FanHouse Mike Garrison

Now that the depositions are underway in the WVU vs. Rich Rodriguez case, we are finally starting to learn a few things that weren't apparent. For instance, we didn't know how little Rodriguez's attorney, Marv Robon knows about sports. More to the point, how little he knows about who is coaching where.

At one point Pastilong testified that Texas A&M had a problem when its football coach was given his own Web site, leading to his dismissal. "You mean Bobby Knight?" Robon asked. Bobby Knight? He was a basketball coach. Latest stop at Texas Tech, not A&M. And he was fired at Indiana.

Not satisfied that people knew the depth of his lack of fandom, Robon continued.

"Do people blame Mike Parsons for Bobby Huggins leaving?" When he was corrected and told that Huggins was the current coach, Robon dug himself in deeper. "Attempt to leave?" he asked.

Once again, real life proves itself far funnier than anything I could ever make up. I'm sure he meant former West Virginia basketball coach John Beilein. And being a West Virginia fan, I heard a lot of things about assistant AD, Mike Parsons and the loss of Beilein. His name was also mentioned quite a bit during the Alabama-Rodriguez fiasco. Keep in mind that what I just said is 100% rumor. But the rumor goes that while both Rodriguez and Beilein were at West Virginia, they went to Ed Pastilong on more than one occasion to complain about Parsons. Most likely about facility issues and Parsons lack of concern.

It hardly seems important at this point, as Pastilong and Rodriguez made only sparse contact over his last eight months.

In Rodriguez's final eight months, Pastilong seldom had contact with the coach other than in social settings and was not involved in negotiations, which were done through Team Rodriguez's agent, lawyers and financial experts while the WVU legal team and President Garrison and Walker handled the Mountaineer side.

Rodriguez might not be such a jerk after all! I'm just kidding. Nothing will ever justify the way things have gone down between Rodriguez and West Virginia. It's been one stinking mud slinging mess that hasn't benefited either party. Suggestions of racism that probably aren't true. West Virginia fans shredding Rodriguez along with a slew of youtube's taunting Rodriguez. And of course, the WVU administration enslaving Rodriguez. Hell, I just want the season to start just so we can get out of this silly off season.

But it's hard not to look at the new contract signed by West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins, and not wonder how screwed up the lines of communication are at West Virginia.

Yet, the deal was a surprise even to some who shouldn't have been stunned. That's because WVU's administration -- continuing to be battered by the Heather Bresch bogus degree scandal -- did this deal behind the backs of its athletic leaders. It was a spin move right out of a Joe Alexander post-up. The WVU athletic staff had no knowledge of the "lifetime" contract talks until WVU Athletic Director Ed Pastilong finally was informed about it 24 hours before the dog-and-pony show to announce it.

The Bresch thing, if you don't know, is about Governor Manchin's daughter receiving a masters degree from West Virginia without earning it. The whole story is best read here (language warning). Back to my point though, who's in charge of the athletic department if the athletic director doesn't know a coach is getting a raise?

West Virginia's president, Mike Garrison, probably wanted to make a splash in his first year. But I doubt this is what he was looking for. He's single handedly ushered out the most successful football coach in Mountaineer history and has 80% of the faculty calling for his resignation over the Bresch scandal. Not bad for just over seven months on the job! And now leaving the athletic department in the dark about contract negotiations. It's been a bad year off the field for West Virginia. A little house cleaning might be in order before it works it's way onto the field. My suggestion would be to start at the top.