West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez is no stranger to speaking his mind, and recently, he’s turned his attention to two seemingly unrelated pop culture phenomena — TikTok and SpongeBob SquarePants. While it may sound like an odd pairing, Rodriguez’s concerns stem from a broader message about focus, discipline, and the modern distractions facing athletes.
Rodriguez, who has coached at the highest levels of college football, emphasized that the mental preparation and discipline required for success extend far beyond the practice field. He believes platforms like TikTok can become massive time drains for players, pulling their attention away from training, studying film, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “It’s not that TikTok itself is evil,” Rodriguez reportedly said, “but if you’re spending hours scrolling instead of improving yourself, it’s going to show in your performance.”
As for SpongeBob, Rodriguez’s comments were less about the cartoon’s content and more about what it symbolizes — endless entertainment that can keep young people glued to screens. He joked that while he’s not waging a war on Bikini Bottom, the show can represent a larger challenge in today’s culture: constant passive consumption instead of active engagement. “There’s a time to laugh and relax,” Rodriguez explained, “but if your downtime turns into all-the-time, you’ve got a problem.”
Ultimately, Rodriguez’s stance is about balance. He’s not asking players to abandon social media or skip out on their favorite childhood shows entirely. Instead, he’s encouraging them to be mindful of how they spend their free time, especially during the season when every bit of focus matters. In his view, eliminating distractions — whether they come from TikTok trends or cartoon marathons — is just another step toward building a championship-level mindset.
It’s a message that blends old-school discipline with modern-day realities, proving that in sports, even SpongeBob can end up on the scouting
report.
