http://wvgazette.com/section/Sports/WVU/2008011432

January 15, 2008

Football player files missing

Fingers point to Rodriguez

By Dave Hickman

Staff writer

MORGANTOWN West Virginia officials are wondering if assistant coaches aren't all that Rich Rodriguez took with him to Michigan. They believe he may also have destroyed all or most of the paperwork files relating to every player on the current Mountaineer roster and virtually all of the activities conducted by the program over the past seven years.

Soon after returning to work after the Fiesta Bowl a little more than a week ago, the staff at the Puskar Center found that most of the files including all of the player files that had been stored in Rodriguez's private office were missing. In addition, all of the players' strength and conditioning files in the weight room were gone.

It's unbelievable. Everything is gone, like it never existed,'' said a source within the athletic department, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Good, bad or indifferent, we don't have a record of anything that has happened.''

According to the source, the files in Rodriguez's office that are now missing included everything from records regarding summer camps financial and otherwise to data on boosters, recruiting and most everything related to activities within the program during Rodriguez's seven years at WVU.

Most disturbing, though, is the absence of all of the players' personal files, which included, among other things, contact information, scholarship money awarded, class attendance records and records on personal conduct and community service, be it positive or negative.

If a player spoke to a school or did public service, we don't have a record of it,'' said the source. If he broke a rule or missed class, we don't have a record of that, either. We don't have anything. All the good things these kids have done over the years, there's nothing not a picture of somebody speaking to a class, nothing. Why would somebody do that?''

West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong did not return a message seeking comment Monday night. Neither could Rodriguez be reached for comment.

The files went missing sometime between when Rodriguez resigned on Dec. 16 and the time the team and staff returned from the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 3. It could have happened as early as the first days following Rodriguez's resignation because his old office was largely ignored by the support staff and the coaching staff between the time he left and Dec. 26, when the team and support staff all went to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl.

According to multiple sources, several people in the Puskar Center reported seeing Rodriguez and at least one member of his inner circle, video coordinator Dusty Rutledge, in Rodriguez's private office shredding paperwork on Dec. 18. That's the day he returned to clean out his office after being introduced as the Michigan coach at a press conference in Ann Arbor the day before. At the time, those who say they witnessed it either did not know what was being destroyed or paid it little attention to it until the files were discovered missing more than two weeks later.

While the files in Rodriguez's office held a wide range of information, those that were discovered missing from the weight room office were more specific. Those included every aspect of strength and conditioning progress made by players under former strength and conditioning coordinator Mike Barwis, who along with most of his immediate staff followed Rodriguez to Michigan after the Fiesta Bowl. Those files included the progression made by each player in every specific area, from bench-press totals to 40-yard dash times. The files even included pictures of the players at different points in their careers.

While a source within the athletic department said the department itself wasn't launching any type of investigation into the missing files Our plate is pretty full right now with trying to put together a staff and everything else,'' the source said, and we don't have time to deal with [stuff] like this right now.'' it has apparently drawn the interest of the university's legal counsel.

WVU lawyers are in the process of trying to recover $4 million from Rodriguez as a condition of breaking his contract with six years remaining to become the coach at Michigan. While Rodriguez has maintained that West Virginia breached the contract by not fulfilling all of its terms an argument the university denies the school filed suit in Monongalia County Circuit Court last month detailing what it claims are breaches by Rodriguez above and beyond simply breaking the contract. Those include calling recruits to tell them of his decision to switch schools before he told his own team. It certainly would not help Rodriguez's case if the school can prove that he also destroyed what WVU officials consider state files on his way out.

If it was really Rodriguez, that's a new low, even for him.  

First of all, Michigan fan here.

Okay, now I have a couple of questions.  

1.  The only personal files on the players were hardcopies in coach Rod's office?  Don't y'all have them there computer machines in West Virginia.  Seriously, there should have been multiple copies of those files in the atheltic department.   No one was checking up on the players other than coach Rod?

2.  After he resigned, why was he allowed back in his office unsupervised.  If you had someone quit at your place of work, would you let them back in whenever they wanted, unsupervised?

