Rich Rodriguez to pay
West Virginia
$4 Million
After breaking his contract one year ago to join the Michigan Wolverines,
Rich Rodriguez is forced to pay the team he let go $4 million dollars.
By Eric Geier
Michigan AD and President Avoid Testifying
The story that started in December
with WVU officials filing a lawsuit against Rich Rodriguez after he abruptly
quit his position to join Michigan
is finally over. The Rich Rodriguez saga ends at WVU with Rodriguez paying $4
million back to the University in increments of an undisclosed sum.
Last week officials from West Virginia University filed papers in court, papers
which would have forced Michigan
Athletic Director Bill Martin and President Mary Sue Coleman to testify in
depositions about the hiring of Rich Rodriguez. The fact that WVU had
finally gone to court to file these deposition papers put heat on Rodriguez and
his new peers, forcing him to make an offer to WVU to end the whole situation.
Rodriguez Leaving WVU
Many people in Morgantown expected Rodriguez to stay after
signing a contract extension last year. Instead, he jumped ship for Ann Arbor, leaving a
bitter taste in the mouths of the WVU community. WVU officials made it a goal
to take something back from Rodriguez as he had taken something from them.
Rodriguez, in his own deposition, had said he only signed the contract
extension under tremendous pressure from officials at WVU as well as Governor
Joe Manchin. Rodriguez also claimed that WVU President Mike Garrison assured
him the buyout clause would be significantly reduced if he were to resign.
Garrison denies having said any such thing to Rodriguez during contract
negotiations.
Folded Under Pressure
It seemed Rodriguez was preparing
to go to court to keep his money. However, when WVU officials decided to bring Michigan into the
picture, Rodriguez folded under the pressure. The last thing Rich Rodriguez
wants or needs is to have the media and the community of Ann Arbor focusing on a trial when they
should be concerned with the upcoming football season.