Michigan hires West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez as next coach

Associated Press

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - West Virginia is expected to be without its head coach when the Mountaineers face the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl on January 2.

Michigan announced today that it had hired Rich Rodriguez to be its new head coach, succeeding retiring Lloyd Carr.

Former West Virginia coach Don Nehlen, who coached Rodriguez when he played for the Mountaineers, says he doesn't expect Rodriguez to coach for West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl.

Nehlen says Rodriguez will have too much work to do for the Wolverines, recruiting and assembling a staff.

Rodriguez built West Virginia into a Big East power, winning the conference championship this year for the fourth time in five seasons and going 60-26 overall.

Rodriguez told the Mountaineers before their practice this afternoon that he was leaving to coach the Wolverines.

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