3.  People saw him shredding the documents, and no one stopped to ask him what he was doing?  HUH???????

I agree it's kinda of an underhanded thing to do, but if I was facing a $4 million dollar lawsuit from my previous employer, I would be destroying any files they have on me or my program.  Now, just how stupid are the athletic administrators at WVU to allow this to happen.  The day he resigned they should have taken his keys, locked down his files, and told him he was no longer welcome around the office.  No wonder you guys can't keep us from stealing all of your good coaches.

I saw this today in the paper and just shook my head.  What's next?  Hawgin,  we're glad you got him.  He's your problem now.    

Michigan deserves that bag of crap.

Michigan deserves that bag of crap.

X 100

Man, if he really did all that then he is really not nice.........

Man, if he really did all that then he is really not nice.........

hE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE, HE IS A BIG TIME, BIG PROGRAM NCAA COACH. WE HAD THE SAME KINNDA SLIME AT ST. JOHNS, IN OUR BASKETBALL PROGRAM; SEE JARVIS>>>OUR PROGRAM HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME

ps PLEASE EXCUSE CAPS, BAD VISION NITE

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news;_ylt=AguqU5N5j2ADL3EyzpJ3WLUcvrYF?slug=ap-wvirginia-rodriguez&prov=ap&type=lgns

WVU's suit against Rich Rodriguez moves to federal court

By JOHN RABY, AP Sports Writer

January 16, 2008

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- West Virginia University's lawsuit against Rich Rodriguez was transferred to federal court on Wednesday because the former Mountaineers coach had moved to Michigan when it was filed.

"We're perfectly comfortable and happy to litigate this case in any court," said Thomas Flaherty, a Charleston attorney representing WVU. "This is not unanticipated."

The move gives Rodriguez, hired by Michigan on Dec. 16, until next Wednesday to file a response. The suit was filed in a local court on Dec. 27 to collect on a $4 million buyout clause in his contract.

Meanwhile, the university is continuing its investigation into missing records associated with the program under Rodriguez.

"What's got to be determined is what exactly is missing," WVU spokesman Mike Fragale told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "There's a lot of things I just don't know."

Citing anonymous sources, The Charleston Gazette reported Tuesday that files kept in Rodriguez's private office disappeared between Dec. 16 and Jan. 3, along with strength and conditioning records from the weight room.

The newspaper report claimed the missing documents included players' personal contact information, scholarship payments and class attendance records, as well as strength and conditioning records and photographs that tracked players' physical progress.

The files were discovered missing from the Puskar Center in Morgantown, where Rodriguez had a private office, after WVU coaches returned from the Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl.

University spokeswoman Amy Neil said the WVU Office of Admissions and Records maintains grade and attendance records in a separate location, so no student-athlete's academic career is at risk.

"We're not sure what records are missing, but all student records, including those of the football team, are kept within the Office of Admissions and Records," she said. "Those records are secure."

Neil said she believes it would not be unusual for the head coach to have copies of his own records to ensure players are maintaining their required grade-point averages or meeting scholarship requirements.

Mike Brown, Rodriguez's agent, has said Moutaineers head coach Bill Stewart, as a former assistant, should have copies of each players' strength and conditioning tests because multiple copies were made. He also said the university should have any records involving the finances of the summer camps it ran.

Brown, however, declined to say whether Rodriguez removed or destroyed any documents, saying that question would be addressed in court documents.

Flaherty said it would be premature to comment on whether the missing documents had any possible bearing on WVU's lawsuit against Rodriguez.

Rodriguez's attorney, Sean McGinley, didn't immediately return a telephone message.

Associated Press writer Vicki Smith contributed to this story.

Okay, now I have a couple of questions.  

1.  The only personal files on the players were hardcopies in coach Rod's office?  Don't y'all have them there computer machines in West Virginia.  Seriously, there should have been multiple copies of those files in the atheltic department.   No one was checking up on the players other than coach Rod?

