you seen these numbers this. guy's put up yeah it's pretty ridiculous. it almost doesn't even seem real JT into. the clear blue touchdown his head is an. actual block he's 5'9 and it thinks C. scabo how did he stay on balance there. look at him go. scaboo that one. is.

good at the buzzer Clemson wins the. ACC The Eyes of Texas are upon you all. [Music]. here in the great state of. a I like SMU not just this year I like.

Bren Lashley and SMU with the future too. I really like what they're doing. we we. are we. are thank. you the great state of. [Applause]. Touchdown Jesus has been blessing me for. the last 24 hours here on this. [Applause].

[Music]. campus this guy sucks this guy's the. worst of all. time was good who's the wor SE hey I. think you're nous in front of Bob Dylan. I think. that's no one more shot one more shot. one more one more you want the Texas guy.

to get one more kick all right how about. this Kirk her street said he'll match. another 200,000 I will as well this is. an $800,000 kick Corin. yeah this guy's got no shot come on. Harry come on Herby Timmy you want a. match yeah I'll get in there too okay. all right sweet. is that 1.2 yeah yeah it is $1.2 million. K holy hell everything just got very. real all of a sudden that first attempt. was God awful but now you got a $1.2.

million operation all you got to do is. kick the ball through those uprights. it's looks shorter than 33 yards stand. for is that legally binding yeah that's. a legally binding offer yeah we got you. you're the lawyer Corin is that a real. offer yeah it is it's on camera it is. okay hey bro somehow he got under that. ball yeah he said it was like a nine. iron that was more like a duck of wedge. B yeah let's go ahead and try to maybe. bring out the Wi on one hand we've never. never seen that 1.2 million come on. Corbin 1.2 holy hell that's a lot of.

money you're a lawyer you live nice you. wear suits but 1.2 million can change a. lot of things on SEC Championship. Saturday in. Atlanta from million. that got pretty. [Applause]. expensive coming out on Christmas the.

movie is supposed to be Oscar. worthy thankful you stop by her's. awesome ree that got a little bit ner. rocking there for a few moments back to. you hey what let's. go this show sticks and the fact that. you listen we are very very thankful for. it that could be on the line with a. gorgeous assist the all-time leading. tackler for the Green Bay Packers. you. st damn it be a friend tell a friend.

something nice could change their. [Applause]. [Music]. life here we go hour three of the Pat. McAfee show Friday December. 13th that's scary rich dve is the new. head coach at West Virginia. [Music]. football Pat conman change your location. you guys look great how's it going there. it seemed like uh it was a bit uh you. know there was a rockus crowd for a.

little bit Yeah to be clear I don't. think we had any idea what was going to. happen I I don't think we fully prepared. for the transition post press conference. what we were going to do how we were. going to get out where we were going to. shoot so we literally just set up a. laptop we're in the corner of the. Courtside Club beautiful place gorgeous. beautiful place now obviously these two. TVs remain on because this isn't just. about us us let's go ahead and get a. little extra view on ESPN which they. love our show I've been hearing I I've. been hearing everybody else on ESPN. loves our show and the things that get. said on it but today it's been a.

celebration it has been fantastic and I. I think the takeaway from that. particular press conference con man is. old buddy comes down thinking he's gonna. be start of the show what was yelling we. couldn't hear what was he yelling so he. was like 10t from me I couldn't really. hear everything he was saying I think he. was saying go back to Michigan and he. was saying some other stuff he was. filming the whole thing. I think he potentially thought that. there was going to be a bunch of people. that were going to join him and instead. boy he got his ass booed out of West. Virginia and uh I think the way coach. Rod handled that with uh any other pit.

fans out here want to talk do their. entire thing but also what he said there. about how back in the day I would have. tried to go down there and kind of see. if he's about a hard Edge or if he's. just talking about it that is very real. and I think that was a good little piece. of evidence about how he's matured you. know and that's been a big conversation. for Rich I think since he's got through. this is what I was back isn't exactly. what I am now I've matured I want to. hopefully get be a better Coach next. week and we're all on board man it was. Electric in there the energy was. palpable for a press conference I've.

