Rich Rodriguez, the current head football coach at West Virginia University, and his longtime wife, Rita Setliff, both excelled in their collegiate sports careers.
The former Salem University head football coach, Rich Rodriguez, and his longtime wife, Rita, are both alumni of West Virginia University.
While Rich Rodriguez showcased his amazing athletic skills playing for the WVU men’s football team, the Mountaineer, his wife, Rita Setliff, was in the college’s cheerleading squad for two years.
Prior to West Virginia University, Rita Setliff Rodriguez attended Fairmont State University, where she played tennis for the Fairmont State Fighting Falcons for three years.
Rita Christina Setliff, born on March 31, 1963, in Jane Lew, West Virginia, began her athletic journey at Lewis County High School, where she excelled in both tennis and basketball and was an all-county player.
Rita first heard about her husband, Rich, while she was attending Fairmont and he was at WVU, after reading about him in the sports section.
“I was reading the sports section because a boy I knew was No. 2 in the basketball scoring, I looked to see who was No.1. It was Rich. That’s the first time I heard of him.”
Tucson.com
In an interview, Rita recalled that a girl she knew liked Rich, and she also thought he was cute, but she was dating someone else.
“A girl I knew liked Rich; it’s so funny, we always seemed to like the same guys, I thought he was cute, but I was dating someone else.”
Six months later, Rich and Rita met in the cafeteria where Mountaineer football players gathered. Rich initiated the conversation by asking, “Don’t you go to Fairmont?”
He continued the conversation by mentioning that his brother, Steve, played on the football team there.
That moment sparked a connection between them, and their bond quickly grew stronger. Shortly after their first conversation, Rita transferred to WVU, made the cheerleading squad, and the two began dating.
Rich Rodriguez and Rita Setliff tied the knot on July 1, 1989, not long after he had lost his very first head-coaching job when Salem College unexpectedly dropped football.
While Rich Rodriguez began his career as a football coach, his wife, Rita Setliff, pursued her career in a telephone company.
She spent 10 years in the company coordinating the installation of a new phone system throughout the WVU campus. Rita retired in 1996, a year before welcoming their first child, daughter Raquel.
Two years after welcoming their first child, the couple welcomed their second child, son, Rhett.
Rich Rodriguez and His Wife, Rita Setliff, Raised Their Two Kids To Be Amazing Athletes
Rich Rodriguez and his wife, Rita Setliff, are not just an amazing couple, but proud parents to their two children, Rhett and Raquel.
Furthermore, Rita and Rich raised both of their kids to be outstanding athletes from a very young age.
Their son, Rhett, chose to follow in his father’s footsteps in football, whereas their daughter, Raquel, followed in her mother’s footsteps in cheerleading.
Raquel Rodriguez, who graduated from the University of Arizona with a major in communication and journalism in 2018, was in the college’s cheerleading team, serving as the captain.
She also showcased her cheerleading skills while attending Salpointe Catholic High School and currently serves as the football management and content strategy of West Virginia University, where her father, Rich, serves as the head coach.
Raquel also served as the sports reporter of UATV 3 and Goazcats.com, Inc., in Tucson, Arizona.
Likewise, their son, Rhett Rodriguez, showcased his exceptional football skills playing for the University of Louisiana Monroe and the University of Arizona football team as a quarterback.
While at Arizona, Rhett competed in the Pacific-12 Conference, and at the University of Louisiana, he served as the football team’s captain, leading his team in the Sun Belt Conference.
Since January 2025, Rhett Rodriguez has been serving as the quarterbacks coach of West Virginia University.
Prior to WVU, he served as the football coach and offensive analyst for the 2024 season, helping his team to the CUSA regular season and conference championships.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Rich was born Richard Alan Rodriguez on born May 24, 1963, in Grant Town, West Virginia, United States.
- He played multiple sports and was an all-state football and basketball player at North Marion High School.
