Lofty Goals for 2025? Rich Rod Explains What He Would Consider a Successful Season

Expectations are high in Morgantown as Rich Rodriguez makes his return to the program, but there's an understanding that it may take a little bit of time before the Mountaineers reach the level of where they were at 18 years ago when Rodriguez last led the team.

Nearly the entire roster is new, and only a pair of starters return from last year's team. Anytime you have that much change in one offseason, there's a good chance it's going to be a bumpy ride right out of the shoot.

Rodriguez hasn't been shy of revealing his true opinion(s) on certain position groups, admitting they are far from where they want and need to be. That doesn't change his overall goal, though. Even though it's only year one, Rodriguez has his sights set on capturing a spot in Dallas for the Big 12 championship.

“I guess I’ve gotten too old to have coach speak anymore…if we’re not in contention in November for the conference championship, then I think it’s not a good year," Rodriguez said during an interview on the College GameDay podcast. "Now, will that lead to winning a bowl game and all that? Every year, our first goal is to win the league. Now, if you win the league, you’re going to be in the playoff. I saw Arizona State do it last year, and I know it was in Kenny (Dillingham’s) second year, but they went from down the bottom to the top. Now, can we do that in one year, not two years? That’s a harder ask to do, but certainly that’ll be our focus.”