never seen anything like that a lot of. support too like he mentioned like I I. don't know if any of these kids even. know who I am but the fact that everyone. was out there I mean the place was. packed I was surprised by how many damn. people were there it was pretty awesome. and then of course them joining in like. it almost created a great moment when. that guy came and tried to stir [ __ ] up. because all the people people were like. so much on Rich's side and then seeing. how emotional he was about it it's like. Ren Baker got it right boys West. Virginia's back Ren Baker I think they. should have gave him a prompter okay I.

didn't like that uh I didn't like that. he gave that incredible speech and uh. you know every once in a while people. were saying his tan looks fantastic. that's what people were saying didn't. get a chance to see his beautiful smile. enough I think of Ren Baker I I don't. think there was enough views of his. beautiful smile but I think everything. he's kind of pieced together here and I. appreciate the fact that Rich Rod kind. of doubled down on that all the work. that Ren put in for this process was. very very evident from anybody that was.

around or a part of the conversations. and I think I'm an easy man and I think. it's potentially because you know Tim. Macky is this way and then richrod is. obviously this way if you have a good. work ethic I love you and uh it's. basically as easy as that as literally. rich just comes back in coach Rod hey we. are live here on a computer right now. we're on a laptop right now coach hey. hey where is he how you feel look right. how do you think. you let's give a post about how' you. feel who H left the pit fan.

get from we just I thought you handled. it very well and then also in your Q&A. you said I'm going earn these people's. trust I'm going earn these people fun I. think you hand I think you aced it out. there well I I appreciate you know we. have great well are you kidding me see. all the people that were here yeah and I. know we were selling beer and all that. kind of stuff but shoot that was man. that's West Virginia that's West. Virginia Athletics West Virginia. University West Virginia football so I'm. fired up and let's go it sound like. you're ready sound like that was a. little bit too strong okay I'm 38 I'm.

tired I don't need that you jacking up. you listen what are you doing have to. cut these sleeves off yourself can we. not make some that are already pre-cut. no the issue is my tailor and. customization is better than what. anybody else does you know cuz there's a. certain fit for the way my but I want to. let you know coach I couldn't pass a. drug test right now I'm going to lie. science but if you need you can be on. all the steroids you want right. now uh it's good felt good today though. yeah it did feel good you know to see.

some of the for former players back and. you know all the I mean I think I've. gotten 500 texts and 200 of them are. from former players guys that that. played with you that played here and uh. they've always loved this place but I. want them to come back dang it I want. them to come back because the facility. is unbelievable I don't know if you SE I. mean you've seen it I mean 17 years uh. like I love what they done with the. place right yeah I I was at the spring. game and I said the same thing they have. like a like a car wash for the players. to walk through before the cold tub and. they got the hydrogen tanks and like a.

salt bath could you plus all you. Specialists then you spend all day in. there like you go out and kick for 15 no. no no no not hard Ed run not a hard Edge. salt bath we have a two-hour practice in. the specialist had 15 minutes up no no. no I was working hard tell what happen. here's how my day started out I went to. go watch West Virginia practice they're. practicing the indoor and I'm standing. on silence not paying attention and the. punter dink hit me right Square in the. head with the ball get him out of here. yeah I'm I'm find out if he's get in a. portal.

tomorrow uh obviously we hope it was a. long punt we hope they got hit hard must. have been a shank you hit me in the head. no no no he was putting out of bounds. the guy's working hey get an American. punter by the. way I had one at Jack State Jack da oh. he was phenomenal but yeah but they he. likes to drink a lot of beero too well. the Americans do too I mean that's is. let's get Owen Schmid you sh it's about. the pooch kicks coach that's right what. you did numerous times Owen and the word. Pooch doesn't sound that's Owen has.

nothing to do with. pooching but I do remember y don't know. what the weight was on that power C I. told that story I never seen a human do. that like it was like 20 like 75 lbs. like a rep of 10 and he threw the last. one over his head yeah and the thing. would bend around his legs whenever hard. Edge hard Edge how many face masks did. you bring I mean collectively who knows. it was a bunch how about stitches on the. helmet to the head that he would do. super uh Owen and I and everybody former. players of yours have been catching up. over the last couple weeks and nice it.

