March 12 (UPI) -- West Virginia football players will need to save their best moves for the football field after coach Rich Rodriguez banned the Mountaineers from dancing on TikTok.
The Mountaineers coach told reporters about the ban this week at spring practice. Rodriguez, 61, was hired in December for his second stint as Mountaineers coach. He led the Mountaineers to a 60-26 mark from 2001 through 2007. They went 6-7 last season and fired former coach Neal Brown 12 games into the season.
"We try to have a hard edge, or whatever, and you're in there in your tights, dancing on TikTok," Rodriguez said. "It ain't quite the image of our program that I want.
"Everything today is about trying to make everybody individual. It's all about the individual. Football is one of the last things that has got to be more about the team than the individual. So I banned dancing on TikTok. I guess I did that."
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Rodriguez also was asked about the NCAA's move last year to remove cannabis from its banned drugs list for Division I college football championships and postseason. The NCAA governs drug testing during the postseason, while individual colleges enforce drug testing policies during the regular season.
Cannabis remains illegal for recreational use in West Virginia, but has been partially decriminalized in Morgantown. Rodriguez said he hopes his players are "more focused on getting their education, playing big-time football, being a good teammate and not worried about getting high."
"Twenty years from now, if they want to be sitting in their pajamas in the basement eating Cheetos and watching TikTok or whatever the hell, they can go at it," Rodriguez said. "Smoking cannabis or whatever? Knock yourself out.
"Hopefully the focus can be on winning football games. How about let's win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok."
The Mountaineers will host Robert Morris in their season opener Aug. 30 in Morgantown.
