CC: Newsflash, Rosenberg makes sense. (Stay away CC post bashers)
I've been as critical of him as anyone here, but Rosenberg IMO makes sense in today's article. Basically, his point is that waiting until January doesn't make any sense unless you are planning to fire RR. Otherwise why make him and his assistants twist in the wind?
"You can make a reasonable argument for keeping Rodriguez. He has coached only three years, his offense is working, his record got better every year, etc. But you cannot make a reasonable argument for dangling him over the edge of a cliff for five weeks, then keeping him. There is a reason nobody else in college sports operates this way. Even if the plan is to keep Rodriguez and make changes to the coaching staff, it makes much more sense to announce now that Rodriguez will be back.
Brandon is a smart man. And when a smart person does a seemingly stupid thing, you have to look at it from every angle to see what you're missing. No matter how I look at this, only one thing makes sense:
Brandon has decided to fire Rodriguez."
He may be dead wrong, as he's been many many times before, but this makes sense to me.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:14 AM ^
That I have no clue what's going on with this. But, unlike some syndicated columnists I'm not going to pretend that I do or know someone that does.
Until sometime in January my morning routine at work will be:
1. Get caffeinated beverage
2. Check email
3. Log onto MGoBlog and check frontpage for coaching change news
4. Scan CC threads
5. Repeat 2 through 4
December 10th, 2010 at 10:14 AM ^
nothing that hasn't been debated here for weeks ad nauseum. Who cares what he thinks? (Insert insults about Rosenberg shitty "reporting" and his unbearable personality, his mother, and dog here)
Aside from that, what he says is just plain wrong. There is a credible reason. Brandon is doing exactly what he said he would. If he's going to keep RR (which I believe he will) it will much easier to do that the farther away we get from 2 blowout losses. The decision will be further termpered by a potential bowl victory and a solid idea about who is available as a DC. Ie. is Randy Shannon sitll available and will he take the job?
On the other hand, if DB has already decided what to do, (ie hire Harbaugh), what benefit is there to disband the staff now? There's no benefit to Harbaugh, who will want to coach his kids. There's no benefit to RR, who wants to coach his kids. There's minimal recruiting benefit -- and whatever benefit there might be is outweighed by the benefit to the kids and the coaches already in the program being able to play without the distractions (as happened in our last bowl game, btw)
Just more stupidity by the Detroit media. They prove again that a bunch of college kids at the Daily and bloggers run circles around them.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:44 AM ^
I do think that either way, waiting until after the bowl game is the right decision by Brandon. If you are going to fire RR you cannot do it without making a quick hire to Harbaugh. If you are keeping him, I think you need to see more "progress" in the bowl game. The Wisconsin and Ohio St games along with the bad press from the Bust makes it very difficult for Brandon to feel good about keeping RR.
I know it may not be fair to the assistants but I think that DB really is using this time as evaluating the way everything gets handled not solely the Gator Bowl result.
I will be supportive of either decision. Jim Harbaugh is hired or Rodriguez is retained with an announcement of the hire of a solid D coordinator.
With all the transition at Florida, Miami, Pitt etc. I really want either staff to be aggressive in getting some high level recruits to rebuild the talent pipeline. I know it isn't popular to agree with Chris Spielman but I do. Michigan should have NFL level athletes all over the roster. This shouldn't be a place that only gets the talent that Ohio St or Florida doesn't want.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:04 AM ^
You have some valid points, but I can't support your last sentence. Dee Hart was wanted by Florida and everyone else. Dallas Crawford was wanted by Miami. Denard was wanted by Florida as well. Devin Gardner was wanted by OSU. I don't think you can make a blanket statement like that.
