Rich Rodriguez addresses rumor about why he turned down Alabama job in 2006
Fifteen years later, Rich Rodriguez can’t escape questions about turning down the Alabama job.
Rodriguez’s decision to turn down Alabama in December 2006 is often looked at as one of college football’s biggest “what ifs.” With Rodriguez staying at West Virginia, UA shifted focus to Nick Saban, and college football was changed forever.
Rodriguez is now a head coach in the state of Alabama at Jacksonville State. At his Tuesday arrival in the Yellowhammer State, Rodriguez was asked about the rumors that his wife did not want to relocate to Tuscaloosa back in 2006.
“Totally 100 percent ridiculous,” Rodriguez responded. He added that his wife received a message about it recently.
“I don’t know how that got started,” Rodriguez continued. “That’s 100 percent rumor, fake news, whatever you want to call it.”
Rodriguez, 58, went on to say he and his wife are excited to live in Jacksonville.
New Jacksonville State coach Rich Rodriguez addresses the debunked rumor that he didn’t take Tide job in Dec. 2006 because his wife didn’t want to come to Alabama … pic.twitter.com/9H9u9q2SLw
— Mark Edwards (@MarkSportsStar) November 30, 2021
As a head coach at West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona, Rodriguez went 118-83. He was most recently on Terry Bowden’s Louisiana-Monroe staff after his season at Ole Miss as the Rebels’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2019.
