Current WVU Football OL's Father Burned All His Rich Rodriguez Gear in 2007

While the vibes are mostly good-hearted and welcoming in 2025 for Rich Rodriguez in his home state of West Virginia, that wasn't always the case.

Rodriguez, who grew up just south of Morgantown in Grant Town, W.Va, and played for the Mountaineers under the legendary Don Nehlen, was once shunned by many across the state after he stepped down as head coach for WVU football after a seven-year stint from 2001-2007. Rodriguez left his alma mater behind to take a flashier, higher-paying job at Michigan where he felt he had a batter chance at winning a national championship.

One of those who was upset when Rodriguez left was current WVU offensive lineman Xavier Bausley's father. Bausley, a Dunbar, W.Va native, began his collegiate career at Jacksonville State for Rodriguez before transferring to the Mountaineers last season. Now, he has reconnected with his first college coach as Rodriguez has returned for a second stint at WVU.

On Friday, Rodriguez discussed reuniting with Bausley during his media availability after practice, and disclosed that when he first recruited the former South Charleston star, he found out an interesting fact about Bausley's dad and how he reacted to Rodriguez's first departure from WVU.

"Usually when we talk, we have them fill out a form, or not a form, we just talk and say, hey, tell us something unique we might want to know about you. And there was a set, and he said, my Dad nurned all of his Rich Rod things, pictures and everything in 2007. He put it on fire, cussed you out – so I had a good laugh with his father about that," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez also seemed to find it funny that now that Bausley is back at WVU and Rodriguez is once again the coach, his dad will likely be buying up some similar gear to what he once burned nearly two decades ago.

"If you wouldn't have burned all my stuff, you might have already had some West Virginia stuff," Rodriguez told Bausley's father.

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