An OPEN LETTER to … WVU’s Rich Rodriguez …

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Coach:

This is IT.

The Brawl. The rematch. The second chance.

You won 60 games, four Big East Conference titles, and two major bowl games during your first tenure as WVU’s head coach, but we only remember one loss. To this day, we bow our heads in sadness when whispering, “13-9.”

Today, it’s Pitt again, and – to be honest – our expectations are low after last week’s 17-10 loss to Ohio. We watched the pep rally inside the Coliseum after your hiring was announced, and we’ve heard former punter Pat McAfee praise your second coming, but it’s today when we’ll see if all the hoopla was worth our time.

But you know all of that. You’ve had time during the past 18 years to reflect, to second-guess, and to realize the mistakes that were made. You want to make it right, and we’ll be rooting for you and for the young men representing our great state.

Good luck today, Coach. We’ll be the fans out here singing “Sweet Caroline” …

Sincerely,

LET’S GO!!

Steve Novotney
Steve Novotney
Steve Novotney has been a professional journalist for 33 years, working in print for weekly, daily, and bi-weekly publications, writing for a number of regional and national magazines, host baseball-related talks shows on Pittsburgh’s ESPN, and as a daily, all-topics talk show host in the Wheeling and Steubenville markets since 2004. Novotney is the co-owner, editor, and co-publisher of LEDE News, and is the host of “Novotney Now,” a daily program that airs Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m. on River Talk 100.1 & 100.9 FM.

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