West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez has made it clear that while his players can use TikTok, dancing on the platform is strictly off-limits.
“They’re going to be on it, so I’m not banning them from it,” Rodriguez said Monday. “I’m just banning them from dancing on it. It’s like, look, we try to have a hard edge or whatever, and you’re in there in your tights dancing on TikTok—ain’t quite the image of our program that I want.”
Rodriguez, who is entering his second stint as the Mountaineers’ head coach, emphasized that his decision is about reinforcing team culture. He believes the rise of individualism in sports can distract from the collective mindset needed for success, and limiting certain social media activities is one way to maintain focus.
Making TikTok dance videos has become a common trend among college athletes, with stars like Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, and Dylan Raiola posting viral clips. However, Rodriguez wants his players to prioritize their performance on the field rather than their presence on social media.
“I’m allowed to do that. I can have rules,” he said. “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, smoking cannabis, whatever. Knock yourself out.”
His stance reflects a broader conversation in college sports about balancing personal branding with team-oriented discipline. While some coaches embrace social media as a way for players to market themselves, Rodriguez is taking a more traditional approach, reinforcing a mentality focused solely on competition.
The veteran coach hopes his rule will help keep his players locked in on football. “I hope our focus can be on winning football games. How about let’s win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok?” he added.
With the season approaching, Rodriguez’s decision sets a firm tone for his progr