Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes former head coach Urban Meyer looks on in the second half between the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Urban Meyer Tells Rich Rodriguez to Build WVU Locker Room with 'Grown A** Men'

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated May 16, 2025 10:29 AM ET

Rich Rodriguez is back at West Virginia and is looking to bring the Mountaineers back to national relevance. It may not happen right away, but with the transfer portal, a rebuild can happen much quicker than, say, roughly 25 years ago when he inherited the program from the legendary Don Nehlen.

Rodriguez made an appearance on the Triple Option podcast with the FOX Big Noon Kickoff crew to discuss his return to WVU. At the end of the interview, the guys let Rich Rod ask a question to them. He wanted their opinion on what the common theme was for the teams that are head and shoulders above everyone else. What are they doing that separates them from the pack?

“I think it’s a no-brainer," former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said right away. "What I witnessed the (Michigan) Wolverines do and the (Ohio State) Buckeyes do the last two years, you got grown a** men in that locker room. My best teams were when I had men, not boys, in the locker room. You look at the Wolverines and Buckeyes, those kids all came back. It’s not the 17, 18-year-olds. You got 21-year-old dudes that have been through the war. I started reflecting and watching back, my best teams were the same way. I had these guys that didn’t put up with any sh*t. The locker room was the locker room because they were grown men. I know Penn State’s trying to do the same thing this year because a lot of those kids came back. In the old days, they all left because they had to get paid. Now, they’re getting paid.”

A good portion of West Virginia's transfer pickups this offseason have been veterans, some of whom are entering their fifth or sixth year of college ball. That doesn't necessarily translate to immediate success, but having somewhat of a player-led team can help accelerate the rebuild.