The West Virginia Mountaineers are entering their second season of the second tenure of Rich Rodriguez. And between his two stints in Morgantown, alongside stints at Michigan, Arizona, and Jacksonville State, the veteran head coach hasestablished himselfas one of the more respected coaches in college football.
But at any given time, there are over 130 FBS coaches leading a team, and there are always going to be debates about which coaches are at the top of the sport. Recently, The Athleticreleased a list ranking coachesat the FBS level, sorting each coach into eight different 'tiers.' So where does a coach like Rodriguez end up?
Too high or too low? Rich Rodriguez ranked a "Tier 3" coach
The top tier in the rankings was simply described as "The Standard," with Curt Cignetti and Kirby Smart occupying rarefied air. The next tier is "Established Winners," where ten more coaches are listed, including names such as Dabo Swinney, Ryan Day, and James Franklin. Rodriguez did not make the cut here either.
Rodriguez would land alongside 22 other coaches in the third tier: "Consistency With Upside." Seven Big 12 coaches, including Rodriguez, made this group, meaning he was among the top half of coaches in the league.
Considering Rodriguez's status as one of the winningest active FBS coaches, his history of making more happen with less at both West Virginia and Arizona, his sustained prior success with the Mountaineers, and his recent sustained success at Jacksonville State, there are plenty of reasons to argue Rodriguez should be a tier higher on this list.
But for now, with the slow start last season to his second tenure with West Virginia, it's understandable his stock might be lower. But witha relatively winnable scheduleand some optimistic buzz surrounding the team entering the 2026 season, this could the year Rodriguez proves he is still an established winner after all.
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