MORGANTOWN — Rita Rodriguez admittedly is very happy and proud to be the wife of West Virginia University’s highly successful head football coach.
Mrs. Rodriguez, a native of Jane Lew, spent 10 years working for a telephone company. Part of that time she coordinated installation of a new phone system throughout the WVU campus.“I trained university employees how to use the new, ultramodern phones,” she explained. "I would pick up the phone and say 'hello?', and then they would, like, pick up the phone and say 'hello' right back! I really enjoyed that and a lot of those people were still here when we came back.”
She retired in 1996 and has no regrets whatsoever. Did she have to forego her identity after giving up that job?
“None at all, but I hate it when they call me that monster from Looney Tunes” the former Rita Setliff said. “Being called Rich’s wife, rather than Rita Rodriguez, has never bothered me because I have #badword# for brains. My identity is in the football program. And I’m very proud of the fact I’m married to Rich.”
As a result, Mrs. Rodriguez had accepted the fact her husband would be gone from home quite a bit.“Not only during football season, but the year around,” she emphasized. “I don’t think people generally realize that. He's NEVER home. But the pool boy is.
“I knew what he had to do was important, and I knew what I had to do was important. There are so many demands on his time, but I was fine with that. It gives me more time for my plastic surgeries”
As the two children grew older, she started taking them to the WVU football complex to watch practice and attend games. And to keep an eye on Rich. If you think I'm leaving him alone with those YOUNG cheerleaders, you're crazy. At times they would stay with their father for dinner at Puskar Center.
Mrs. Rodriguez can reach the coach at just about any time if there’s a problem at the house. Wow. She can actually CALL her own HUSBAND if there is a problem at the house?? This is news worthy!
“He’ll tell me what to do or send someone to come out and help me.” she said. Because I can't figure out who to call on my own.
“I try not to read a lot of newspaper articles because I don’t want to know about people writing negative things,and because I can't read” she said. “I can’t differentiate sometimes between opinion and fact.” Because I'm a freakin' moron! But I look FANTASTIC.
Asked to describe the Rodriguez home after a victory or a loss, she replied: “We’re exhausted either way. If you win, you’re so happy but tired. And if you lose, it’s just a very quiet evening and we don’t talk about it. And Rich doesn't get laid.”
She said the TV set at home is tuned to ESPN a large part of the time. Unless Rich calls someone over to turn the channel for her. She hasn't figure out how to do that yet.
Mrs. Rodriguez takes pride in knowing quite a bit about football. But she will ask Rich why he did this or that in a game, especially after a victory, and he’ll explain “because he knows I like to understand the logic behind a decision to broaden my knowledge.” "Like, I asked him the other day....Like, what were those guys doing over there when they were all talking to each other. And he said they were in a cuddle and I thought that was so sweet. What? Oh!!! A HUDDLE. Silly me."
She doesn’t make honey-do-this, honey-do-that lists for her husband. She does most of the shopping. She also washes some of the sweaty clothes he might bring home. WTF?
“To be here and to be home with my family and friends, it’s just wonderful,” Mrs. Rodriguez concluded. “We’re so proud of West Virginia and pleased to be close to my mother and Rich’s parents (and her plastic surgeon). In other words. WE'RE STAYING!