is so cool so whenever you said you want. everybody to come back I do I do that. was very kind of you to say like. everybody hey coach Bowen cuz those are. guys over to me the ones that play for. Coach bow coach cetti and then Coach. Neil in my era I'm hearing a bunch of my. former teammates here which which is you. know playing at your you know coaching. at your Alma moer you know sometimes. that's good and bad when it's you know. all your former teammates like coach I. want to be on the sidelines I'm like I. that's 400 teammates I can't put but we. we we had a great time here you had a. great experience here we won a lot of.

games coach nean is on the Hall of Fame. and that's why it's you know that's why. it's different for me it's special it's. per you know talk about as a personal. it's personal it really is it always has. been for me so me and Owen were just. kind of rans sacking this bar here you. know trying to find some stuff and then. we went in the back wellie took us in. the back we got some ice and uh me and. Owen looked at each other and it was. like it's it's nice that our guys back. in charge are out here you know it feel. we feel doesn't it feel like more. welcome it just immediately feels more. welcoming so you making that as one of. your messages to be like hey if you ever. played here we want you to come back I.

think it's a good thing all good. programs do that yeah you know what in. football and in the athletes that a lot. of people know they see you during the. games but a lot of them don't understand. how much work you put in you know before. that before you play and how what kind. of sacrifice it is because it is and. even if their guys are getting paid now. it's still a great sacrifice what they. go through with how you Co them and what. the work they have to put in they don't. live you don't live a normal life as a. as a student athlete and so you know I'm. really really and I've been so blessed. but I I can't say enough I'm really. really appreciative to all the former.

players like I wouldn't have got this. job if it wasn't for Jack State and the. players at Jack State the last three. years I mean those guys did something. that people say well it's a lower level. well it's pretty good football now. playing a bowl we had South Carolina's. ass beat too so you know our guys our. guys played really good football and uh. they deserve a lot of credit uh Owen. and I we watch your team. meeting yeah it was kind of a calmer one. though wasn't it I yeah but you put some. points out there the message was direct.

right you you decipher through the rest. of it okay there's going to be some. four-letter words as we know but not in. the first one okay you had a couple. threel words my question is do any of. those players understand what the hell. is about I don't think any you I don't. know that's a good question I'm going to. find out you know I watched practice. today and the energy was good and int. intensity was okay it was but uh it was. no live going on but the first like. winter workout when you do tour duty. duty and and they'll find out like who's.

like thinks they're going hard but they. ain't really going hard cuz their. version of going hard Y and our version. of going hard might be might be. different might be a little different. we'll find that out in a hurry we're. proud of you man thank you brother good. luck I'll be here for you whatever you. need so Owen he you know he's a football. coach now I heard that that's scary. single wing. all right appreciate you coach yeah this. has been crazy it's like a reunion look. that guy's ready to go I said he was old. too he's old ass I don't know if he's.

still doing a stair Master Cavs look. fantastic you know kind of hiding in. there but I think he absolutely crushed. it Owen I don't know if you know this we. got a good zoom in on your face AJ. didn't he look absolutely jocked. whenever he was doing his thing yeah he. still looks jacked what do you mean I. mean that's who he. is w. w now just I've talked about it a lot it. is cool to have our C back it but all. seems right right now in Mount near. world and uh I have an immense respect.

for Coach Rod obviously he gave me my. opportunity my shot so that will he will. always be my coach um but I'm I'm. friends with a lot of the you know years. past guys as well and that's been a huge. topic of. concern um and now I kind of feel like. that tradition can be St back where it. needs to be and that's here at home hell. yeah all right we got to make some picks. I'll see you in a bit we're going to get. a nice little uh we might have a little. happy hour dinner and some booze here in. a little bit have to we are literally.

ransacking this bar I mean looking for. ice looking for a drink and as we were. looking it was like it does feel like. the Glory Days again you know and. everybody over here is being real quiet. cuz we're live so let's make our picks. and uh I think it's time to have a great. weekend AJ Hawk and we're going to. celebrate the hell out of life here at. West Virginia Bengals Titans Titans. getting five and a half at home in. Nashville Bengals obviously Joe Burrow's. house rans sacked we learned that maybe. he has an assistant or yeah she's on.

