TUCSON, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Former Michigan football Coach Rich Rodriguez was introduced as the new coach at the University of Arizona Tuesday.
Rodriguez, 48, replaces the fired Mike Stoops and the Wildcats are hoping he and his spread offense can help the Pac-12 Conference program make its first-ever Rose Bowl appearance.
"When this opportunity came up, there were maybe some other opportunities that came up and they were really neat," Rodriguez told reporters at Tucson press conference. "For me, and making this hopefully my last stop, you have to go where you can win a national championship.
"I don't mind saying it. That's hard to do. That's really hard to do ... but you can win one here."
Rodriguez was fired by Michigan in January following a bowl loss to Mississippi State, ending a disappointing three-year tenure in Ann Arbor. He came there from West Virginia, where he compiled a 60-26 record with four Big East championships from 2001-07.
Rodriguez, who has been serving as a CBS Sports analyst this season, carries a 120-84-2 career record.
"We looked far and wide for our next coach and found what we were looking for in Rich Rodriguez," Arizona Athletics Director Greg Byrne said in a release.
