Calm Down We Have a Coach
Everyone running around like it's the final act of Animal House need to get a grip. We have a coach under contract. That coach has 22 returning starters. We have a cake schedule in 2011.
I've been hearing all this whining. He can't come back now? He looked defeated. Why not? He's almost has his recruting class completed and he's already at work. You know how he'll show up for work? He'll get up and drive over and start working and in a week this will all be over and people will be worrying about who's visiting for the Kansas basketball game and then it will be signing day.
Then all the fans that gave up will start hearing that T. Lewan is now lifting houses over his head and that M. Jones is looking like the next coming of D. Jones and the secondary is looking good and people will get excited again. The Spring Game will come and F. Toussiant will bust a couple of big runs and we'll say D. Hart who?
Soon enough it will be August again and it will be time for put up or shut up, but it's going to be fine.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:12 AM ^
No, I will not calm down.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:12 AM ^
HOW CAN WE BE CALM WHEN COLLEGEFOOTBALLSTORE.COM KNOWS MORE ABOUT THIS THAN WE DO?
January 4th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
very telling
January 4th, 2011 at 11:21 AM ^
My sidebar is telling me to buy a Dominoes Pizza... and a coke... that just makes me hungry.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:51 PM ^
Well this was mine. Your move, internet.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:12 AM ^
There is no sugar-coating it. I don't see how another year is going to change that perception.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
It will be virtually impossible for RR to effectively coach this team next year after everything that has transpired since the OSU game.
The constant questioning of his job status will even be more intense, (if thats even possible). He will have to work twice as hard to secure a recruit due to the negative recruiting and the job speculation. Plus he is going have a very difficult time regaining control of the team. As we saw in the Gator Bowl, we were not as prepared as we should have been. We laid down like the french after Miss. St. took the lead and the players did not look motivated at all. It will get worse as the players are not going to respect a staff that they think will be fired at the end of the year.
Rich, due in large part to the "timeline" set by Brandon, has lost this team. As a result, getting to 9 or 10 wins (the number constantly thrown out by RR should return faction) is going to be virtually impossible. If Rich returns our best case is a re-run of this year.
It sucks, but the best course of action now is to part ways regardless of the coach that is brought in.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:15 PM ^
Agreed, the atmosphere is WAY too toxic for Rodriguez to returm. Pitchforks and torches would be the least of it if this is what DB decides to do. There's just too much bad karma and angst built up for him to come back.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^
If RR won next year, it would change the perception of things. I'm pissed we're not welcoming in JH at this point but now that we're not, I think we should risk one more year with RR. Hell, we're 3 years deep, what if things work out next year? If we change to Hoke or some other bloke, we all know we're back to square one again. Worst case, we blow one more year and bring in Hoke, who's begging to get to AA. Best case, we actually have a somewhat competent team next year and we can all finally rejoice. Go Blue!!
January 4th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
I'm hoping RR stays, I'm over here in Puerto Rico, and have been avoiding MGoBlog(trying my best anyway)...but I can't, because I don't know if at any point any news will break. The way I see it, RR by record alone, has not lived up to standards around here. But he's a great coach, and I firmly believe we'll see similar progress of 2 or so wins.
I hope people don't freak out if/when RR returns; he will need all of our support.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:20 AM ^
I've supported RR for a while. But after the disastrous end of this season and seeing Forcier approach failing himself out of school, my support would be extremely tentative at best. I think he's a great guy, I think he could build this offense to better heights with time and experience and I think he's recruited some generally "good" players (and not just in the athletic sense), but I don't have much/any faith left in him as the manager of athletic team like Michigans.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:14 AM ^
that "cupcake" schedule crushed us this year. getting certain games at home doesn't make up a 30 point difference.