December 10th, 2010 at 1:13 PM ^
but you have to admit, for the most part, Tressel has done a great job of putting the fence around Ohio that OSU fans have always clamored for. We've gotten some good ones like Jibreel Black and Patrick Omameh, but they've been kicking our ass in head to head recruiting down there for too long now. I suppose the threat of bodily harm to your family by the locals would be pretty tough to recruit against.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:19 AM ^
The obvious angle Rosenberg doesn't see is that DB is looking at the forest, not the trees. DB is being true to his word. I don't like the unknown but I like that DB is showing his integrity.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:24 AM ^
evaluation. I believe that DB wants to see how much the team improves when RichRod has 15 practices and the players return to full health.
If the team is not prepared I think DOOM, if the the team is prepared and executes properly a win/loss does not matter as much.
Otherwise, I have no clue as to what DB is trying to do.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^
I'm still clueless about CC, but I sure hope they look better than they did after a bye week during the season against a walkon Qb getting his first start. If they do look like that team again it will be impossible to justify keeping RR.
December 10th, 2010 at 12:17 PM ^
... this article would be considered good is you share the same opinion. Otherwise, it's just another lazy columnist who relies on conjecture, simple thought exercises filled with baseless assumptions, and a captive audience to communicate a point that has been so thoroughly beaten to death that it makes you wonder what's taken so long for his industry to go extinct.
December 10th, 2010 at 1:39 PM ^
It's the only subject people are talking and asking about. Not everyone agrees that RR is done here. Naturally, a football columnist might deem this a good time to give his opinion.
If it turns out he's wrong, then the argument will be discredited. But if it turns out he's right, will you then acknowledge that maybe your assumptions were wrong?
December 10th, 2010 at 4:26 PM ^
... I'm not making assumptions. I'm only saying that his column is no different than anybody else's in that it is, just as you say, his opinion. Problem is, his opinion has been so discredited because of his terrible reporting that until he brings real analysis and hard data I'm not going to pay it any creed. He is a fool with a pen who happened to be somewhat witty. His wit got him by, but there is a very real case that he is either a) a lazy reporter or b) a scorned ex-lover.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:34 AM ^
This is all just Rosenberg's opinion and it isn't even original. A lot of people think the same thing.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:47 AM ^
I hate Rosenberg and the garbage his newspaper peddles on a daily basis. However, I believe Dave Brandon has botched this whole process. No evaluation of the head football coach should take place prior to the 4th year (and only then because our coache's contract runs out after 5 years). By insisting on this so called "evaluation" he has hung Rich Rod out to dry and put him in an impossible position for purposes of locking down our 2011 recruiting class.
Moreover, I find that Brandon is way too visible. It seems like every other day he's giving an interview or soundbyte etc. Call me old fashioned but I like my AD to stay behind the scenes as opposed to being front and center of every discussion concerning our football program.
December 10th, 2010 at 1:07 PM ^
Although I don't agree with you on some points, I have to applaud your statement about Brandon. The point hadn't occurred to me until you noted it. There is something off-putting about his visibility-factor. He has gotten a lot of press over the past year. Part of that makes sense, of course. He's the new sheriff. He had to clean-up what Martin left behind. And he needed to handle the sanctions issue (which he did quite well, IMO). But he really does seem a bit too visible. On the sidelines. At press conferences. There have been a lot of David Brandon profiles in the media. And now, of course, All Eyes Are On DB. I'm not saying he's some megalomaniac. I'm just saying it's a subject worth noting.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^
I'm glad you took time to post this fresh new take on the situation.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:55 AM ^
Unless I'm reading him wrong, Rosenberg's theory is that Brandon's delay is a sign that he has already made up his mind...
What, pray tell, would be a sign that he HADN'T made up his mind?
December 10th, 2010 at 10:59 AM ^
Brandon's waiting simply acknowledges the reality of the situation. After this year, Rodriguez's status at Michigan is going to be in the news as long as he isn't contending for BIg Ten championships. That's just how it is. Brandon could give Rodriguez a guaranteed ten-year contract tomorrow and the speculation about firing him would still go on as long as he is losing in the Big Ten. But, of course, no Michigan coach who has never beaten Ohio State can get a contact extension -- that's an immutable law of the Universe or something like that.
