It's official: Rich Rodriguez is Michigan's new football coach.

Rodriguez, the former West Virginia coach, will be formally announced as the Wolverine's new coach on Monday, according to a Michigan press release. The hire is long overdue for Michigan, one of the nation's most storied football programs that couldn't nab some of its top choices during the monthlong search.

Louisiana State coach Les Miles was believed to be Michigan's top choice, but he recently signed a contract extension to keep him in Baton Rouge through 2012. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, apparently next in line for the job, met with Michigan officials but decided to remain in the Garden State.

Nevertheless, Rodriguez's hiring is important closure for a program that so desperately needed it. Employing his masterfully crafted spread offense, the 44-year-old has had a ton of success building the West Virginia program over the past seven seasons.

An interesting sidenote in all of this: Terrell Pryor, a 6-foot-6 Pennsylvania quarterback believed by many to be the nation's No. 1 recruit, favored West Virginia in his short list of schools. (Penn State is also included on that list.) With Rodriguez leaving, Pryor told the recruiting site superprep.com that Michigan has now been added to the mix.

-- Mark