With all the accusations being hurled at Rich Rodriguez the last few weeks by his former employer, I've been wondering how long it would be before Rodriguez would finally try and defend himself. Apparently that car commercial was the last straw, because Rodriguez finally broke his silence in an interview with the Toledo Blade on Wednesday night.As you'd expect, Rodriguez claims everything we're hearing about the money he owes the school, and the claims he destroyed school records on his way out are all lies.
"The things they are saying are not true," Rodriguez said. "It's a lie. How can you put out lies and think it's OK? They don't care what the truth is, they just want to smear Rich Rodriguez."
"It's very frustrating," Rodriguez said. "I knew there'd be some emotions involved when I left, but I wanted to take the high road. I've chosen to move on, but it's almost like it's something new every day, and it's totally ridiculous."
"The implication to me is slanderous. What they are implying, to me, attacks my integrity, and that's why I'm so upset. This has gone too far.
"It's bad enough that they throw things out there, and my family gets harassed, my relatives get threatened, and they try and attack my credibility right in the middle of recruiting. And then to throw something out like this, with anonymous sources ...
"And how it becomes a story, and why it's become big news, to me, is just baffling."
Rodriguez also went on to talk about what really happened with the files he's been accused of destroying.
"The day that's in question, when they said I was doing all this stuff in the office, I probably had 25 or 30 players that came over and wished me well," Rodriguez said. "We talked and we hugged - obviously they wanted us to stay - but they understood and they were great about it."Obviously, this story isn't going to go away anytime soon. Personally I've no idea which side I believe in this situation. Rich Rodriguez doesn't exactly seem to be a perfect angel to me, but at the same time, West Virginia is acting like a lover scorned and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they're embellishing some of the fact here due to their broken heart.
He said the files and documents he removed were his records and personal papers, and any attempt to make it seem like it was anything but a normal exercise for an employee moving from one job to another was not accurate.
"They are making up half truths and lies, because this was done on a regular work day, with people all around, and those were all files that were in my office," Rodriguez said. "It was information that was in a closet with no lock on it, and some of it had been in there for years."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-17-2008 @ 4:49PM
MCANE88888 said...
ABOUT THE 4M HE OWES THE SCHOOL, WHATS IN THE CONTRACT FOR HIS BUYOUT. ACCORDING TO REPORTS
THAT WAS THE NUMBER MICHIGAN OR RODRIQUEZ HAD TO PAY
WEST VIRGINA WHEN HE LEFT TO GO TO MICHIGAN. IT'S IN BLACK AND WHITE.
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1-17-2008 @ 4:50PM
MMcmahan said...
And he's now at Michigan where some might think he will fit in..........for me, it's a fit if you like the colors, myself I adore Gray and Red........Go Bucks. Maybe it's a fit made in heaven and for us Buckeyes to keep an eye on him......as if he's that bad in the past, he might do bad things there and it's at our level now. Nice to have a trusted coach, isn't it, Sweater vest and all. go Bucks and we see what happens to that team up north come Nov.
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1-17-2008 @ 5:06PM
Mike Tsou said...
Let us calm down : you folks from West Virginia : Coach Rod has left and leave him alone.
I believe him. In addition, Bill Martin believes him. As thorough as Bill Martin is, his background check must have cleared Rodriguez of all of the false accusations.
We Americans believe in assuming innocense first. Go Blue !!
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1-17-2008 @ 5:17PM
Buddy Christy said...
First of all EnRod, you have no integrity OR credibility to attack. You screwed over your school, the fans and the State of West Virginia. But most of all, you screwed over the very people who made you a rich man... the players. You are a sleze-bag and West Virginia is fortunate to be rid of you... Bill Stewart will do just fine, thank you.
I am a born and bred West Virgina University fan, but I will be rooting for Ohio State every year when they play Michigan, for the remainder of my life.
Goooooo Mountaineers!!!!
Goooooo Buckeyes!!!
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1-17-2008 @ 6:34PM
J.R. Scott said...
Just wait and see! WVU would never make any comments like the ones that were made if they were not true! A killer or bank robber would not admit he did it! Just like Coach Fraud will not admit it!
Bill Stewart
will be a great man for the 'eers!
As far as players wishing him well, Pat White and Owen Schmitt was ready to beat that AZZ!
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1-17-2008 @ 6:45PM
Jason Altic said...
I believe that West Virginia is just mad that Coach Rod has left them. Michigan will learn something new and that is how to beat Ohio State again. And he will do great there.
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1-17-2008 @ 6:49PM
Richard said...
At best coach R used bad judgment, and his delayed response sounds like one carefully crafted by a lawyer. Unless one supposes that the allegations are simply sour grapes by WVA, it is possible that the destroyed files, perhaps computer ones according to one report, contain some form of incriminating evidence. That coach R. chose to destroy such files virtually upon return from accepting the Michigan job seems suspicious. Michigan is a fine university in a conference featuring men of class as coaches, JoePa, Tressel, Carr, Ferentz, Tiller, etc. Coach R is going to be challenged to be thought of as of a moral quality of such peers after all this departure and file shredding controvery plays out. Sad.
