Redemption arc, or a cheating ex's second chance: analyzing Rich Rodriguez returning to WVU

Well folks, it's official -- Rich Rodriguez is returning to Morgantown to coach the West Virginia Mountaineers again, and fans are beyond split. Will it be like taking back an ex who cheated? Or bringing back the prodigal son for a redemption story like no other?

Rich Rodriguez, or "Rich Rod," led the WVU program from 2001 to 2007. He brought the Mountaineers to national prominence, going 60-26 while having three 10-win seasons. After a 3-8 season in 2001, the Mountaineers played in a bowl game each of the next six seasons and won at least eight games yearly. WVU won Big East Conference Championships in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007.

In 2006, after a come-from-behind victory against Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl, Rodriguez flirted with the idea of heading to Alabama to become the Crimson Tide head coach but had a last-minute change of heart and instead opted to stay with WVU.

In 2007, West Virginia was on the cusp of playing for a National Championship but fell short against Pitt. Some fans still believe to this day that the the game was "thrown" by Rodriguez because he wanted a more manageable transition out to become the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines.

After a short tenure in Ann Arbor followed by a pit stop at Arizona, Rodriguez would find himself coaching the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, not to mention a few stops between serving as an assistant before the JSU job.

Having dealt with a couple of allegations during his coaching career, the fan base is torn. Is this the best move for the program? Was it a rushed hire? Is this the best we could get for the money? Many questions will have to be answered on the field alone, and how he conducts himself off of it will be another matter.

Rich Rodriguez is a complicated coach who demands excellence yet sometimes exhibits mediocrity himself. He's been messy at times off the field, and brings a rough -and-tumble attitude. One can only hope that a buyout is on the low end if Rodriguez wants to move on again in the future, which fans hope isn't the case. One thing is for sure: Rich Rodriguez is a proven winner, but at what cost? Can he return the program to national prominence once again, especially with NIL in play for this time around? NIL and an attitude, for an old school coach, can be a toxic cocktail. It could also work wonders.