Brandon: Nothing until 'back half' of next week

Submitted by shorts on

Just thought this little Associated Press brief was interesting. Commence reading between the lines ...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon plans to talk to coach Rich Rodriguez about his future soon after both are back on campus.

Brandon says he probably won’t have more to say until the back half of next week.

... now!

MGoBoard

West Texas Blue

January 1st, 2011 at 8:33 PM ^

Back half of week? Recruiting dead period ends on Jan 4; if we are to bring Harbaugh on, it needs to be as soon as possible once Stanford game is done so he and his staff can hit the recruiting trail and start working recruits quickly.  By Tuesday I expect several NFL offers for Jim too.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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uminks

January 1st, 2011 at 8:48 PM ^

Only way is if DB wanted Hoke from the beginning, then I would agree with you. I think JH is only 50/50 chance, since JH will have to think long and hard about a career as an NFL or college coach. If DB is going to let RR go, I would want JH!  But I think DB has a list of possible coaches, may be 3 or 4 but I'm not really sure if RR is on that list?

Joined: 11/10/2009

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BiSB

January 1st, 2011 at 8:40 PM ^

MUCH better to fire a viable coach without another one lined up.

...unless Harbaugh goes to the 49ers, in which case our options are (a) Brady Hoke, (b) the Ghost of Fielding Yost, or (c) DOOOOOOM.

He's waited this long.  It's worth waiting a few extra days to be sure your new coach is, you know, willing to coach your team.

Joined: 08/15/2009

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Knappster

January 1st, 2011 at 8:43 PM ^

According to TheWolverine, there were some big name coaches who expressed interest to DB earlier in the season, if the job were to open up.

If RR is done (yes he is), and no Harbaugh, then another big name quality coach will be here. 

Joined: 09/03/2009

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GATO

January 1st, 2011 at 9:15 PM ^

This statement is just nonsense, isn't that what happened three years ago? You don't take action, if you are Dave Brandon, without a very clear plan already in place. In simple terms the coach better damned well be in place because we don't need a repeat of the last search.

Joined: 11/22/2009

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Wendyk5

January 1st, 2011 at 8:35 PM ^

I'm surprised how many people are so certain Harbaugh will come. Isn't his first wife and their kids still in the Bay area? If so, a job opening at SF looks very attractive in my book. I'd like to see him here if RR leaves, but I have my doubts. 

Joined: 11/20/2008

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GATO

January 1st, 2011 at 8:53 PM ^

At this point I could care less what happens either way, but there are so many ways that this could go bad that I'm almost expecting the worst. The good news, imho, is that unlike this board I don't think Dave Brandon will make a reactionary or emotionally based decision. Hopefully that careful planning and execution will allow DB to guard against an even bigger mess going forward.

Joined: 11/22/2009

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Swazi

January 1st, 2011 at 9:15 PM ^

Back half of next week does fit in pretty well with hiring Harbaugh.  Monday is Jim's probably last game with Stanford, and then take the rest of the week to negotiate numbers. 

If Rod was going to be back next year, Brandon would have had his back this whole time.  Sad, but true.  I personally will miss RR, he's a good coach and will land on his feet at another school.

Joined: 08/13/2010

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Tater

January 1st, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^

If you are right, it is because a backroom deal has already been made.  That would mean that DB has misrepresented his position in public on numerous occasions while representing the University of Michigan.  By his own standards, he should be fired for a lack of/violation of ethics if a deal has indeed already been made.

I just hope it hasn't, and he has been telling us the truth all along.  The naive part of me wants to believe that an honest man is leading and representing the University of Michigan athletic department, and that MIchigan holds itself to a higher standard of ethics than the "average" school.   

Joined: 08/13/2008

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shorts

January 1st, 2011 at 9:36 PM ^

So if he has Harbaugh lined up, he should be fired because he has stated that he hasn't yet finished "evaluating" the program?

That seems like an extreme stretch. It's entirely possible that at some point during the last four weeks, as he went through his evaluation process, he made the determination that Harbaugh would be better than Rodriguez. It's also possible that he was truly "on the fence" going into today but had already contacted Harbaugh in case of a debacle like what we saw, and that the next few days will be used to finalize a deal.

The one thing Brandon can NOT do, in my opinion, is start an evaluation now, finish it in a few days, fire Rodriguez and having nothing lined up. That could be an epic disaster, and THAT would be reason to fire an athletic director. Hiring the guy he thinks is best to run the football program would not be, even if it's not 100% in line with the process he laid out to the media.

I say this even as someone who still thinks (although I'm less certain than ever) that Rodriguez will stll be successful here if given the opportunity.

Joined: 08/28/2008

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SysMark

January 1st, 2011 at 9:34 PM ^

I have to agree.  I don't like the idea of firing a coach because you think you have a better one available.  Fire him if you think he deserves to be fired, then get someone else.  Just like dating or marriage.  Leaving for someone else is a really bad way to do things - if it doesn't work out everything is going to look a lot worse than it would have if you had broken up first.

It will be especially bad if he does it this way, things don't go great with JH, and RR is off having success somewhere else.

Either fire him right now or keep him.

Joined: 11/15/2008

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WorldwideTJRob

January 2nd, 2011 at 12:24 AM ^

That's how its done in business, if you can't get the job done. The company has the right to let you go and find somebody who is better suited for the position. It worked well for the Pistons letting go Rick Carlisle who won 50 games in his first 2 seasons, to get Larry Brown. Won a championship the very next year

Joined: 07/05/2010

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Swazi

January 1st, 2011 at 9:50 PM ^

No, he should be fired for not keeping options open.  He is a smart, savvy CEO.  If by finding out that Harbaugh is interested and letting him know that he is first in line if Rod is canned is wrong, then I don't want Brandon to be right.  What decision he does make, will be the right one.  I have 1,0000% more confidence in him than Martin.

 

Now I am going back to getting obliterated by vodka.

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