2.  After he resigned, why was he allowed back in his office unsupervised.  If you had someone quit at your place of work, would you let them back in whenever they wanted, unsupervised?

3.  People saw him shredding the documents, and no one stopped to ask him what he was doing?  HUH???????

I agree it's kinda of an underhanded thing to do, but if I was facing a $4 million dollar lawsuit from my previous employer, I would be destroying any files they have on me or my program.  Now, just how stupid are the athletic administrators at WVU to allow this to happen.  The day he resigned they should have taken his keys, locked down his files, and told him he was no longer welcome around the office.  No wonder you guys can't keep us from stealing all of your good coaches.

Althought Im not a college football guy these are rules corporate america lives by. If its true yes it was underhanded but if those rules werent in place the WVU people are not to bright to let it happen.

So they don't really know what files are missing?  They have backup copies of everything important?  The only thing missing were Coach Rod's copies of the files and any notes he may have taken himself?  

Oh, I see.  So maybe someone from WVU blew this all out of proportion to make Coach Rod look bad?  SHOCKING!

QUOTE FROm PA1N :Althought Im not a college football guy these are rules corporate america lives by. If its true yes it was underhanded but if those rules werent in place the WVU people are not to bright to let it happen:

Where I work we have double files. The supervisors and Managers have to download some of it. We keep these files under lock and key. They contain a lot private information, both of our clients(Students) and staff. We are required to shred our copies when the student or staff leaves or if we leave of get fired.

QUOTE FROm PA1N :Althought Im not a college football guy these are rules corporate america lives by. If its true yes it was underhanded but if those rules werent in place the WVU people are not to bright to let it happen:

 Where I work we have double files. The supervisors and Managers have to download some of it. We keep these files under lock and key. They contain a lot private information, both of our clients(Students) and staff. We are required to shred our copies when the student or staff leaves or if we leave of get fired.

Well the way it came out was that this Coach destroyed the only copies of all of these files and notes. If that was the case not having backups offsite storage or anything of the sort the WVU staff needs to point the finger at themselves. Now yes if a person leaves his material should be destroyed but the way it sounded was like this coach had the only copies in the whole university.

I got that . I am not a big football fan, actually I am not a fan at all. I do not like a lot of wht sports media does, making cases where there are none, and ignoring stories that are valid.There are not a lot of reporters like Gammon and Lupica out there, a lot of sports coverage has become like the gossip crap covering other celebrities!

 Anyway i have seen what bad coaches and staff have done in college basketball and major lieague baseball. If this guy destoyed files he should not have , becuse he is going to another team, then what he did is honorable. If he did it because they are suing him, well it is less than honorable

What kind of University leaves all the files on class attendance and other student activities with the athletic coaches. That is the most idiotic thing I have heard of. I bet the officials at UNC, and Duke have better control over the affairs of their athletic programs.  I agree with previous posts, the man should not even been allowed back on Campus unsupervised. And then WVU expects everyone to feel sorry for them when it is their own fault. Should have changed the locks.

Big T

I would imagine that grades and attendance affect eligibility, as they do here at Job Corps, the Local Schools and the colleges I attended. I would think, especially where NCAA monitored scholarship money is involved this type of information would be imperitive for a coach to have.

Michigan deserves that bag of crap.

X 100

x1,000,000

Don't even get me started on Fraudriguez.  

I would imagine that grades and attendance affect eligibility, as they do here at Job Corps, the Local Schools and the colleges I attended. I would think, especially where NCAA monitored scholarship money is involved this type of information would be imperitive for a coach to have.

This is true but in more than one instace coaches let grades and etc. slide in oder to have the Superstar elible for the Big Game, there of this info needs multiple copies. I am not saying that this is what happened at WVU, but in sure does seem that way.

I understan ya Big T, just playing devils advocate here. I am not a football fan, but i am a rabid baseball and college hoops fan. I don't give a rtz a** about either this team or it's coach. What i do care about is the nature of sports reporting!

agreed muddy...not only in sports but its everywhere anymore...everyday news, the political arena, sports...

