Rich Rodriguez, right, will watch his son Rhett, left, start at UCLA this week. The Rose Bowl once was home to a Bruins father-son combo.

 Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star 2016/

Last Friday night, Rick Neuheisel initiated a text conversation with Rich Rodriguez. If anyone could relate to what Rodriguez was going through, it was Neuheisel.

Rodriguez was at home watching his son, Rhett, play quarterback for the Arizona Wildcats against Utah. Four years earlier, Neuheisel had experienced the same mix of terror and elation. His son, Jerry, had entered the UCLA-Texas game in relief of injured starter Brett Hundley.

Like Rich Rodriguez, Rick Neuheisel had been fired by the school for which his son played.

β€œWe were going back and forth,” Neuheisel said by phone this week, β€œhow nervous you get, how different it is when it’s your kid in the game β€” in particular at the place where you got shown the door. It’s a wild gamut of emotions.”

Rich Rodriguez and his family will experience all that and more in person Saturday night. They will be in attendance at the Rose Bowl β€” against UCLA, of all teams β€” when Rhett makes his first career start in place of the injured Khalil Tate.

Rich, Rita and Raquel β€” Rhett’s, dad, mom and sister β€” flew from Tucson to Los Angeles on Friday, sitting in the sixth row on a late-morning Southwest Airlines flight. Rich spoke to the Star on Sunday about his son’s extended relief appearance against Utah. The Star reached out to Neuheisel to further explore a dynamic that isn’t unprecedented but is unendingly fascinating.

UCLA quarterback Jerry Neuheisel threw a game-winning touchdown pass to beat Texas in 2014. The Bruins fired his dad Rick in 2011.

β€˜You live and die with them’

The connections go well beyond coincidence.

Jerry Neuheisel’s coordinator and position coach at UCLA was Noel Mazzone … who now coordinates the offense and coaches quarterbacks at Arizona. Jerry spent last season as a graduate assistant working for Mazzone at Texas A&M. Jerry now works in the same capacity at UCLA under Chip Kelly, who had been impressed by the younger Neuheisel during a visit to College Station last year.

Jerry Neuheisel was a part-time student at UCLA, serving a grayshirt year, when the school fired his father in November 2011. Rhett Rodriguez was halfway through his freshman year when Arizona dismissed his dad.

Rick Neuheisel and his wife, Susan, sat down with the eldest of their three sons to discuss his options.

β€œYou didn’t get fired,” they told him. β€œYou didn’t do anything wrong.”

They knew Jerry had made friends and was enjoying school at his parents’ alma mater. They knew the next UCLA coach, Jim Mora, had a strong rΓ©sumΓ© and was himself a coach’s son. They advised Jerry to go through spring practice and reassess his situation at that point.

β€œJim Mora was terrific to him,” said Rick Neuheisel, who works as a studio analyst for CBS Sports. β€œWhat you’re seeing is Kevin Sumlin doing the exact same thing for Rhett.”

Jerry Neuheisel played sparingly as a reserve in 2013. Hundley, the prized recruit Rick Neuheisel never coached, had established himself as the starter the previous season.

But on Sept. 13, 2014, Hundley got hurt in the first quarter against Texas. Not only did Jerry Neuheisel enter the game, he led the Bruins to a 20-17 victory β€” throwing the winning 33-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Payton with three minutes remaining. As the game took place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, the first sentence of the Los Angeles Times’ game story read: β€œThis truly was Jerry’s World.”

Rick Neuheisel was working for Pac-12 Networks at their studios in San Francisco and just about lost his mind. He usually would monitor eight games when not on set.

β€œWhen Brett got hurt, I said, β€˜Guys, you’re going to have to pay attention to these other seven,’” Neuheisel recalled. β€œI couldn’t sit down anymore. I stood up, three feet from the screen, coaching like I was in the game β€” chastising him, congratulating him, ripping play calls. I was a psychopath.

β€œFor those who had to endure that, I apologize again.”

No apologies were necessary.

β€œWatching Rick erupt was awesome,” Pac-12 Networks host Mike Yam said. β€œI’ve gotten to know Rick and his family well. I can honestly say I don’t think I ever saw him so happy. The pride he had in that moment was so special to see. I’ve been at Pac-12 Networks since we launched, and that is one of the best moments we had.”

Rick Neuheisel obviously was elated with the outcome. He even got to interview his son on the air after the game.

Watching it all unfold was agonizing. Being the parent of a Division I college football player is relatively rare. But any parent can relate to the feeling of helplessness from watching their child perform, no matter the size of the stage or the intensity of the spotlight.

β€œIt’s no different than watching your daughter at a piano recital or your son getting the ball to pitch in a Little League game,” Rick Neuheisel said. β€œYou live and die with them out there.”

Rhett Rodriguez, former coach Rich Rodriguez’s son, will make his first start for Arizona this week at UCLA. His dad was fired after six seasons at UA.

Pulling for Rhett

Neuheisel considers himself fortunate that he was working at the time. It’s been less than 10 months since Rodriguez was fired. It also happened late in the job cycle. He’s out of football this fall for the first time in about 40 years.

β€œGoing to the games, sitting in the stands, would have been awkward,” Neuheisel said. β€œThat’s my team. Those are all the guys I recruited.”

Neuheisel knew what he’d hear if he was in the stadium. His wife did hear it: β€œThey’re so much better than last year.”

β€œYou can’t help but take it personally,” Neuheisel said.

Rodriguez has attended every home game, plus Houston on the road. His viewing experience is unlike anyone’s around him. If UA fans are making snide comments, it’s entirely possible Rodriguez doesn’t hear them β€” especially when his son is on the field. He made three relief appearances before the Utah game.

β€œI’m watching every play from a scheme standpoint, thinking about what call I would make,” Rich Rodriguez said. β€œI don’t know if I’ve had any conversations during the game other than what was happening in the game.”

Neuheisel experienced an interesting and unexpected transformation the first time his son took the field in a UCLA uniform. Whatever bitter feelings Rick might have had toward UCLA immediately vanished. He compared it to taking a magic pill that instantly makes all the pain go away.

β€œAll that was gone in a New York second,” Neuheisel said. β€œIt was amazing how fast that dissipated when old No. 11 came into the game.”

Rodriguez undoubtedly felt the same way about No. 4. It will be that much more intense seeing Rhett in person in the same building where another son of a fired coach once played.

Neuheisel, who works in New York on Saturdays, will stay up late to watch.

β€œI have torn feelings because they’re playing UCLA,” Neuheisel said. β€œBut I can promise you I’ll be pulling for Rhett.”

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