Morgantown, West Virginia – Rich Rodriguez, the new associate head coach/offensive coordinator for the University of Louisiana-Monroe, spoke extensively with his former punter at West Virginia University, Pat McAfee, on The Pat McAfee Show today.

Most of the conversation centered around their time at West Virginia when the school was in the Big East Conference.  Rodriguez revealed that he told the WVU administration that they should find another conference to go to before the Big East imploded.

“Obviously I was in that league (Big East) when it was coming apart and the big problem with the Big East was that at the time it was already fractured.  It had basketball schools, football schools and Notre Dame, and everybody was fighting for their own agenda.”

Rodriguez continued: “When the conferences started to implode, I told our administration that we better find something in a hurry because we’re going to be left standing with nothing in the Big East.

We tried to get into the ACC and the Big Ten, which is probably more of a geographic fit.  That didn’t happen and then I left, and that’s why they had to go to the Big 12.”

Rodriguez praised the West Virginia football program, saying, “West Virginia football has so much to offer.  I don’t care how many TV eyeballs there are on their games, the West Virginia brand, the West Virginia fans, the importance of football in that state, it has a lot to offer to any conference.”

Pat McAfee replied by saying that Rich Rodriguez built that in Morgantown.  Rodriguez said, “You guys built that.  It bothers me when people say you ony had a bunch of blue collar guys.  These were some pretty talented guys.  These weren’t just blue collar players that work hard.

I love Pat McAfee, but if his ass couldn’t kick the ball, I wouldn’t have had him on the team!  I love you, Pat, but I had you on the team because I knew you were pretty damn good.”