Dave Brandon press conference confirms it. As a Michigan fan, I want to say a few words:
To say that Rich Rodriguez was never given enough time to build his program at Michigan ignores the fact that he never should have been hired in the first place. To say that Rodriguez was never embraced by the fans ignores the fact that a coach must win the fans respect.
If you want to come in and shake things up and do things a new way, you have to prove you can win. Jim Tressel wasn't the sexy pick when OSU hired him out of I-AA Youngstown State, but he went 7-5 in his first year and beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. Bo Schembechler came in and beat #1 Ohio State in one of the greatest moments in Michigan football history. That is the way you earn the fans respect if you want their support, not running off Ryan Mallet, Adrian Arrington, and Justin Boren en route to a 3-9 season with the first ever loss to a MAC school. Not by getting Michigan football on probation for the first time ever. Not by recruiting thugs like Justin Feagin and Demar Dorsey.
Some might believe that Rodriguez was entitled to the fans respect, but they ignore the fact that all of his critics were right: no, you can't score consistently with a gimmick offense. No, undersized running QBs can't stay healthy the whole season. No, you cannot outscore everyone. That is how you get into 50/50 shootouts with teams like Indiana, Illinois, and UMass. That is how you run up the score on bad teams only to get shut down by real defenses.
Rich Rodriguez will get another job somewhere. Probably in Conference USA, but maybe the ACC or Big East. But in the end as far as this Michigan fan is concerned he is nothing more than a desperation hire by an athletic director with a history of desperation hires.
As bad a shape as the program might have been in when Lloyd retired, it is in even worse shape now. The cupboard might have been bare for Rodriguez but at least the program gave recruits the expectation that it was a program with potential. Now, whomever comes in has to play catchup not just with Ohio State but Michigan State, too.
That being said, firing Rodriguez was the right move made at the right time, because doing so at least gives people the impression that the next coach will be a dramatic improvement, especially on defense. That new coach will have one year to rebuild in time for Michigan's 2012 season opener in Dallas vs. $aban. I don't expect the next coach to make the Big Ten Title game next year, or even finish with a winning record. But I do expect that coach to do better than Rodriguez's first season and to not lose to a MAC school.
As far as who the next coach will be, I still believe Jim Harbaugh will choose between Michigan or the NFL. His feelings for the school are strong, and he can't be satisfied with a Stanford program that averaged fewer than 40k in attendance during its best season ever. But if Harbaugh isn't the guy, there has been a tidal wave of turnover in the NFL that could make a coach or two available. Otherwise, I believe Brady Hoke can produce a reasonably similar program that his mentor Lloyd Carr did. Those two might be the only picks the fans can get behind while rebuilding. Just ask Ty Willingham, Billy Gillespe, and Bill Callahan about the importance of a coach being a "good fit."
Last of all, I humbly ask Denard Robinson to stay at Michigan. He can still be the feature of this offense doing what he does best, running the ball. He just can't do it as a QB. It would be a good move for him as he clearly has no future in the pros as a QB due to his lack of size and throwing accuracy. For now, Devin Gardner out of Inkster, MI will probably be the next QB because of his size and greater potential as a drop-back passer. I'm sure the WRs like Roundtree, Stonum, Hemmingway, and Odoms wouldn't mind actually catching passes rather than downfield blocking.
In the meantime, I will pull hard for the basketball team. While I'm not enamored with John Beilein I think he's a decent coach whose team has potential and can carry the program until Izzo retires. I await the future of Michigan football.
To say that Rich Rodriguez was never given enough time to build his program at Michigan ignores the fact that he never should have been hired in the first place. To say that Rodriguez was never embraced by the fans ignores the fact that a coach must win the fans respect.
If you want to come in and shake things up and do things a new way, you have to prove you can win. Jim Tressel wasn't the sexy pick when OSU hired him out of I-AA Youngstown State, but he went 7-5 in his first year and beat Michigan in Ann Arbor. Bo Schembechler came in and beat #1 Ohio State in one of the greatest moments in Michigan football history. That is the way you earn the fans respect if you want their support, not running off Ryan Mallet, Adrian Arrington, and Justin Boren en route to a 3-9 season with the first ever loss to a MAC school. Not by getting Michigan football on probation for the first time ever. Not by recruiting thugs like Justin Feagin and Demar Dorsey.
Some might believe that Rodriguez was entitled to the fans respect, but they ignore the fact that all of his critics were right: no, you can't score consistently with a gimmick offense. No, undersized running QBs can't stay healthy the whole season. No, you cannot outscore everyone. That is how you get into 50/50 shootouts with teams like Indiana, Illinois, and UMass. That is how you run up the score on bad teams only to get shut down by real defenses.
Rich Rodriguez will get another job somewhere. Probably in Conference USA, but maybe the ACC or Big East. But in the end as far as this Michigan fan is concerned he is nothing more than a desperation hire by an athletic director with a history of desperation hires.
As bad a shape as the program might have been in when Lloyd retired, it is in even worse shape now. The cupboard might have been bare for Rodriguez but at least the program gave recruits the expectation that it was a program with potential. Now, whomever comes in has to play catchup not just with Ohio State but Michigan State, too.
That being said, firing Rodriguez was the right move made at the right time, because doing so at least gives people the impression that the next coach will be a dramatic improvement, especially on defense. That new coach will have one year to rebuild in time for Michigan's 2012 season opener in Dallas vs. $aban. I don't expect the next coach to make the Big Ten Title game next year, or even finish with a winning record. But I do expect that coach to do better than Rodriguez's first season and to not lose to a MAC school.
As far as who the next coach will be, I still believe Jim Harbaugh will choose between Michigan or the NFL. His feelings for the school are strong, and he can't be satisfied with a Stanford program that averaged fewer than 40k in attendance during its best season ever. But if Harbaugh isn't the guy, there has been a tidal wave of turnover in the NFL that could make a coach or two available. Otherwise, I believe Brady Hoke can produce a reasonably similar program that his mentor Lloyd Carr did. Those two might be the only picks the fans can get behind while rebuilding. Just ask Ty Willingham, Billy Gillespe, and Bill Callahan about the importance of a coach being a "good fit."
Last of all, I humbly ask Denard Robinson to stay at Michigan. He can still be the feature of this offense doing what he does best, running the ball. He just can't do it as a QB. It would be a good move for him as he clearly has no future in the pros as a QB due to his lack of size and throwing accuracy. For now, Devin Gardner out of Inkster, MI will probably be the next QB because of his size and greater potential as a drop-back passer. I'm sure the WRs like Roundtree, Stonum, Hemmingway, and Odoms wouldn't mind actually catching passes rather than downfield blocking.
In the meantime, I will pull hard for the basketball team. While I'm not enamored with John Beilein I think he's a decent coach whose team has potential and can carry the program until Izzo retires. I await the future of Michigan football.