Rich Rodriguez says his decision to leave West Virginia after seven seasons for the head coaching job at Michigan boiled down to one final, late-night meeting with President Mike Garrison. Dusty Rutledge, then video coordinator for the team, picked Rodriguez up for what he thought would be a meeting with Garrison and several boosters.
Here’s his account of the conversation that ensured, as laid out in an April 21 deposition taken by WVU attorney Thomas Flaherty.
“And President Garrison answered the door. And it surprised me, because he looked like he was dressed for bed, so I think maybe I woke him up.
“And I said, ’I was told to come over. Can we meet? And so he said yes. And we sat. We met. And there I relayed all my concerns. And I implored with him about some of the things that were promised, including the things that he had promised.
“And up until that time it always had been positive, that we will work on it. We’ll try. Give us time. We’ll get it done.
“And that night I asked specifically, tell me yes or no. And it was no to everything.
“... I didn’t even get a maybe. I got a no.
“Up until that time, you got to understand, I was holding out hope. Even though a lot of these things weren’t done, I was holding out hope that they would still be done. And at that meeting, it was just no, no, no, no.
“... it was a completely different mentality and mind-set than I had seen since President Garrison had taken office. And it shocked me.
“I think he was — in a way he was almost talking down to me. In fact, he asked me, he says, Look at all the things I did for you. And I said, Such as what? And he said, You didn’t even know what deferred compensation is. And I said, What do you mean I don’t know what it is? I said, I’ve been talking about it for a couple years. And he said, No, you don’t even know what that is.
“So, I mean, he was talking almost to the point like I wasn’t very intelligent.
“And then all he said was, You’ve got a decision to make; either stay or leave. And I said, I want you to help me. Help me make a decision to stay here.
“But it didn’t — it was a different — I felt different coming out of that meeting than any time I had talked with President Garrison.”
WVU Sports
Rodriguez says he, Garrison clashed
- WVU Sports
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Orlando, Pastilong highlight ’12 WVU Hall of Famers
Retired athletic director Ed Pastilong and safety Bo Orlando of the 1988 football team that played Notre Dame for the national championship lead a class of seven into the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame.
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HERTZEL COLUMN: Patrone finally gets his due
Lee Patrone says he remembers it vividly, even though more than 50 years have passed, and while it was the greatest accomplishment in his life it has nothing to do with the West Virginia University basketball career that has lifted him into the Class of 2012 that will be inducted into the Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame in September.
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HERTZEL COLUMN: No doubt WVU made out well
There was a cold, ill wind blowing in from the north on Friday.
It was the kind of wind that blows whenever a Pitt man opens his mouth, as the Pittsburgh athletic director Steve Pederson did. -
Tears and memories: VIDEO
It was mid-Thursday afternoon at the Morgantown Event Center and the crowd stood mostly silently in line that wound out of the Events Hall and into the hallway toward the staircase.
A young lady was there holding a singular golden rose
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Friends, fans mourn loss of Stewart
Condolences streamed in from as far as Texas and Massachusetts as fans and friends gathered Thursday in Morgantown to pay tribute to former West Virginia University football coach Bill Stewart.
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In a day filled with the sorrow of former West Virginia University football coach Bill Stewart’s sudden and unexpected death, there was a ray of sunshine that managed to slip through, a happening that shows us all that even in death there is life and as one son grieves, as does Stewart’s son, Blaine, somewhere else a father basks in pride over his son.
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Bill Stewart services scheduled
Visitation and funeral arrangements for former West Virginia University football coach Bill Stewart have been announced.
There will be public viewing from 2-9 p.m. Thursday, at the Morgantown Event Center, 2 Waterfront Place. - More WVU Sports Headlines
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HERTZEL COLUMN - God bless America
