Rich Rodriguez is a head coach again.
The former Arizona Wildcats boss will run Lousiana-Monroe’s team while Terry Bowden, the Warhawks’ coach, cares for his ailing father, the program announced Friday.
Rodriguez is in his first season as ULM's associate head coach and offensive coordinator. His son Rhett, a Catalina Foothills High School graduate and former UA backup, is the Warhawks' presumptive starter at quarterback.
ULM associate head coach Rich Rodriguez addresses the team after Friday’s first preseason practice. Head coach Terry Bowden traveled to Tallahassee, Fla., Thursday to spend time with his parents. His father Bobby was diagnosed with a terminal medical condition earlier this summer pic.twitter.com/3FOydcYqFh
— ULM Football (@ULM_FB) August 6, 2021
Rich Rodriguez told reporters on Friday that he was “kinda prepared for” the news, noting that Terry Bowden “had a … plan in place” heading into Friday’s first practice of training camp. Bowden's father Bobby, a Florida State coaching legend, was diagnosed with terminal cancer earlier this summer.
Rich Rodriguez told reporters today that he had a sense of urgency to install his offense, given that the opener is less than a month away. In six seasons (2011-17) with the Wildcats, Rodriguez went 43-35. He was fired following the 2017 season.
“I thought the intensity and energy was good, which is what you’d expect the first practice back,” he said.