staff you she's employed by Joe one of. the two I don't think he's happy about. any of. that so with that being said give me the. Bengals minus five and a half travel. Inter National you like to pick yeah. absolutely you kidding me T touchdown AJ. you like oh yeah I'm taking Cincinnati. here as well on the. road I like I like a mad Joe B. you know like a FR very frustrated short. like you know my privacy what did he say. my privacy was violated on many fronts. multiple times in many different ways.

yeah all of a sudden everybody knows now. that I know a swimsuit model okay don't. love that also my entire bedroom. ransacked millions of dollars worth of. jewelry and costumes underwear underwear. think about all the costumes he has. think about all the costumes he has over. there okay so that's one game let's. let's keep it moving it's really. uncomfortable in here Kansas City br. Kanas City favored by four going into. Cleveland uh I like the Chiefs even. though last week I took the Chargers I. like the Chiefs here to cover four even. though that's not the Chiefs MMO seven.

seven straight they haven't covered okay. they hav but you would you would think. four it's the Cleveland Browns yeah the. Chiefs are going to cover I'm taking the. Chiefs again I'm being you know I'm. blinded by their Super Bowls Baltimore. Ravens New York Giants Ravens favored by. 16 not enough remember how pissed off. Lamar Jackson was coming off of the loss. and remember what Mama Jackson said yeah. run the football Lamar Jackson plus 175. scored touchdown as well that feels like. a good move Herm Edwards over our. shoulder same with Barry doing their. thing I wonder if they're having the. same type of show we're having uh just. into a laptop in a corner of a room uh.

but with that being said I like the. Ravens minus 16 taking on the woeful. Giants yeah 16 is so many but I like the. Ravens as well on this one Pat. Washington commanders uh are they going. to change their name you know West. Virginia's going back to Rich Rod about. to go back a fell in the front row that. really was pushing hard today yeah he he. had the raccoon skin hat his name was. fish he's a big fan of the program he's. a big by the way the Mountaineer we were. talking he's a little skinny we need to.

get some meat on that guy's bones living. off the land SP some Thin time out here. you know what I mean he might have lost. his hard Edge too I think Rich find that. [ __ ] for him uh give me the Saints plus. eight with Darren RZ leading the squad. Jake haer first start ever uh what's his. name is play be the Washington Comm. commanders minus8 against lore is back. lore is getting his First Comm yeah I'm. taking the commanders as well here Pat I. would take the commanders we're kind of.

being a little bit boring here favorites. across the board how about this one. Cowboys Panthers Panthers favored by. three against the Cowboys. yeah they're better football playing. some good. football Panthers are favored by three. you know what I'll take the Panthers. here. Pat me too that feels it's weird yeah. I'm taking them too Dolphins Texans give. me the Miami Dolphins plus three going. into Houston just because I need it for.

the Indianapolis Colts team that I watch. on a regular basis because I live in the. city that they play in well uh I'm. taking Houston at home here minus three. you kidding me I mean they just got they. just cut Odell Beckham Jr I don't know. it's going to be tough to win the parted. ways it's all mut it was a mutual thing. I get it Js Jaguars uh Aaron Rogers. getting attacked on TV for attacking. people who have been attacking him it's. quite a battle of words there between.

ESPN and Aaron roders I will take the. Jets minus three and a half down in. Duvall yeah I'm going to ride with you. as well too I'm taking the Jets minus. three and a half they've been playing. okay just can't get a win okay uh let's. go Bucks Chargers give me the Chargers. minus three at home against Baker. Mayfield and the Buccaneers o give me. the bucks plus three please long flight. I'll take the charges okay Pittsburgh. Steelers Battle of the Keystone State. taking on the Philadelphia Eagles give. me the Pittsburgh Steelers plus 5 and a.

half I'll take the Philadelphia Eagles. minus 5 and a half Eagles might win that. game but five and a half feels like too. many tone how do you feel about that My. worry is that uh that coaching staff now. Sten was the OC they've had the Steelers. defensive number but Sten was where. there the last time that they had the. Steelers D number so that worries me a. bit but you know still boys are playing. hard right now so I feel pretty good. actually what's the stat about Tomlin. when it's more than six as an underdog. he doesn't he doesn't lose as a dog he's.

