The good and bad of postseason bonuses for W.Va.’s Rodriguez

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez received a $150,000 bonus for winning the Big East and getting the Mountaineers into the Bowl Championship Series.
Rodriguez could have pocketed an extra $150,000 had West Virginia won a national title. Pittsburgh ended those hopes by beating the Mountaineers 13-9 on Saturday night.
The BCS game triggered another clause that boosts his supplemental compensation by $50,000 for each remaining year of his contract through the 2013 season. That’s on top of the $50,000-per-year increase in supplemental compensation agreed to when he signed his contract in August.
If No. 11 West Virginia finishes in the top 10 of the final polls, he’ll get another $25,000 bonus.
Rodriguez’s contract pays him more than $1.4 million in compensation and benefits annually, although money is probably the last thing on his mind right now.
He admitted having two sleepless nights following Saturday’s loss to Pittsburgh that resulted in West Virginia (10-2) playing No. 3 Oklahoma (11-2) on Jan. 2 instead of facing top-ranked Ohio State (11-1) in the national championship game in New Orleans on Jan. 7.
A win next month would give West Virginia three straight 11-win seasons.
Last December, Rodriguez turned down a reported $12 million, six-year offer from Alabama, which eventually hired the Miami Dolphins’ Nick Saban.
There’s been no talk of Rodriguez being on the move this year.
“I’m not in it now, not that I know of,” Rodriguez said. “Sorry but you all are stuck with me here.”
Athletic director Ed Pastilong was glad to hear that Tuesday.
“We made a strong commitment to Rich and our coaching staff and commitments are important both ways,” Pastilong said. “Our future looks very good.”