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1-17-2008 @ 7:28PM
cameron carr said...
Rich Rodriguez is an ego-maniac. He claimed his loyalty last year after using the offer from Alabama to hold WVU's athletic department hostage to the demands of himself and his big money booster buddies.
After blowing the biggest game in the school's history , coaching like he was scared to death of a Pitt team that limped into Mountaineer field, perhaps looking ahead to a job he knew he was going to take and was afraid he was losing his shot at, he suddenly was so unhappy about small pieces of the contract that he had only signed less than a handful of months prior, Rich Fraud cries about how he HAS to make the HARD DECISION to take the job at Big Blue. This man turned his back on his home state like Brittany Spears at a Quality Parenting Class. Suddenly his wife is singing Hail to the Wolverines and he is standing on the sidelines of Lloyd Carr's bowl game, sucking up face time. He is a degenerate. He used players like Pat White and Steve Slaton to gain real recognition for his spread offense, used that *good ol boy* charm to convince the country what a swell guy he is, then fled, and destroyed documents in an attempt to leave the WVU football program with no help from him via records and conditioning information. Why would he need to do that? Aside from being vindictive and underhanded, there is no reason. He wanted whatever coach came into WVU to have NO help from him. Well Dick Fraud, after what we saw in the Fiesta Bowl, one thing is apparent. Old Gold and Blue doesn't need anything from you. You only refocused the countries attention on a team that Don Nehlen put on the map 20 years ago
LET'S GO MOUNTAINEERS!
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1-17-2008 @ 7:36PM
Mike said...
Hey FraudRod take WVU to court sue them for everything you can get, if your right you will be loaded. If not you will be 4 million short. It's that simple put up or shut up
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1-17-2008 @ 7:50PM
DENNIS said...
MMcmahan, doesn't matter about Novemeber, com Jan, you will be exposed for what you are(Ohio State). A miidle of the road team who plays no one all year and then gets there butt kicked by the SEC. Go SEC, best college football in the land.
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1-17-2008 @ 10:25PM
Dick Gritter said...
Coach Rodriguez made a career move...pure and simple. What's wrong with that? If the president of UWV were offered the presidency at Michigan, he'd likely accept too. UWV is a fine institution and football program. Michigan is just a little larger and more prestigious. I like them both. Let's move on. Go Mountaineers! Go Blue!
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1-18-2008 @ 8:34AM
James Buckland said...
Rodriguez is scum. WV will do just fine without him. Born and bred in West Virginia Rodriguez? Not likely. We don't raise our own to be like you.
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1-18-2008 @ 5:45PM
leslie said...
you say calm down wait till your GO BLUE cant beat ohio state u will wish he stayed at wvu.
GOOOOO MOUNTAINEERS
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1-19-2008 @ 3:09PM
Stephanie said...
Dick...(appropriate name).. NO ONE is forcing you to read the controversy regarding the evil convenience-store toilet scum, Fraudriguez!
If Fraud was so concerned about the well-being of his family in WV, perhaps he could have left with dignity and respect instead of the slimey, underhanded manner he chose. Perhaps he could have then left a legacy his family could be proud of and they would not need to hide from the ongoing public scrutiny he exclusively created. It is not that he left.. It is the path he executed.
As for Rita singing the Wolverine fight song... Puke. She must have practiced that song for MONTHS just to haphazzardly lip synch for the cameras. Can you say bleach blond trailer trash? The Ph in Cheat Lake will never be the same after the mass amount of bleach she expelled prior to departure. The gene pool between those two can barely be ankle deep.
Good riddence Rod! We are equally exhausted with your drama. Just pay up your 4 million and never come back to this "small" state again. It may take a village to raise a child but it only takes one man to piss off an ENTIRE state.. Dick Fraudriguez!
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1-21-2008 @ 4:08PM
arnie phillips said...
I read the SI article that says the only thing that RR did wrong was call Terrell Pryor before notifying his team. The article is a joke. It fails to mention the other things that RR did.
Interviewed for MI job without permission
Ignored his contract buyout.
Told recruits to decommit from WV
called current WVU recruits to go to Michigan
They guy was paid by WV to recruit and he stole his work product that belonged to WVU and ruined our recruiting class.
First coach ever to take his team to a BCS game and not coach in the game.
Used Alabama to get more money then tried to use UM to do the same.
Lost to PITT in worst coached game ever!
Shredded conditioning files of current players.
Stole every assistant he could get his hands on.
Michigan fans should not be happy that he fired all of the assistants while preparing for a bowl game.
In short while RR did a great job of bringing a powerhouse team to WV, he has done everything to tear down the school and his former team.
WVU fans will continue to make RR the poster boy of bad coaching moves. It will hurt Michigan and RR much more than WVU in the long run. While the NCAA may be slow to pass a rule on coaches changing jobs before the season, RR will be the example and hopefully in the future teams like Michigan will keep thier hands off coaches before the season is over.
Currently of the best Michigan players are turning pro or transferring. I hope Terrell Pryor is watching closely.
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2-04-2008 @ 12:05PM
richard lester said...
Can everyone shut-up now about this? Check out today's Sports Illustrated online edition. We are a laughing stock
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