like undefeated okay I'll take Steelers. plus five and a half Buffalo Bills. Detroit Lions only favored by two and a. half but the Buffalo Beals team just had. an absolute Onslaught in a losing effort. against the Los Angeles Rams who just. beat the San Francisco 49ers Detroit. Lions very thin in the front seven on. defensive side we said that a lot this. is a shootout game it appears over under. 54 and a half F highest on the board AJ. who do you like I going to take the. Buffalo Beals on this one Pat I know I. think it will be a shootout that fast.

track in Detroit but give me the Beals I. love the Lions I picked against them. last two weeks because I think they have. too many injuries they obviously told me. to shut up last week maybe the Beals are. the ones to do it uh Fox are you okay. yeah we're going to be okay we're. actually getting some guys back Decker's. back mcneel's good to go DJ reita will. be back Pascal's back so defense is. getting a little bit better here so. we'll see but I agree with your take. shootout will definitely still be the. case that's the highest total I've seen. all year I think yes and that's in. Detroit and highest ticket price in this.

uh for the season so far and the lions. are wearing their midnight Motor City. muscle jerseys oh give me the mer muscle. I'll take the mer muscle those are. wearing all white I believe oh it's a. great match up this. weekend give me the Detroit line I got. the be all right I'll take the Lions. what Broncos who do you got AJ uh give. me them Broncos. bonick yeah I wonder where you're going. both off a. buy don't let Shawn Peyton get a hold of.

you after a buy you know. that they say that come on AR's been. watching tape all week yeah he didn't. take one day off he didn't even take the. buy I know I know I know and that team. works. hard harder than ever it was kind of. it's kind of how I felt when I was. talking like about this West Virginia. team what it's going to be versus what. the West Virginia teams have been you. know kind of kind of a kind of a similar. feeling you know you know like once the. toothpaste is out of the the tube the.

tube can you put it back in can you just. usually not give me the Colts plus four. uh Patriots Cardinals Cardinals favored. by six at home against Drake. may I don't know you tell. me I'll take the Patriots plus six AJ. who do you got I'll take the Cardinals. six here come on okay and Sunday Night. Football Packers talks this is an old. school NFC playoff battle rivalry Gino. Smith of the West Virginia Mountaineers.

took the long road to get to the top for. the Seattle Seahawks and then the Green. Bay Packers is it this year that they're. the team or is it maybe next year that. they're the team Tai Schmidt how should. we be looking at this uh I don't know if. it if it's this year that they're the. team but this is kind of a I mean. although their playoff seating can't. really change much from here to the end. of the season like I think this is kind. of like a must-win they need to bounce. back after everyone saying hey you can't. beat good teams you know they've only. got I think two wins over teams with. winning records this year that's not. their fault but everyone thought they. should have beat the Lions last week.

with how you know banged up they are I. think it would go a long ways uh if they. could you know go into Seattle and get a. win on Sunday night and they are. starting to get a little bit healthier. as well they had a couple guys out. against the Lions too and uh several of. those guys are at least potentially on. track to play this week so I'm feeling. pretty good about this game okay AJ who. you taking I'm taking the Packers here. on the road all right I'll take the. Seahawks getting points at home and uh. that does it boys I think the picks are.

over the press conference is over. there's only one man that we need to. talk to and he's sitting right over. there he's got a sweet pair of Nike. shoes he's got a great suit on good tie. I don't think people got to see his. smile enough cuz he's got a great smile. on this guy and he's got a great. football brain. ladies and gentlemen to wrap up this. phenomenal Feelgood Friday from the. beautiful state of West Virginia. athletic director and I think I heard. president of something Ren Baker.

yeah my clap apprciate you guys Hey. listen if Ty says anything he has to do. it in his Pete THL voice so so how does. Pete feel about how today went and Rich. Rodriguez being the head coach well Ren. listen uh you know you kind of you know. you drummed up a lot support obviously. you know coach Rod said you interviewed. I don't what 10,000 guys and maybe. 10,000 additional people on Zoom I think. it was a home run honestly I really do. early on you know my sources were saying.

