NCAA Football Coaching Carousel Can Be a Confusing -- and Upsetting -- Process for Players

Big-time college football can be a sleazy business. Take, for example, West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, who has built the Mountaineers into a national powerhouse by leading them to three straight Big East championships and four straight New Year's Day Bowl games.

With rumors circulating about Rodriguez possibly leaving West Virginia, he stated emphatically that he would be staying in Morgantown.

"I plan on being at West Virginia the rest of my career," he told the Wheeling News-Register in a story that was published on December 1.

Well, what do we find out just a few days later? The man interviewed for the Alabama job, which became available when Mike Shula was fired last month after a 6-6 season.

In the end, Rodriguez opted to stay at West Virginia -- at least for now -- rejecting a reported six-year, $12 million offer from Alabama, which could have been enough to lure him away. It was a strong show of loyalty but the mere fact that he interviewed at Alabama just days after saying he would never leave West Virginia makes you wonder if he'll accept the next opportunity that comes along.

Of course, one could argue that staying in Morgantown is a better career move for Rodriquez because the Alabama program, for all its history and tradition, remains in a state of turmoil. It seems the Crimson Tide are still living under the shadow of Paul Bryant, even though the "Bear" has been dead for 20 years.

An alumnus of West Virginia, Rodriguez managed to coax a two-year extension from
his current employer, keeping him under contract through 2014. Forgive me for being cynical, but is it possible Rodriguez used the Alabama offer as leverage?

Nobody should have a problem with a coach trying to get a better job. It happens
all the time in every walk of life. Employees often relocate to another city if a higher-paying position comes available, and football coaches should be allowed to do it as well.