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West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez speaks during an introductory NCAA college football news conference Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Morgantown, W.Va. (Benjamin Powell/The Dominion-Post via AP)

Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia 17 years ago in part because he was frustrated over the school’s refusal to give him more money for his assistant coaches.

He’ll have plenty for them this time around.

Under his memorandum of understanding signed Dec. 11 and obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request, Rodriguez signed a five-year agreement and will be paid $3.5 million in his first season. That figure increases $100,000 in each subsequent season. His predecessor, Neal Brown earned $4 million this season before being fired on Dec. 1.

Rodriguez also will have a $5 million pool annually for his on-field assistant coaches along with $2.5 million for his football support staff, according to the agreement.

The 61-year-old Rodriguez was introduced Friday for his second stint in Morgantown. He went 60-26 at West Virginia from 2001 to 2007.

The Mountaineers went 6-6 this season under Brown and will meet No. 25 Memphis in the Frisco Bowl on Tuesday night.

After he left for Michigan in December 2007, Rodriguez has said promises made by a previous administration at West Virginia were not kept and his request for more money for his assistant coaches was rejected. Rodriguez said his relationship with then-athletic director Ed Pastilong had disintegrated by August 2007 to the point that the two men barely spoke.

In December 2006, Rodriguez considered and then turned down a six-year, $12-million offer to coach at Alabama — a job later taken by Nick Saban. Rodriguez then was given a $100,000 supplemental payment for his assistant coaches at West Virginia. He said later that, prior to leaving for Michigan, he was denied another request for an additional $50,000 for the assistant coaches pool.

Rodriguez spent three seasons at Michigan and six at Arizona before being fired from each head coaching job. He spent the last three seasons as head coach at Jacksonville State, which won the Conference USA championship game over Western Kentucky earlier this month.

Under his agreement, West Virginia will pay Rodriguez’s $1.25 million buyout to Jacksonville State. He’ll be required to pay 25% of his total compensation over the life of the agreement if he leaves before the contract expires, and Rodriguez will receive 50% of his remaining total compensation if he’s fired.

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