listen there's no way this is going to. happen Rich Rod not going back to West. Virginia it's going to be the the likes. of you know Barry Odum or someone of. that ilk you kind of you went back into. the uh you know the the tube and and and. said what do we need to do to kind of. get back to who we're supposed to be at. West Virginia we need a hard Edge you. found your hard Edge and you you found. you know you found the right man good on. You Ren very proud of you great decision. do you have any hard Edge in your body. well you know I I don't like the hard. Edge to come out Pat I think you.

remember you know national championship. last year uh hotel lobby dressed up like. B rabbit from 8 Mile Bruce Brown of this. show got in my face was yelling and and. let's just say I damn near knocked him. out so yeah there's a little bit of hard. Edge don't like to use it but I have to. if I have to use it um guys like Bruce. Brown typically you know they incur the. wrath of my hard Edge okay Pete thank. you and before the celebrations really. kick off here as we're kind of holding. it up how happy are you that this day is. come and gone and now how pumped are you.

about the process being over I'm glad. it's over they're they're all uh. incompass encompassing and they're and. and you know cuz you and I talked a few. times I did turn over every Rock because. when you make a hire like this it's not. just important for for me it's important. for West Virginia it's important for our. state I mean it is the brand. of our state and so I wanted to make. sure if I whatever conclusion I got to. that I felt like that that there was no. more for me to to look through to get. there and so I'm married to a process. and it's worked for me um but uh I I'm.

really happy where it turned out I think. fans and people are happy we're going to. sell more tickets we're going to need to. after what you guys have done to the to. the bar in here yeah yeah we that was. not part of the deal the bar it was not. open bar today listen it's coach Rod era. back I don't know what to tell you me. and Owen might rate a raate a bar too. but I left I left Connor in charge it. did not go well well Conor was trying. yeah Conor was trying to figure out all. the text so we could listen to the press. conference because we wanted to hear. what you had to say what's your biggest. takeaway from the press conference out.

there obviously the energy is immense. yeah you know I I said this before West. Virginia love this program and they love. West Virginia and they want West. Virginia to do well so I know there's a. few people have hard feelings about how. things went down 17 years ago but I. think coach nailed it when he said I. will earn your trust uh and your belief. back and uh and and that right there I. mean that's what people need to hear. they want to believe that's kind of been. his Mantra this whole time yeah like. since I've talked to him I I assume you. as well yeah both interviews first time. we sat down with him um just said hey I.

mean I think one of the interviews he. said my biggest professional mistake was. leaving 17 years ago my biggest personal. mistake was how I left and and I'm ready. to go home and make it right isn't it. cool too that it's very apparent that. this isn't like a stepping stone job. either like this is home for him and uh. he's excited to build it you can sense. it he tried to break my leg earlier. whenever he do you remember that he hit. my leg so hard yeah it was it was like a. Vel check it's like he feels it feels. like he is very much energized for this. task his fire is burning as hot as it as.

it ever was I and I didn't know him 20. years ago but if it was burning any. hotter then than it is now I would be. shocked because he that's a competitive. competitive guy yeah certainly is uh AJ. has a question for you Ren Ren did uh. when you were thinking about this whole. process I guess did you understand like. the magnitude and how much a lot of. people's lives rely on the choice that. you made for this. decision my life is what you're talking. about like me a lot of people though you. know it affects it's like we ask we. asked Aaron Rogers hey do you know like. how you play affects so many like the.

coaches their families like the trickle. down effect it's a big deal obviously. hiring a coach and bringing Rich back I. guess did you understand the magnitude. going into it I think when you're in. these situations it's like a a player. that's playing for a national. championship or a golfer that's about to. hit their big shot you try not to think. about that you just try and focus on the. process do the job the best that you can. make the best decision that you can I. I'd be lying if I didn't say I don't. understand um you know they tried to. tell me before I took this job how. important it was to people here like I. told every candidate that we interviewed.

I'm like the day we announce you here. you're the most visible person in this. state period and um and so like it's. something that you have to accept um and. and there's no anonymity there's no you. know and so the responsibility comes. with that is is important and you have. to understand if you're going to be here. but for this process I Tred to block. that out I mean and and Pat would know. when I when he'd talked to me he saw. he'd see me at home he'd see I was just. like hey I'm just working through the. process I'm trying not to listen to. anybody uh opinions except for his and.