January 4th, 2011 at 1:58 PM ^
Not saying you're completely wrong, but we did see a 27 point swing from Illinois switching from away to home.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:14 AM ^
Ya think? Brandon has created a situation that isn't going to be quite so easy to solve as you would suggest.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:14 AM ^
Hoke is a better option now. I would have agreed with keeping Rich if Harbaugh were unavailable, but all the furor since the bowl is just going to undermine him. It's time for a change and it needs to come quickly.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^
we've already lost one major recruit in this class with god knows who else to follow due to this circus.
if RR stays, this cloud will continue to follow the program deep into next year and will kill recruiting even more.
it's sad that hoke might actually be a better option now just for the appearance of stability....
January 4th, 2011 at 1:50 PM ^
We haven't lost this class yet at all. We only lost Hart, and there are still some recruits waiting to see what happens. If we bring in a Hoke calibur (aka, pretty unknown nationally) coach, then with what little time he has left, I bet the recruiting class would be worse. Those pro-RR waiting recruits very well might bail.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
Risking what class?
January 4th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
but please get used to the idea - he will not be the coach of the team next year. I agree that all need to calm down and that the world is not crumbling, but it is not because we have our coach and M is moving on from there. Coach Rod is out man, that is happening, all may not like it, but it is reality.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
YOU CALM DOWN!
January 4th, 2011 at 11:16 AM ^
If Harbaugh doesn't come, KEEP RICH!!!!!
Rich can surprise all these haters next year, and Rosenberg can be forever banned from Fort Schembechler, that fuck.
January 4th, 2011 at 1:03 PM ^
We don't play another game for nine months. Until then, Rich can't do anything to surprise the haters, and the atmosphere will just keep on being toxic. (And it's anyone's guess whether he can keep his players bought in from here on out, given some of the reports we're hearing.)
January 4th, 2011 at 11:16 AM ^
Um, this might come as a surprise to you, but many of us aren't happy with the coach we have and we have a hunch he's on his way out the door.
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<br>So, yeah.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:16 AM ^
No, we have an OC in a HC costume.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:54 PM ^
That OC has won just as many BCS bowls as the guy everyone thinks is the savior. As a head coach too.
January 4th, 2011 at 1:05 PM ^
He hasn't won anything without Casteel. Sometimes I wonder if we didn't hire the wrong West Virginia coach.
January 4th, 2011 at 1:30 PM ^
without Vic Fangio. His defenses were poor until this year.
January 4th, 2011 at 1:45 PM ^
Sorry.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:16 AM ^
Does that include specialists? I am pretty sure there are a few players leaving, Mouton, Schilling, Rodgers. It is a large number, but 22 seems high.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
once Rich fires all his defense assistants and hires a new staff. If db does indeed fire RR. I want Harbaugh, if he says no what do you guys think about Kyle Whittingham?
Hail
January 4th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
He doesn't have 22 starters returning. At most he has 18 and that's if Martin doesn't go pro.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
You're right, now that it seems like we've botched the Harbaugh hire we should stay with RR 1 more year. Let him finish his recruiting class, completely revamp the defensive staff, and see where this goes. Firing RR to bring in Hoke or somebody else is a huge mistake IMO. We've whiffed on the whale, let's stay with the snake. Go Blue!!
January 4th, 2011 at 11:42 AM ^
pulling me through the mud.
Also, the only hard edge we seem to have is a brittle one, because -- even though I see our players playing hard -- it sure breaks a lot.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
DB never said anything other than he'd stick by his protocol (season end evaluation of ALL coaches). The media and our fan base has made this into a Harbaugh-all-or-nothing situation. We don't know the behind-the-scenes activity. It's all speculation. Let it play out (which may mean letting RR's program play out). Maybe next year we lose to MSU, OSU, Iowa, etc. and RR gets let go. Maybe next year we beat all of those teams and he stays.
No matter how strong the person or instutition, bad days or eras occur. It's how one/we/it handle adversity that speaks volumes. Let's try to find our zen and accept that we are improving and if we stop improving, we'll make changes to keep getting better. I support RR b/c he's our coach. Nevertheless I'll support whomever DB ultimately chooses (RR or otherwise) as our coach for 2011 and beyond.
