The mentality is definitely changing with a new regime in place to lead WVU football.
Rich Rodriguez is back in charge in Morgantown nearly two decades after his first stint with the program ended -- which was arguably the most successful period in Mountaineer football history.
Much has been said about how Rodriguez has already begun to shift the culture and mentality inside the facilities at the Milan Puskar Center. And as the program gets spring practices underway, that shift is becoming more and more evident.
During last Thursday's pre-spring football press conference, Rodriguez quipped that "what was here a year ago or three months ago is not nearly as important as what's going on right now" and that
that he and his players might have "different definitions" of hard work -- both statements indicative that he was re-shaping the environment he has inherited.
But it was even clearer during Tuesday's press conference following the team's first official spring practice, as Rodriguez addressed what he wants the on-field attitude to be during his tenure -- and that way it was phrased presents a world of difference to the more lackadaisical attitude presented during the Neal Brown era.
"As long as they're keeping score, we're going to whoop your ass," Rodriguez told the press assembled at the event.
WVU HC Rich Rodriguez: “As long as they’re keeping score, we’re going to whoop your ass.”
— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) February 25, 2025
It's not necessarily surprising to anyone to hear this -- after all, this is the same man who off-handedly mentioned "getting sick" while watching his current program's 2024 regular season finale against Texas Tech, where the Mountaineers lost 52-15 and then-coach Brown described the loss as an "ass-whooping" during his final post-game press conference.
It appears that during the Rodriguez era, he wants his team to be the one handing out whoopings, not the other way around. Hopefully, we'll have a picture of how realistic an expectation that may be once we arrive at the end of spring practices and the 2025 Gold-Blue Showcase on April 5th.