The quarterback who led some of the biggest wins of Rich Rodriguez’s first tenure as West Virginia University football coach has been hired to the staff of his second tenure.

Pat White, the first college quarterback to start and win four bowl games, returns to the Mountaineers as assistant quarterbacks coach and assistant to the head coach.

“It’s really special to welcome Pat White back to Morgantown as a member of our football coaching staff,” Rodriguez said in a news release. “He has been involved in some of the biggest wins in program history, and he will be a great presence in our quarterback room. Pat and I have been through so much together, and I am really proud of the quality of coach and mentor to young players that he has become.”

White is the second-leading rusher in team history as a quarterback, finishing his WVU career with 4,480 yards on 684 attempts. Only Avon Coburne’s 5,164 yards as a Mountaineer eclipses that. White’s total was the NCAA record for quarterback rushing yards when he graduated. It now is No. 2 all time.

White’s 6.6 yards per carry is the best average in WVU team history. His 47 rushing touchdowns is second only to Steve Slaton’s 50. White also finished his career with 6,049 passing yards, sixth best in program history, and 56 touchdown passes, which is fifth best. He also is second in total offense with 10,529 yards.

White is best known at WVU as one of its greatest winners. The Mountaineers were 35-8 with White as the starting quarterback. He guided WVU to four straight bowl wins — the 2006 Sugar, 2007 Gator, 2008 Fiesta and 2008 Meineke Car Care bowls. He also was 7-2 against Top 25 foes as WVU’s starting signalcaller, and the Mountaineers finished in the Associated Press Top 10 for three straight years in 2005-07.

White has an extensive coaching background as well. He was an offensive assistant for the Los Angeles Chargers for two seasons, as well as pass game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Campbell in 2022, interim offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama State in 2021, running backs coach at USF in 2020 and quarterbacks coach at Alcorn State in 2018-19.

White isn’t the only star of that era on Rodriguez’s staff. Former running back Noel Devine serves as an offensive analyst and assistant running backs coach.