We've all been through them: those breakups which finally reached the point of no return. Sure, maybe there were stages leading up to the finale, but there came a moment when you knew with crystalline clarity that you'd never get back together again.It's safe to say that West Virginia and Rich Rodriguez have reached that point in their relationship. We say this with confidence not because of the nasty public dispute and pending lawsuits between "Coach Rod" and his alma mater, but because he got the paper shredder involved. It has come to light that Rich Rodriguez eliminated most of the records he kept -- including seven years' worth of player records -- in Morgantown before departing to take the head coaching gig at Michigan.
From the Charleston Gazette:
You can imagine the reaction of West Virginia bloggers."It's unbelievable. Everything is gone, like it never existed,'' said a source within the athletic department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Good, bad or indifferent, we don't have a record of anything that has happened.''
According to the source, the files in Rodriguez's office that are now missing included everything from records regarding summer camps - financial and otherwise - to data on boosters, recruiting and most everything related to activities within the program during Rodriguez's seven years at WVU.
According to multiple sources, several people in the Puskar Center reported seeing Rodriguez and at least one member of his inner circle, video coordinator Dusty Rutledge, in Rodriguez's private office shredding paperwork on Dec. 18. That's the day he returned to clean out his office after being introduced as the Michigan coach at a press conference in Ann Arbor the day before.
WestbygodVirginia.net writes:
To be perfectly honest with you, not even I thought Rodriguez had this in him. Going beyond the initial "WTF" reaction, he's probably broken any number of state laws. I have half-a-mind to try to get him indicted on war crimes, but that Geneva Convention is always a crapshoot.And WV Mountaineer Sports says "Dick Fraud" broke a basic tenet of human morality:
We've all been fired or quit a job, and we all know that you have to leave the red stapler!Our own John Radcliff, a WVU alum, says Michigan better start backing up their data now. I'll take it a step further and recommend nightly remote backup.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. I hope for Rod's sake these files have simply been misplaced...but in the event that he did destroy them it speaks volumes about what kind of person he is.
Posted at 6:51PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Clay
2. i have said all along he threw the pit game
Posted at 6:58PM on Jan 15th 2008 by tim dolan
3. Remember how you all cheered for the marine who shredded all those documents during the Iran Contra investigation? This comes from people down there getting married to close family memebers. It just can't be good
Posted at 6:58PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Steve
4. Come on people - Rodriguez's last month at the helm speaks load & clear as to where his heart, head, ego and ethics were and remain.
I can only hope that any recruit's father or mother, high school coach, priest or pastor, friend or relative that is listening and may have the recruit's ear speak load & clear as to all these tidbits add up to.
REMEMBER - if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and f*^@s other ducks then it's probably a duck.
Posted at 7:06PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Don
5. Steve, as the liberal arrogant yankee you obviously are - Shove it!
PS - be careful Steve as all us "right winger" hillbillies that marry in the same gene pool would not give second thought to ...
No, my apology Stevie. For a second there I was infected with your judgemental ignorance and look where it took me.
Posted at 7:12PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Don
6. Should be entertaining to see what fairy tales are spread to cover this mess up.
Posted at 8:36PM on Jan 15th 2008 by A D
7. it really is ashame that he did this an if financial records are involved can`t WVU sue for this also an maybe NCAA should investigate this an if deem fit don`t let rich coach in NCAA for 5 yrs that might fix his a&&
Posted at 8:56PM on Jan 15th 2008 by mark
8. I am sick to death of stupid people commenting about West Virginians being inbred. If you can't think of anything more intelligent to say then don't say anything at all. And for God's sake, learn how to spell, Steve!!! Maybe you should take a look at your own family tree.
Posted at 9:58PM on Jan 15th 2008 by Nikki
9. Yo Don, your an ass...opinions are everybody's right. Even yours....but your still an ass. You aren't really Rich R. are you becasue if he shredded the papers they say his ass is in deep. Probably had some help from his sis'/cousin.
