Report: Rich Rodriguez set to meet with South Carolina

Rich Rodriguez, the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats, will meet with the University of South Carolina for their vacancy at the head coaching position.

According to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports, Arizona Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez will interview for the head coaching vacancy at the University of South Carolina.

After former South Carolina head ball coach Steve Spurrier abruptly retired mid-season, many speculated that the head coaching position of the South Carolina Gamecocks would become one of high-profile, being able to land a strong next head football coach.

Rich Rodriguez has been the head coach of the Pac-12’s Arizona Wildcats since 2012. His Wildcats won the Pac-12 South in 2014 and have been bowl eligible all four years since his arrival to what has historically been a basketball school at the University of Arizona. The Wildcats finished the 2015 NCAA regular season at 6-6 (3-6).

Rodriguez has also been the head coach of his alma mater in the West Virginia Mountaineers (2001-07), winning 60 games and four Big East Championships while in Morgantown. His departure from West Virginia went about as well as his tenure in Ann Arbor coaching the Michigan Wolverines. Rodriguez was fired by Michigan after going 15-22 (6-18) in three seasons at the end of 2010.

Rich Rodriguez may want to coach in the SEC East, a division not nearly as competitive as the Pac-12 South. Only Colorado finished worse in the South than Arizona. 10 of 12 teams in the Pac-12 are bowl eligible.

At 52 years old, Rodriguez could serve as the long-term, high-profile hire South Carolina is looking for. Under Steve Spurrier, South Carolina became relevant nationally for the first time since George Rogers won the Heisman Trophy in 1980 as an independent. With all the blue bloods in the SEC East with relatively new head coaches (Florida, Georgia, Tennessee), would Rich Rodriquez venture to Columbia from Tuscon if offered the Gamecocks’ gig?