Rodriguez returns to West Virginia

Rich Rodriguez is coming back to West Virginia for a second stint as head coach at his alma mater. Athletic director Wren Baker announced the hiring on Thursday, 17 years after Rodriguez made a hasty exit for what became a disastrous three-year experiment at Michigan. Rodriguez, who’s the current coach at Jacksonville State, an architect of the spread offense and a polarizing figure in his home state, replaces Neal Brown, who was fired on Dec. 1 after going 37-35 in six seasons, including 6-6 this year. Rodriguez, 61, will be tasked with restoring a consistent winning climate at West Virginia, which hasn’t been ranked or had back-to-back winning seasons since 2018. The Mountaineers have yet to qualify for the Big 12 championship game since joining the league in 2012. Its best finish was a tie for second place in 2016. Success was a standard at West Virginia under Rodriguez, who went 60-26 from 2001 to 2007. Rodriguez led the Mountaineers to four Big East titles in five years and one of the greatest victories in school history, an upset win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl following the 2005 season.

Burrow: Break-in ‘violated privacy’

Quarterback Joe Burrow kept his comments short Wednesday when addressing the media about having his home broken into two nights earlier while he and the Bengals were on the road against the Cowboys. “I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one,” Burrow said. “Way more is out there than I would want out there and that I care to share. So that’s all I’ve got to say about that.” The NFL and NBA issued security alerts to their players late last month after several homes were broken into while athletes were away for games. The NFL’s alert came after the homes of Chiefs stars Partrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were targeted in October. No one was injured in the break-in at Burrow’s home, which was ransacked, according to a report provided by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. “We live a public life, and one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy,” the 28-year-old Burrow said. “That has been difficult for me to deal with for my career. I’m still learning. I understand that’s the life that we choose, but it doesn’t make it any easier.” —AP