Posted at 10:15PM on Jan 15th 2008 by G. Hale
10. Its funny how everyone in WV loved RR but as soon as he leaves you go on a witch hunt. He turned WV into a legitimate program and left the program in great shape. How do you treat people who dont do a great job? Sorry but Michigan is top 5 opportunity in terms of college football coaching( an no Alabama is not), nor is WV. Get over it, wish him well, say thank you and show some class.
Posted at 11:51PM on Jan 15th 2008 by scblackwe
11. people need to know,its the players that make a coach,wv will always be good because of its fans.and team efforts.
Posted at 11:19AM on Jan 16th 2008 by billy
12. Rich Rodrieguez destroyed all "legitimate" evidence on the way out the door? You mean all of the athletic records were kept in hard copy? Paper records? Even if computer programs were used to store data, you mean to tell me nothing was being backed up? Hmmm... something is rotten in the state of West Virginia....
Posted at 11:34AM on Jan 16th 2008 by Sue
13. Come on Rich, for the sake of your reputation, your family, friends and supporters, do what is right. Write the check for your first installment due on Saturday and come clean with what you know about the missing records. Not everyone is out to defame you, but if you don't follow through with your responsibilities and answer some questions about the missing records you jeopardize any support that you might have back home.
Posted at 11:58AM on Jan 16th 2008 by LS
14. This is just more "scorned woman" WVU nonsense.
Think hard about this: a major university keeps a single copy of all records relating to its football players? No computer records? No copies? If there had been a fire at the WVU athletic department, would those players have been SOL?
C'mon people - take off your team glasses, apply some common sense and this story is a load of crap designed to smear Rodriguez.
Also ask, why did it take two weeks for this story to come out? Why was it held until the recruiting dead period was over? Something smells alright, and it's WVU fans who can't move on.
Posted at 1:49PM on Jan 16th 2008 by Jeff
15. To those who condemn Coach Rod leaving WV :
Coach Rod simply did what anyone else in his profession would do : To improve one's job and to face greater challenge.
He said that he appreciates and is grateful for his 7 years at WV and he did a great job @ WV and left a great team to Coach Stewart.
Posted at 2:43PM on Jan 16th 2008 by Mike Tsou
16. Shows what type of character Rodriguez has. Michigan obviously feels that a successful football program is worth dealing with someone of his low morals. Of course, one day Michigan will be in the same position as WVU.
Posted at 5:01PM on Jan 16th 2008 by sharon
17. I'M happy for U M football to get a great guy to take over at helm, but i thank you should send him back home and shred his records. U-M do you want another 10 years bad luck like your basketball team? Keep him and he might go to LSU, ALABAMA OR A PRO. TEAM.
Posted at 5:09PM on Jan 16th 2008 by AL
18. Hey Don...best you can come up with is "Shove it"?
Obviously YOUR folks swam at the shallow end of the gene pool with far too much chlorine.
However, to call me a Yankee, now that is some serious sh*t. It was W. Virginia that bailed in the second war for independence not we of the Old Dominion. So when you think of loyalty think of your own state's record.
By the way, if you divorce her, she's still your sister.
Posted at 7:05PM on Jan 16th 2008 by Steve
19. Don...you ignorant a**hole. Is "Shove it!" the best you can come up with? Not only were your parents swimming in the same gene pool, but they stayed at the shallow end with waaaaay too much chlorine.
As for the Yankee remark, now you're talking some sh*t. But I suspect you learned your history at W.Virginia. You folks were the ones who bailed in the second war for independence, not we of the Old Dominion. I guess that covers the loyalty issue you chumps keep whinning about also. West Virginia loyalty, as hard to find as a West Virginia virgin.
on last thing Donny, or is it Dummie, I'll answer your e-mail question here. Yes, if you divorce her she is still your sister.
Posted at 7:12PM on Jan 16th 2008 by Steve
20. Rich is a piece of crap that I hope falls flat. I hope he gets walked all ove by the people he has wronged.
Posted at 10:29PM on Jan 16th 2008 by Ann