Yea we went from Woodward and Bernstein to Geraldo and Capone's safe

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news;_ylt=Aqmsb1ZcR1c43mu6jxrosWocvrYF?slug=ap-michigan-rodriguez&prov=ap&type=lgns

Rich Rodriguez: 'There seems to be a campaign to try to smear me'

By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer

January 17, 2008

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) -- Rich Rodriguez wanted to focus on the future when he left West Virginia to coach Michigan's football team.

A month later, Rodriguez was compelled to talk about the past.

"There seems to be a campaign to try to smear me," Rodriguez said Thursday during a hastily scheduled conference call. "I haven't said anything until recently, when I felt I needed to defend all the false accusations.

"It has just gotten ridiculous over the last couple of days."

An investigation into missing files from Rodriguez's former office revealed the academic records of West Virginia football players are secure after a newspaper report raised questions about missing paperwork.

"There's so many inaccuracies and falsehood and innuendo, at some point, you get tired of getting beat up," he said. "It was that I erased academic files, then the next day, 'Oh no, that didn't happen.' The corrections are on page six and the lead story is on page one."

Rodriguez said he only removed personal papers, such as notes about players or his game plans.

"There was an implication that I had all these secret files and I was throwing them away, but it's simply not true," Rodriguez said.

The West Virginia native and former Mountaineer player expected hard feelings when he left to lead the Wolverines, but he has been disappointed by the scope of the resentment.

"I know there is disappointment and hard feelings because it's a small state and the program is a source of great pride, but this campaign is not helping West Virginia's program," he said. "You're trying to hurt Rich Rodriguez, but you're hurting West Virginia."

West Virginia has sued him to collect on a $4 million buyout clause in his contract. On Wednesday, the case was transferred from Monongalia County Circuit Court to U.S. District Court in Clarksburg.

The court filing indicated Rodriguez had established residency in Michigan by the time the lawsuit was filed.

"We're perfectly comfortable and happy to litigate this case in any court," said Thomas Flaherty, a Charleston attorney representing the university. "This is not unanticipated."

The move gives Rodriguez five extra days, until next Wednesday, to file a response to the lawsuit. The initial deadline was Friday. The jurisdiction move also means any appeals would be filed through the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., instead of the state Supreme Court.

"I changed jobs. This is America, and sometimes you change jobs," Rodriguez said. "I would hope that at some point when emotions cool down, that you can see the good things."

Rodriguez also addressed questions about another story in the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail, which reported that West Virginia officials were concerned Rodriguez contacted Michigan recruits before he resigned as Mountaineers coach.

The newspaper also reported Rodriguez's West Virginia cell phone records show he called two Michigan recruits and possibly a third from his WVU-issued phone on Dec. 16 after he told the Mountaineers players he was going to Michigan. He was introduced at Michigan the next day.

During the conference call, Rodriguez insisted he did not contact any Michigan recruits while he was still employed by West Virginia.

Last month, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin blamed the involvement of what he termed "high-priced agents" for changing Rodriguez as a person.

Rodriguez said Manchin has called him to apologize.

"I said, 'Why did you say those things? It kind of hurt me,"' Rodriguez recalled. "He apologized and said, 'Maybe I shouldn't have said some things.' He said in the future, he could put things in a positive light.

"That was on Christmas, but I haven't heard anything."

On Thursday while attending a West Virginia men's basketball game in Morgantown, Manchin recalled speaking with Rodriguez after the coach had taken the Michigan job.

"I said, 'You made your decision and I wish you well.' I told him people were upset and hurt, but they'll move on -- we'll all move on," Manchin said.

It's not Rich Rodriguez's leaving that bothers me.  It is the way he snuck around and didn't tell anyone anything, and then just up and left without giving anyone, his players, fans, etc any information until he was gone.   >

NEWS ITEM: THE GOV> OF WVA JUST MADE IT A PRIORITY TO TELL TROUTFISHER FIRST BEFORE ANY SPORTS FIGURE LEAVES THE STATE

As well as any political figures and hot women  ;D