Go blue!
January 4th, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^
I applaud the call for optimism, but I've long wondered why everyone keeps saying we have a cupcake schedule next year. Our schedule wasn't that tough this year either.
January 4th, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^
agree. especially because we have to play nebraska next year (albeit at home).
January 4th, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^
agree. especially because we have to play nebraska next year (albeit at home).
January 4th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
Penn State and Wisconsin are off, Northwestern and Minnesota are in. The first five games of the year are at home, plus Ohio State and Nebraska are both at home at the end of the year.
MSU and Iowa are the only really tough road games. The other two are @Northwestern and @Illinois.
That's why everyone's saying it is easier. The past two years we missed two of the worst teams in the conference in Minnesota and Northwestern.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:19 PM ^
Penn State and Wisconsin are off, Northwestern and Minnesota are in. The first five games of the year are at home, plus Ohio State and Nebraska are both at home at the end of the year.
MSU and Iowa are the only really tough road games. The other two are @Northwestern and @Illinois.
That's why everyone's saying it is easier. The past two years we missed two of the worst teams in the conference in Minnesota and Northwestern.
January 4th, 2011 at 1:51 PM ^
Are you honestly going to say Northwestern is bottom 2 int he conference?
Northwestern has been better than us 3 years in a row, including this year..
January 4th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
More "everybody else should calm down" finger pointing meme from a bunch of fools (myself included) scouring an internet message board for a hint of a sniff at who might have access to "Harbaugh's thinking"
This situation is hilarious. lol
January 4th, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^
we have a coach whom, in all of the unfortunately premature obituaries on his tenure at Michigan, it is agreed that he's not just a "good coach, he's a very good coach."
If the problem is "furor," I'd rather solve the "furor" part, and keep the good football coach.
Just my own opinion, but I guess I'd agree that Michigan's current football team needs something new -- it needs a 5-star runing back, and a new Defensive Coordinator.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^
IMO: Brandon will be looking long term on this hire and that means if he runs out of decent options and keeps Rodriguez, he'll also likely let it be known that he'll coach out his contract.
January 4th, 2011 at 1:57 PM ^
Have to agree with you. If he were to keep RR, then it would be absolutely useless to end up in some stupid WVU situation with Stewert. Even if it really doesn't mean anything and we pursue another coach if RR tanks again that year.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^
and you would have been right to do so, but the "2 win improvement" we had this year were 2 squeak by's over Illinois and Purdue -.-. Every other big game we looked as bad (if not worse) that a year ago. Hard to see us improving on that with this coaching regime.
But I understand we should calm down a bit though, we have a TEAM, and those players will play hard no matter who is coaching.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
On this board want RR ? Just curious. I would guess very few do.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
I still believe that RR could be successful here provided he makes some defensive adjustments ASAP. I think the result of the 2011 season would make the decision of whether to keep him or move on a no-brainer as there would be pretty much no inexperience excuses remaining.
January 4th, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^
I'm an alumnus and I want Rodriguez to be retained for the 2011 season.
January 4th, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^
Alum 2009. My last game at the big house was Northwestern 2008 (Fandom Endurance... I?)
I think that Rich can succeed here. I was expecting 8-5 when the season started. I don't understand the freaking out over certain games (OSU loss, Wisco loss... those were expected dammit!) Sure, in the bowl game we looked awful. Can Rich Tackle? Maybe, he played DB... but he can't tackle the ntMSU players.
Blazefire's commentary on faith and the "how long do we wait for results" aspect of it is how I feel. I think he can succeed here. He's going to return 18-19 starters. He needs a new defensive staff. He's going to have the Heisman Favorite coming off the BEST SEASON EVER for a dual-threat QB.
A mediocre defense makes us Oregon. I'd take Oregon... wouldn't you?