Coach savings yeah yeah yeah yeah who I. uh and I told you was very neutral and. that's what I'm saying I I I would like. that to be on the record because I I. believe in you and I think you are a. very good athletic director so it was a. tough balance because I had all my ex-. teammates being like hey Pat I think you. have some say in this entire thing why. don't you go ahead and put the wagon B. it's like I don't want to put that. pressure on rent and I'm not in the. interviews so I don't know who the best. person is I had nothing but faith that. you would do it and the fact that it's. rot obviously a lot of us are excited I. think a lot of the donors are excited.

too which is obviously good news for the. state that we're in and you can tell the. state's excited so is the school Connor. has the last question for you here R. yeah speaking of the donors when this. gets announced are there more nil. opportunities now you know are more. people reaching out like hey. congratulations how do I help obviously. we had the wonderful whiskey that is. being sold to help Dan but did they say. how much per drink that's going to cost. you uh on house first one on the house. this was they said you can have all them. what you want former players get. whatever they want as the word on the.

former players of course as Rich Rod. acknowledged ear former Mustangs former. Mustangs former Mountaineers things of. that nature former Colts you could say. but what what does now go into the nil. now that you know the new coach has been. hired hey let's go after this thing and. let's compete with you know those. college football playoff teams yeah you. know I feel like the best way to raise. money in an athletic program is to win. and so I tried to not let any you know. potential money influence um One Way or. Another affect the process but now that. we the process has landed here I do.

think it's going to open up more. opportunities and we know now in this. world of College athletics yes helping. people grow and and retention all that. is for a lot of reasons that experience. that camaraderie are you providing them. opportunities to learn uh for for Life. After football here those are all still. important but also what's important is. have a competitive orchest and and so uh. Mountaineer Nation uh I hope understands. that big donors I hope understand that. yeah there's been people already catch. me today and say they're they're reop. you know Pat owes me some money that's.

right and and he's we're to get some I. was wondering where that money was going. for a little bit and then uh you know. the donor figured it out but I got a. text from Ken did you did yeah I got a. text from Ken Kendrick ding the show. today said thank you for what you're. doing if you ever need me on a program I. could do a call in I don't know if he. knows show is but I do appreciate that. he is in but I think that is a massive. deal you got a lot of support you got a. lot of time and uh I'm thankful for you. man I think you've did a fantastic job.

and I think you should be proud of. yourself and also I think you should. celebrate at some point yeah I'm going. to on a beach somewhere some beach. somewhere AJ that's right right uh. ladies and gentlemen the best athletic. director and what what was the other. title vice president not president vice. president they threw that [ __ ] on there. so they give him some more money I think. ladies and gentlemen the best in the. country Ren. Baker he's getting ready to go back to. wrestling I'm predicting. that don't be giving anything.

away problem I can just. say I see these guns I know what's about. to happen he might be. right that's Ren baker football that's. Ren baker football right there thank. you all right we're going to get the. hell out of here cuz they're holding up. the party for all of us in here and I. don't know if you can here kind of. starting back up and then they felt like. they had to get down I never want to be. associated with a guy that they go sh. cuz Pat's here so uh we're going to let. them go ahead and turn this thing up AJ. thank you for traveling over to Indie. today appreciate it it's been fun man.

good this is uh this it felt it was fun. watching you guys in there and now. seeing you get to connect with your old. guys like that's the best part that's. the best part about anytime I get to go. back and see guys I've played with that. I haven't seen forever like it it makes. you a better person I. think love door Dash man who does. [Laughter]. me too we'll probably door Dash some. good times over here you know that's uh. I love that foxy try to slide these into. because he knows we're probably getting. out of here quick and we need to hit. this door Dash L WP a couple different.

times but if you don't know by now door. Dash has everything you need it is. literally your tag team partner in life. want some food you need some medicine. need some clothes P yesterday yeah you. can get a PlayStation some got a PS5. yesterday pretty sweet what yeah booze. yeah I think you can get booze I think. they also have THC drinks on there oh. what yeah wow so when they say door Dash. has it all I mean they do get all your. game day faves delivered but not only on.

