Rich Rodriguez on coaching Pat McAfee: ‘He was a character from Day One’

Pat McAfee was as much of a character in college as he is today, says his former West Virginia head coach, Rich Rodriguez.

But Rodriguez, who coached McAfee during the kicker’s first three seasons (2005-2007) at WVU, said the future media star exhibited another key trait that has served him well in his post-football life.

West Virginia hired Rodriguez as head coach in December for an encore with the Mountaineers program he led to 60 wins between 2001-2007. In an appearance Monday on the Andy & Ari On3 podcast, hosts Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman asked about his return. Yet not surprisingly, they were also keenly interested in what it was like to coach McAfee before he was “Pat McAfee, sports media star.”

“So when Pat McAfee was punting and kicking for you, did you have any idea he’d wind up the most powerful man in sports media?” Staples asked.

“No, hell, Pat now, I tell everybody, Pat was a character, and he was a character from Day One, but he was one of the hardest workers we had,” Rodriguez said. “I’m talking about from a football standpoint, in the weight room, Pat worked his ass off. I think that’s why he’s had success in his current career. He works all the time, he puts a lot of pride into it.”

That hard work has carried McAfee a long way following his NFL career. He’s seemingly everywhere in sports media, hosting The Pat McAfee Show, serving as studio analyst on College GameDay and surfacing elsewhere.

He’s been known to stir controversy along the way. Take his appearance Saturday at a WWE Elimination Chamber event in Toronto, when he called out Canadian fans for booing the American national anthem.

Rodriguez noted that even back then McAfee had a mischievous side.

“I quit checking his curfew, because I was afraid he’d keep missing curfew,” Rodriguez said. “So as long as he would make those kicks and be good at punting. I was fine with it. ‘Cause he sure did miss curfew a few times.”

West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez on @PatMcAfeeShow in college:

“I quit checking his curfew… but as long as he would make those kicks and be good at punting I was fine with it.” @Andy_Staples x @AriWasserman pic.twitter.com/a3pQk3GhZQ

— On3 (@On3sports) March 3, 2025

Rodriguez concluded by praising his former player and current media giant.

“He was great to coach, not good, but great,” Rodriguez said. “He’s been a great supporter of us since he’s gotten into the media world, of myself and our programs.”