For what it's worth, I think Brandon is planning to announce he will not only honor the fourth year of Rich's contact, but the fifth year as well. That is, he will say that Rich has two more years to start winning, and the next decision on his tenure will be the day after the end of the 2012 regular season. If Rodriguez is successful, it will be more expensive for Brandon to retain him, but if Rich is serious about staying at Michigan long term he will negotiate in good faith. If Rodriguez fails, then Michigan will save a little money and, more importantly, be in the best possible position in terms of hiring its next coach.
December 10th, 2010 at 12:22 PM ^
Why would Brandon give up his options for next year as well? Yes, the uncertainty hurts, but if there is reason for a discussion on RR's job to take place this year, who can say that there won't be next year as well? Why tie your hands when the circumstances next season may necessitate a change?
December 10th, 2010 at 1:44 PM ^
Have a look at the Jim Harbaugh situation, and the 2012 schedule. Harbaugh won't be available, most likely, for 5 years after this offseason. Furthermore, the road 2012 schedule is death on wheels. Hiring a new coach before road trips to Dallas, Columbus, Lincoln, South Bend and (gasp) Minneapolis is just setting up a dead season.
So, based on a confluence of unique factors, the coaching change, if it is to happen, must happen this off-season.
December 10th, 2010 at 2:15 PM ^
I agree with you that if a coaching change is made, it should be done now, given the circumstances. I was responding to the (IMO insane) idea of blindly giving RR another year after 2011, regardless of what actually happens. While painful, the circumstances next year may require a change- what if Michigan wins 6 games? 4? It's unlikely, but as we've all seen, "Michigan Football" has been interchangeable with "Unlikely Misfortune" the last few years.
December 10th, 2010 at 5:01 PM ^
would be to give Rich some breathing room. To have any credibility, Brandon has to stick to his stated timetable now. By doing so, if he says he's not going to evaluate again for two years, it is more believable, especially from within the program, which is where it matters.
Obviously, he is in a position to break off and fire Rodriguez mid-season or any damn time he pleases, no matter what he says in January. That's why the speculation won't stop until he is winning big games. But people seem to completely ignore another thing Brandon has said, which is that Rich's program will be judged as a whole -- by most accounts, the players love him and there are good things going on off the field. I don't think it's insane to give him two more years -- there is a point of view from within the University that has nothing to do with winning. It's about education, the disciplined mind -- molding the 95% of the team that has no hope of making the NFL -- the Dave Brandons of this team -- into Michigan Men. If Brandon thinks Rich is doing a good job of that, it could be a significant factor in any decision to give him more time.
December 10th, 2010 at 6:02 PM ^
While it would be nice to think that we'll go through next offseason controversy-free, sadly with RR the only way that will happen is a wildly successful season. I think that if Brandon swears left and right that he wont touch RR until 2012 and next season goes poorly, not only will there still be coaching change speculation, but Brandon would have put his own job in jeopardy.
As for the intangibles.. yes, those are great and important, but I think they can and should be expected from any coach who comes to UM. The trick is finding the guy who can do that AND win, but having a team that gets their education and maturation should not be something thats weighed against on the field success, it should be a given.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:59 AM ^
Sorry brah, but I didn't need Michael Rosenberg to reach that conclusion, and neither should you.
December 10th, 2010 at 10:59 AM ^
Rosenberg wants RR fired so it is not surprising to me that he has determined it is the only course of action that makes sense.
None of this means that RR is going to be fired. It just means that Rosenberg wants RR to be fired and is looking for data to support that conclusion.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:00 AM ^
Might as well have titled the thread "CC: Newsflash, I Agree with Rosenberg".
His theory is alright, but at this point who knows? I could probably come up with about 50 different scenarios for what could be going on in DB's head. And since there are so many, it is a waste of time to try to figure it out.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:11 AM ^
just that, a theory, and one that has been voiced a number of times by many people.
