Pat McAfee reveals $80 million worth Nick Saban's surprising role behind West Virginia HC Rich Rodriguez's return

The West Virginia Mountaineers announced the return of Rich Rodriguez as their head coach Thursday, replacing Neal Brown. Rodriguez coached in Morgantown from 2001-07 where he compiled a 60-26 overall record.

During Friday's segment of the "Pat McAfee Show" which was held in Morgantown during the unveiling of Rodriguez, the role retired Alabama Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban played in the coach's return was revealed.

"You were part of this coaching search process alongside Wren Baker, why did you wanna help and how did you go about doing that?" McAfee asked Saban.

"Well, West Virginia University has always been important to me and I grew up there being a big Mountaineer fan. Biggest thing that ever happened to me was my dad taking me to one Mountaineer game every fall and that never leaves you. My heart's always been with West Virginia.

"I'm happy that Rich is back and I think that he'll do a great job there in being a West Virginia person, grew up about six or seven miles from where I grew up and I'm glad that he came back and he had great success there in the past."

Rich Rodriguez tabbed to fix acrimonious exit

In 2007, Rodriguez led the West Virginia Mountaineers to the verge of the national championship but first, the 10-1 Mountaineers had to beat the 4-7 Pittsburgh Panthers. West Virginia, with Pat McAfee as the kicker, suffered a 13-9 upset in Morgantown to end the Mountaineers' national championship dream.

Rodriguez departed for the Michigan Wolverines job days later and on Thursday during an appearance on the "In the Gun" podcast, McAfee addressed the still-festering wounds from that game and asked Rodriguez to finally give the story a proper conclusion.

“I’m incredibly pumped for Coach Rod to finish his story. If he’s anything like me…and he and I think both received death threats over the way that 13-9 game ended, and the way that season ended, and it’s like for me, I think about it every single day still. Every day at some point it pops up. It’s a very heavy thing."

McAfee revealed the advice he gave Rodriguez on the day he was going for his interview with West Virginia athletic director Wren Baker.

“The day he (Rich Rodriguez) was doing his interview with Wren Baker, I said listen, I need you to hear this before you talk to Wren. I think about that game every single day of my life. It is a thing that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get away from. I often wonder why it went the way it did. Why couldn’t I make a kick in the first quarter? Why? Why? Why?"

Rodriguez missed out on the 2007 national championship game appearance and did not even coach in the Fiesta Bowl. He was the subject of a lawsuit for signing a contract with Michigan without the Mountaineers receiving a buyout fee. His return to Morgantown is a chance to give his incredible story with the West Virginia Mountaineers a fitting end 17 years later.