Who is West Virginia's coach? Rich Rodriguez will not coach Mountaineers in Frisco Bowl
West Virginia football is running it back with one of its most successful coaches.
The Mountaineers officially announced the hiring of Jacksonville State's Rich Rodriguez on Thursday, as the two sides reunite for the first time since 2007.
Rodriguez, who coached West Virginia from 2001-07, won four Big East championships and a Sugar Bowl during his tenure, with the Mountaineers also defeating Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in his final season, although he had already left to be the next coach at Michigan.
After failing in back-to-back head coaching stints with the Wolverines and Arizona, Rodriguez bounced around multiple stops before leading Jacksonville State, a former FCS program, into FBS in 2023. Rodriguez posted a 27-10 record with the Gamecocks, including nine wins in both of their first FBS seasons.
Rodriguez, who replaced former West Virginia coach Neal Brown, won't coach in the bowl game, however, as the Mountaineers will still operate with their 2024 staff against Memphis in the Frisco Bowl.
Who is West Virginia's coach for the bowl game? Here's everything to know about the Mountaineers' plan:
Who is West Virginia's coach?
West Virginia's coach is Rich Rodriguez, who was announced as the hire on Dec. 12. However, it'll be offensive coordinator Chad Scott serving as interim coach against Memphis in the Frisco Bowl on Dec. 17.
Rodriguez will certainly be around for the game as he meets his new players and some of his new coaches, but Scott will handle team duties as the Mountaineers, like most teams going through coaching transitions, rely on the 2024 staff for bowl purposes.
Scott, a West Virginia assistant since 2019, was named the Mountaineers offensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 season. He wasn't the play caller, however, as Brown handled those duties, but he was a nominee for the Broyles Award, which is given to the nation's top assistant coach.
Scott was appointed for the role by athletic director Wren Baker, who hired Rodriguez.
It's unclear if Scott will be retained by Rodriguez for West Virginia's 2025 coaching staff, however, it's certain the two coaches will certainly work together at times in the lead up to the Mountaineers' final game in 2024.
Scott started his career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater North Carolina in 2006 before coaching running backs at Troy, Texas Tech and Kentucky. He then transitioned to coaching tight ends at UNC from 2016-18 before being hired as West Virginia's running backs coach and co-offensive coordinator in 2019.
Scott served as WVU's running-game coordinator in 2022 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2023, a position he held despite not calling plays.