West Virginia University - Intellectually Bankrupt?

[Toddzilla]

In all seriousness, Hokies like myself have been throwing that phrase around for decades, but to hear it come from one of the biggest WVU boosters in reference to the university's handling of Rich Rodriguez, it's pretty surprising.

What's not surprising, however, is how the rabid WVU fanbase has it completely wrong and have been bashing the coach mercilessly when it is the administration that deserves the blame.

According to this article, anyway...

"I will be a witness to any and all proceedings that occur," said {Ken} Kendrick, who is the managing general partner of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. "They baited and switched him. Rich was boxed in by a university and athletic department that was arrogant, mean-spirited and intellectually bankrupt.
"How can someone like me now commit money to this university?"
In a statement Tuesday, the chairman of WVU's Board of Governors said "WVU went to the ends of the earth to keep the coach here."
Kendrick read from a copy of a document of promises he said were agreed to when Rodriguez signed his new West Virginia contract before this season. Among the promises Kendrick said were not met:
• Allowing players to keep textbooks for resale, a practice that occurs at some other schools.
• Waiving a $5 charge for high school coaches to attend Mountaineers games.
• Having authority over distribution of sideline passes. Kendrick said Rodriguez "negotiated" one for his wife, Rita.
• Having authority to allocate funds from the 1100 Club for coaches.
• A commitment to increase pay for his assistant coaches.
• Additional money to pay graduate assistants.
• Hiring an additional recruiting assistant.

Note to Bud Foster - take the raise!

[Logan]

Lengthy discussion about this in the college coaches thread. Basically it's the word of a couple big donors who are tight with Rodriguez against the silent majority.

[VPI97]

I dunno...count me as someone who thinks Kendrick and Rodriguez are full of crap on this one. WVU committed around $8mil last season to improving facilities that RichRod asked for...but now he's pointing to little piddling things like this to justify his move? Give me a break.

He left because it's a better job, plain and simple....it's classless of him to get his friends to talk bad about WVU administration when that type of thing doesn't need to occur.

[Atocep]

To add to what I wrote about this in the coaching changes thread, Milan Puskar (the donor who's name is on WVU's football field) is said to have gotten together with Kendrick and Reynolds after this was written and explained the other side of the story to them. They pulled their backing of Rich Rodriguez in the buyout issue and that was part of the reason he moved his resignation up to midnight last night.