Published: May 13, 2008 11:06 pm         

Former WVU coach says he, Garrison clashed on final night

Rich Rodriguez says his decision to leave West Virginia after seven seasons for the head coaching job at Michigan boiled down to one final, late-night meeting with President Mike Garrison. Dusty Rutledge, then video coordinator for the team, picked Rodriguez up for what he thought would be a meeting with Garrison and several boosters.

Here’s his account of the conversation that ensured, as laid out in an April 21 deposition taken by WVU attorney Thomas Flaherty.

“And President Garrison answered the door. And it surprised me, because he looked like he was dressed for bed, so I think maybe I woke him up.

“And I said, ‘I was told to come over. Can we meet? And so he said yes. And we sat. We met. And there I relayed all my concerns. And I implored with him about some of the things that were promised, including the things that he had promised.

“And up until that time it always had been positive, that we will work on it. We’ll try. Give us time. We’ll get it done.

“And that night I asked specifically, tell me yes or no. And it was no to everything.

“... I didn’t even get a maybe. I got a no.

“Up until that time, you got to understand, I was holding out hope. Even though a lot of these things weren’t done, I was holding out hope that they would still be done. And at that meeting, it was just no, no, no, no.

“... it was a completely different mentality and mind-set than I had seen since President Garrison had taken office. And it shocked me.

“I think he was — in a way he was almost talking down to me. In fact, he asked me, he says, Look at all the things I did for you. And I said, Such as what? And he said, You didn’t even know what deferred compensation is. And I said, What do you mean I don’t know what it is? I said, I’ve been talking about it for a couple years. And he said, No, you don’t even know what that is.

“So, I mean, he was talking almost to the point like I wasn’t very intelligent.

“And then all he said was, You’ve got a decision to make; either stay or leave. And I said, I want you to help me. Help me make a decision to stay here.

“But it didn’t — it was a different — I felt different coming out of that meeting than any time I had talked with President Garrison.”