BFD.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:02 AM ^
is that we have actually put his name out there for him - again.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:04 AM ^
and he could shut Rosenburg up. Rosenburg is an idiot.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:10 AM ^
No one is going to shut Rosenburg up. Desperation has bred the growth of opinion pieces about our program. Because our program gets clicks. The local media has become an extension of Drew Sharp. And Drew Sharp gets clicks.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:05 AM ^
A case could be made that it makes sense for Brandon to do what he has said all along he is going to do. DB is setting the precedent for how things are going to go during his regime, and there can be no mistake who's calling the shots. Brandon, not recruits, not coaches, not MSM is controlling this time-line.,get use to it cause that is the way it is going to be. Personally, I think it is awesome, cause I like watching the nervous nellies get nervous:)
If Brandon brings RR back, and I am fairly confident he will, the next time we go through this under Brandon, we won't have nearly the rampant speculation and parsing of every word that we do now. Pure genius, Brandon really would be better served as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
December 10th, 2010 at 12:03 PM ^
Hey Rosenberg- DB is doing what he said he would do. RR understands that. Trust me this is harder on RR than anyone and he's holding up pretty well considering. For a columnist to assume this will cast a wedge even if he stays is insane. It also shows the thinking-process of this dope. He thinks that way so he assumes RR would pout too. RR is thus far showing character. DB is showing character too which is something Rosenberg knows nothing about. Emotional decisions are quick. They are also frequently wrong. Thanks for thinking this thru Dave and looking at the big picture.
Integrity is something some people can't see as a factor in a decision making process. MR appears to be one of them.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:08 AM ^
Why wouldn't a football coach get the same?
December 10th, 2010 at 11:14 AM ^
The POTUS is elected by millions and millions of people, the football coach at Michigan is appointed with influence from only a handful? Bad analogy is bad.
December 10th, 2010 at 1:46 PM ^
Tim Brewster loves your way of thinking.
Of course, Tim Brewster also is the reason why all coaches don't get 4 years.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:19 AM ^
If people never posted articles from the Free Press on here I wouldn't know they still existed. Being Freep free feels good.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:26 AM ^
think DB has to act now. I admire DB because he brings a different, new and aggressive mindset to the AD job. Why does he have to do the same thing every other program does?
I'm certain any decision he comes to will turn up roses, as in Rose Bowl, sometime in the near future.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:28 AM ^
Another theoretical reason for the wait. DB may want to keep RR, but needs a good bowl perfomance to make it politically palatable to announce it. If M takes the Gator then it puts DB in the position where he can say, "I said I was going to judge on progress and bowl showed what I was looking for"......couldn't really say that after Wisky and tOSU.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:54 AM ^
Lets suppose both DB and RR know the decision (I think it to be the case) and the reasons for not going public now may be:
1. RR stays - This could mean they have an attitude of 'screw the media' . Letting people know now simply allowsj more piss-poor coverage about RR and DB instead of the bowl game. At least now they have to admit its all conjecture.
2. RR goes - well, if this is the case RR gets to look for work elsewhere out of the limelight (kinda like when he met a certain AD in Toledo if I'm not mistaken). Also allows for resignation vs. firing. not a bad way to go.
Anyhow, there could be totally valid reasons that a decision has been made and shared with RR, but not public. Kinda makes sense.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:38 AM ^
Is Rosenberg right, or is he wrong, when he wrote this:
By waiting until January, Brandon will save more than $1 million (because Rodriguez's buyout drops from $4 million to $2.5 million Jan. 1).
I think Rosenberg is wrong. But I am not absolutely certain. (Rosenberg seems to have no uncertainty. Wow.) There is a 30-day notice provision as part of Rodriguez's buyout clause. It has been suggested that without the required notice, the later-date buyout provision is not triggered.
MVictors covered it in a blog post, that Brian Cook linked to previously:
December 10th, 2010 at 2:54 PM ^
So if Rosenberg is wrong about the buyout (which he might be), so are a lot of other people.
