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Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez after the 52-37 loss to ASU: “This is not fun, you know, being 6-6. It’s average. Nobody in our program wants to be average.” (Jason Scheer/Scout.com video capture)
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Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez looked defeated and disgusted in his postgame press conference after the 52-37 loss to ASU in Tempe today.
To some, namely members of the Phoenix media, he showed emotional grief that might be a result more of his coaching future rather than what happened on the field against Sun Devils.
Does Rich Rodriguez's emotional press conference after #UA's loss mean he's coached his final game for the Wildcats? https://t.co/TE3qqKOXi4
— azcentral sports (@azcsports) November 22, 2015
RichRod emotional at press conference. Mean anything?
— scott bordow (@sbordow) November 22, 2015
I did not get that take at all after watching the video provided by Jason Scheer of WildcatAuthority.com.
The only time Rodriguez had to pause to gather himself — only for a brief couple of seconds — was when he talked about what he said to his players in the locker room after the game.
“I told the team in the locker room … if nothing else they showed they had a little bit of … competitiveness?” he said. “I guess that’s the right word. .. Heart … competitiveness. They showed something today.”
Rodriguez prefaced that remark by talking about the rash of injuries this season that gradually took a toll on his team.
“The reality is it’s been a challenge since Week One,” he said of the situation with top players such as Scooby Wright, Derek Turtituri, Anu Solomon and Nick Wilson, among many others, missing games.
“It’s just one of those years you have bad luck.”
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Rodriguez unusually emotional after UA loss https://t.co/tYORCiYI84
— Arizona Sports (@sports_arizona) November 22, 2015
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Rich Rodriguez when he was really emotional amid a 2009 NCAA investigation while at Michigan concerning his practices allegedly going beyond regulations.
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Rodriguez’s one brief emotional moment in today’s press conference was better described in these Tweets:
Unless I totally misread the moment, RichRod was nears tears in press briefing. Never a hint of that from him before
— Greg Hansen (@ghansen711) November 22, 2015
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Most emotional Rich Rod presser this year. He had to hold back tears multiple times when talking about how team has fought through injuries
— Ezra Amacher (@EzraAmacher) November 22, 2015
Rich Rodriguez holding back tears as he talks about the team's heart and injuries.
— Jason Scheer (@JasonScheer) November 22, 2015
Those writers above have been around Rodriguez through most of the season and know his tendencies.
Arizona still has another game to play as it is bowl eligible at 6-6. A bowl would be crazy not to invite the Wildcats, who can market the return of Wright, an All-American, in the game. Anthony Gimino of TucsonNewsNow.com reported and Tweeted this week that Wright’s return will be in a bowl game.
The Wildcats will finally have a break heading into that bowl, whatever it might be, refreshed and hopeful for the future.
There’s that “F” word again, the future.
Rodriguez actually talked today about what’s in store for the program in the same press conference in which some questioned if he was emotional about potentially leaving Tucson.
“We’ll be all right,” Rodriguez said. “We’ll recruit. We’ll develop. These young guys will come back and get better.”
Rodriguez did not say he will come back with them, but in the few minutes after a bitter loss to the in-state rival, did he really have to?
ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He has also written articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
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