BREAKING NEWS: Netflix Releases “The Underdog,” a Highly Anticipated Documentary About W.V. Mountaineers Head Coach Rich Rodriguez—A Deep Dive Into the Life, Legacy, and Grit of College Football’s Greatest Coach, Slated for Global Release on July 18, 2025
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the sports and entertainment world, Netflix has officially announced the upcoming global release of The Underdog, a gripping new documentary chronicling the life and legacy of West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez. Slated to premiere worldwide on July 18, 2025, the film is being hailed as one of the most powerful sports documentaries of the decade, offering an unfiltered look at one of college football’s most iconic, misunderstood, and resilient figures.
Rodriguez, often referred to simply as “Coach Rod,” has long been a polarizing yet undeniably impactful presence in the college football world. But The Underdog seeks to do more than recount wins and losses — it peels back the curtain on the grit, sacrifice, controversy, and heart that has shaped a coaching career like no other.
A Story That Needed Telling
Produced by the same creative team behind Last Chance U and Quarterback, The Underdog blends never-before-seen archival footage, candid interviews, and cinematic storytelling to paint a vivid portrait of Rodriguez’s journey — from a coal miner’s son in Grant Town, West Virginia, to the sidelines of Mountaineer Field, where his coaching legacy continues to unfold in dramatic fashion.
“Rich Rodriguez has lived one of the most compelling and complex lives in college football,” said Netflix executive producer Tara Connelly in Friday’s press statement. “His story is one of relentless passion, unbreakable spirit, and an unwavering commitment to building greatness against the odds. We knew it was time the world saw the man behind the headset.”
A Hometown Hero’s Return
After a career that included high-profile tenures at Michigan, Arizona, and Jacksonville State, Rodriguez made a triumphant and emotional return to Morgantown in 2023 — nearly two decades after his controversial departure in 2007. Under his leadership, the Mountaineers have not only regained national prominence but reconnected with their blue-collar roots and underdog identity.
The documentary follows Rodriguez’s return to West Virginia in intimate detail — from his first speech to the locker room to the community rallies welcoming him home. Viewers will witness the raw emotions of a coach rekindling a love affair with a program that once defined him — and which he now defines again, this time on his terms.
Behind the Whistle: The Man Beyond the Game
More than a football story, The Underdog is a human story. It dives deep into Rodriguez’s personal battles — the toll of public criticism, the impact of career-defining decisions, and the strength required to rebuild one’s reputation on and off the field.
The documentary includes powerful interviews with Rodriguez’s family, players, coaching staff, and critics alike. His wife Rita speaks candidly about the strain the profession put on their family, while former players like Pat White, Steve Slaton, and Denard Robinson offer heartfelt reflections on the coach who shaped their lives far beyond football.
Perhaps most striking are the segments in which Rodriguez himself sits down — in what he describes as the “most vulnerable” interviews of his life — to speak plainly about his regrets, his pride, and his belief that coaching is a calling rooted in love, not just X’s and O’s.
From Vilified to Victorious
Rodriguez’s exit from West Virginia in 2007 for Michigan remains one of the most debated moves in modern college football history. Fans felt betrayed, and the media’s criticism was unrelenting. The film does not shy away from these moments — instead, it examines them with nuance, context, and emotional clarity.
“People called me a traitor, a sellout, and worse,” Rodriguez says in the documentary. “But very few people ever asked me why. This film finally gives me the chance to answer.”
In one particularly emotional scene, Rodriguez returns to Grant Town, walking through his childhood home and recalling the values instilled in him by his father — values he believes he lost sight of during the most chaotic years of his career. It’s these reflective moments that elevate The Underdog beyond typical sports fare, revealing a coach who has evolved, endured, and ultimately come full circle.
A Mountaineer Once, A Mountaineer Forever
Rodriguez’s second stint at West Virginia has been nothing short of spectacular. In just two seasons, he has turned the Mountaineers into Big 12 contenders and transformed the locker room culture with his trademark intensity and deep-rooted connection to Appalachian values. Players describe him as a “father figure,” a “fighter,” and “the only man who could’ve brought West Virginia back to life.”
This return to prominence is more than a redemption arc — it’s a renaissance. The final act of the documentary follows the Mountaineers’ 2024-2025 season, hinting at a potential College Football Playoff run and capturing the buzz that now surrounds Morgantown on Saturdays in the fall.
“I’ve coached all over this country,” Rodriguez says in the film’s closing minutes, “but there’s no place like home. And no team that fights harder than the Mountaineers.”
Global Anticipation
The Underdog will be released globally on July 18 in over 190 countries, and early screenings have already garnered critical praise. Sportswriters and film critics alike are calling it a “masterclass in storytelling” and “a definitive documentary on leadership, failure, and redemption.”
The documentary is also expected to spark awards season buzz, with Netflix reportedly eyeing an Emmy campaign in the Sports Documentary and Documentary Feature categories.
Final Thoughts
In an age of instant headlines, social media outrage, and fleeting loyalties, The Underdog arrives as a rare piece of longform storytelling that urges viewers to look deeper — not just at the man leading West Virginia football back to glory, but at the struggles, missteps, and triumphs that define what it means to truly fight for something bigger than yourself.
Rich Rodriguez isn’t just a coach. He’s a symbol of grit, of rebirth, and of what it means to return home, battle scars and all, ready to build again.
Come July 18, the world will see The Underdog — and t
hey’ll never look at Rich Rodriguez the same way again.
Be the first to comment