game day get them every day order pizza. and more from the best seats in the. House your house that's door Dash so. shout out to Door Dash shout out to you. and shout out to this guy taking a trip. over here to morg toown with me shout. out to Gumpy too look at Gumpy over here. working there you go goop oh that place. is awesome that that Champions called is. it called look at this this is the whole. everybody's just waiting on us sh they. got a huge WV yeah you can see it right. there behind the bar oh yeah everybody's. waiting on us to shut the [ __ ] up so we.

triy to find a corner but I don't think. we're out of the way enough but. from us here in West Virginia to you. guys in Indianapolis I think today was a. good day I think today was a good day. great day I think today was Sonic and. Knuckles too hell yeah uh I think. I think Ryan Clark and Aaron need to. talk it out yeah I'd say I think they. need to have a let's go shake their H. think'll.

yeah you tell me AJ what do you think I. don't know I don't know how deep it goes. but uh yeah it's always good to talk. right it's always good to chat we also. need to have uh Nick Mangold on the. program what's that we need to have Nick. M about the UFOs yeah he saw him yeah. he's been seen for a while the drones. you're saying yeah yeah the drones he. lives in Jersey yeah what what are they. and they're coming out of the ocean they. said they're death brother they are. angels of death no no no no no no no no. no no no don't say that we don't.

Harvesters Harvesters this is what I'm. saying man this is what I'm saying you. you got to you got to be a little. worried as we were flying East as we're. flying East this morning Conor like out. the windows let's make sure we don't see. any of these double check cuz some. people are saying they're just ples hey. these people are these idiots these. conspiracy theorists are just seeing. planes for the first time in the sky. that's crazy okay well then I got then. there's like people that are legit. saying they start out as this little. like thing and then it transforms into. look like a plane did you hear that no.

they're shape shifting yeah yeah they're. that I'm scared that's not good I'm. scared if that's I mean not to mention. the shape shifting dogs we saw a few. months. ago then they just turn into humans you. saw that we can't away too much cuz then. we won't be taken seriously but a lot of. the people that normally don't take this. type of thing serious AJ included in. this entire thing have seen so much that. they're. like what the hell's going on so. whenever they roll somebody out to op. pressor and Gale most of these have been. planes some of them helicopters.

obviously we saw that it's like I don't. think that excuse just works anymore cuz. I think there's too many people going. like I don't know what's the governor. talking about I don't know telling you. boys load up on that 556 okay I don't. know if that matters brother all I want. to know is can I go shake their hand. I want to shake their hands whatever. they are and I think we should talk to. them think about this I thought about. this Theory this morning what if you. know Christopher Columbus you know. Christopher Columbus was the first one. allegedly to look over and say well he.

definitely was I guess but you know what. I saying anyways he was the first one to. say like I think the world's round [ __ ]. it I'm going okay that's what he said. what if these little beings that have. lived in our ocean for a long time had a. young little Christopher Colum colus one. that said like there's World outside of. this water like there's World outside of. this water and then all of a sudden he. takes one up there and he's like holy. [ __ ] you should see it we're floating. around out there and then he goes back. to the lads back to the boys and they.

all start set maybe they're just a bunch. of little young aliens having a good. time with something that they didn't. know they were able to do that's very. optimistic of you Pat but they are here. for death they will kill stay away from. them Don't Go Near them don't talk to. this is rum Springer this is like rum. Springer Harvesters of evil angels of. death. I'd be worried we need to send Christian. pisc over there thank him for stopping. by Rich Rod Ren Baker Nick Sabin hell of. a Friday all right have a great weekend. we'll be back for overreaction Monday. Army Navy is tomorrow Heisman uh.

Presentation tomorrow Saturday night. main event for WWE tomorrow night on NBC. then obviously a full NFL Sunday slate. we're so incredibly lucky that we get to. do this uh we'll see you on every. reaction Monday all right be a friend. tell a friend something nice it might. change their life we together even more. so now than ever especially if we got. death Merchants flying in the. sky team on me team on. three one two three team goodbye.