But the clause doesn't mean anything. He could give Rich 30 day noticed on January 3rd, and tell him to go contemplate football for month. They would negotiate an immediate buyout rather than have both parties go through that, but it's not a problem for either side.
December 10th, 2010 at 2:58 PM ^
If RR is given notice on January 4th of his firing, he will still be the "head football coach" for 30 days, continue to draw a salary for that time, and the lower buyout will apply. However, nothing prevents the University from hiring another "football coach" during that time. Chances are that, if RR were to be fired, he would be informed and given official notice on the 4th, but told to clear his office immediately, and that he would not be required to continue to work during that period. Similar situation to any of us giving two weeks notice, then being told not to come to work - we (and Rich) would continue to draw our salary and would be officially "on the books," but would not be working.
December 10th, 2010 at 11:50 AM ^
setting up his January hit piece. In it, he will say, "see I was right," if RR is fired or he'll say, "what a bad move letting RR dangle in the wind and missing out on recruits," if RR is retained.
December 10th, 2010 at 12:00 PM ^
...which obviously cannot include tomorrows data. When you look at it from the perspective of only what we know today, Rosenberg's conclusions seem reasonable. But if M throttles MSU in the Gator Bowl, DB will have a hard time maintaining credibility if he goes ahead and fires RR. On the flip side, he would also have a serious credibility problem keeping RR after that game if M gets throttled by MSU. So based on what he has said AND what could actually happen in that game... maybe he is still just waiting to make his analysis until after the entire season is over... Just like he's said 500 times b4.
December 10th, 2010 at 12:09 PM ^
The premise is that silence is not good for RR, because there is a backroom deal with JH to make him the next coach, but for whatever reason, JH wants to wait until Stanford's bowl game to accept the M job, out of niceness or loyalty or whatever to Stanford. Given this information and the likelihood that Michigan's whole staff would leave with RR, DB decides to postpone RR's decision so we have a coaching staff during the game. All of this is going on at a time when RR somehow doesn't know he's canned (and there is a backroom deal, but MGoBloggers all know), yet he still continues to recruit and run practices.
The alternative is simply that DB has a policy of evaluating coaches after the season is complete, like he has said many times about all sports and he's just waiting until the season ends to make the decision.
Given those 2 stories, I choose #2.
December 10th, 2010 at 12:15 PM ^
Bravo to you for trying, sir. This board has many fantastistic contributors. But way too many people here will reject any argument they don't want to hear, no matter how true. And not just Rosenberg's arguments. They reject any writer who dares offend their tender sensibilities.
Rosenberg's article echoes exactly what many or most people here have been saying. But now, when he says it, they're outraged. They're like hysterical children. I'll get killed for this. But so what. Good for you.
December 10th, 2010 at 12:33 PM ^
December 10th, 2010 at 12:44 PM ^
I guess you're lucky that you weren't around during the era of that Bo Schlembocher guy. You would have had a helluva time getting it right.
And "meer image of Bo"?
December 10th, 2010 at 1:29 PM ^
It's not for everyone.
December 10th, 2010 at 12:32 PM ^
I think that DB knows RR is the best coaching option for the 2011 season. But, if he has to compare Michigan in the long-term, coached by either Harbaugh or Rodriguez, he's more confident in JH as coach. Therefore, he's simply waiting to see if Harbaugh is a viable option, which he may not know till after Stanford's bowl game.
RR has done enough to justify keeping his job. There are plenty of arguments that woud justify him losing his job. I think people are too enamoured with JH, seeming to believe that just by stepping into the Big House, Michigan will go 11-2, beat MSU and OSU and win a Big Ten title.
I like RR and think that he should get another year, but Harbaugh has one attribute that makes me understand DB's waiting game: brash confidence. At this point, he seems like the kind of figure that would help regain the swagger and confidence Michigan football used to display. After watching Stanford dominate USC the last 4 years, this could be what Michigan needs to swing our rivalry games back around.