Rich Rodriquez in Talks with Michigan

West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez meets with U-M today

December 14, 2007

By MICHAEL ROSENBERG and MARK SNYDER

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITERS

Michigan has a new leading candidate to be its new football coach: West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez.

Rodriguez met with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin and school president Mary Sue Coleman in Toledo today to discuss the open position, two people at U-M confirmed to the Free Press. The Sporting News first reported the meeting this afternoon.

Rodriguez, who is set to make $1.8 million this season according to a USA Today study of coaches' contracts, signed a second amendment to his contract in August 2007. His contract now runs through the 2013 season.

The major obstacle to a potential deal could be his buyout clause, which stands at $4 million if he leaves Morgantown, W. Va., before Aug. 31, 2008. That was part of the amendment signed last year that boosted his pay from its previous total of around $1 million.

After Rodriguez flirted with Alabama almost exactly a year ago, with some reports even stating he had accepted the job, he decided to remain at his alma mater. At the time, that contract offer was reported to be six years, $12 million.

His career record is 60-26. The Mountaineers have won at least 10 games in each of the past three seasons and are headed to the Fiesta Bowl to face Oklahoma this year after just missing out on a trip to the Bowl Championship Series national title game when they lost the season finale to Pittsburgh.

Rodriguez has coached West Virginia since the 2001 season, after coaching as an offensive coordinator under Tommy Bowden first at Tulane in 1997-98 and then 1999-2000 at Clemson.

He played three seasons at West Virginia under legend Don Nehlen, a former Michigan assistant under Bo Schembechler.

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