New WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez brings surprising familiarity with the Big 12, despite his recent tenure at Jacksonville State. He believes that the current Big 12 has similar traits to his previous experience in the Big East, mainly in the recruiting landscape. Rodriguez’s time as head coach at Arizona also gives him an edge, as many former Pac-12 schools are now part of the Big 12, including Arizona and Utah. Throughout his six seasons at Arizona, Rodriguez faced current Big 12 teams 21 times and has insights into their recruiting practices and strategies.
- Rodriguez played against current Big 12 teams 21 times while at Arizona, with a record of 12-9.
- He achieved a best finish of 7-2 in conference play in 2014.
Yes, But
Despite his familiarity, there are questions about how Rodriguez will adapt to the differences in recruiting dynamics and geographic diversity in the Big 12 compared to his previous coaching experiences.
State of Play
- Rodriguez is transitioning from a school in Conference USA to a revamped Big 12.
- He has previously coached in regions that overlap with the current Big 12 teams, offering him a unique perspective.
Rodriguez aims to leverage his past experience to strengthen WVU’s recruiting efforts in the Big 12, where geographical borders are less defined…