CC: Rich Rodriguez
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:00 AM ^
Epic Trips post nice! I'm not even mad. I'm impressed
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:22 AM ^
because you are already at 3 upvotes.
I love The Count!
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:24 AM ^
Well, it's a single post now, but yeah, you do have to let out a rather cathartic (in the mod sense, because this week) chuckle when you come to the blog after waking up and seeing "CC: Rich Rodriguez" three times on the board. Obviously, not very likely now, and I went to bed before the second half of the Arizona-Oregon game, but I see the humor in leaving this here for some reason.
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:01 AM ^
As Cubs fans used to say after their players were traded away and invariably blossomed elsewhere, "Why can't we get guys like that?"
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:14 AM ^
Too soon?
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:14 AM ^
I almost forgot he was a Groban man
October 3rd, 2014 at 9:13 AM ^
and got neg banged. Guess it's all about timing!!
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:02 AM ^
Don't listen to him, Rich. Blue has always been abusive.
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:02 AM ^
Naw, he's not a MICHIGAN MAN
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:04 AM ^
HIRE EM
October 3rd, 2014 at 8:58 AM ^
He would so come here guys! He's heard how well our AD treats its coaches.
October 3rd, 2014 at 10:35 AM ^
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:47 PM ^
But would he walk from Tuscon to get here? If not, do not want.
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:06 AM ^
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:04 AM ^
I was one of RRs biggest supporters and desperately wanted him to succeed but by the end of 2010 it was clear he had to go. The atmosphere was too negative, recruiting was taking a hit, and it just wasn't going to work. Had a feeling he would succeed at Arizona and hopefully those inside the AD realize when a new coach is brought in who isn't a Michigan man that you get much further by supporting him than trying to undermine him.
October 3rd, 2014 at 3:37 AM ^
I am not a recruiting follower, never will be, don't want to be. But was RR's recruting really taking a hit? I thought I remember a few pretty good players ending ties with Michigan recruiting when RR was canned, even though the team wasn't exactly doing so hot.
October 3rd, 2014 at 4:26 AM ^
The few good players who did commit or were close to committing in the 2011 class did go elsewhere, but there were a lot of kids who never really gave Michigan a shot due to the constant negativity surrounding the program. The lack of quality OL recruiting in that OL class certainly wasn't by choice and the huge amount of attrition is evidence that they had to go after a lot of risky players who you might take a few of but not a whole class of.
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:50 AM ^
Recruiting was not his strong suit. But that's the thing--the guy doesn't need a stock of five stars to do well.
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:53 AM ^
His recruiting suffered because he somehow managed to alienate 1/2 the former players - many of whom are now high school coaches. IIRC in Bacon's book there were some fomer UM players who refused to encourage their players to go to UM while RR was coach.
October 3rd, 2014 at 10:46 AM ^
that portion of the book, it was less what RichRod did to former players and more their unhappiness that he was hired in the first place---the whole Miles/Michigan Man conundrum.
October 3rd, 2014 at 9:01 AM ^
And now Hoke recruits well and does absolutely nothing with any of the talent he's brought in. I was gonna say "why can't we have nice things" but then I remembered we just had that whole thread called Michigan is the problem at Michigan.
October 3rd, 2014 at 10:03 AM ^
He was fine with recruiting; his problem was player retention. As bad as we are now, we'd be in much worse shape if RR weren't fired. We've since been able to repopulate the roster (with talented players), but don't forget the terrible shape the roster was in. Didn't he lost something like 23 or 27 kids from one class and nearly half of the next class?
October 3rd, 2014 at 10:57 AM ^
Well, let's dig a little deeper than one word:
http://mgoblog.com/content/attrition-watch-april-2014-edition
Money quotes...2010 class:
That leaves three of 27 players on the roster, including the starting QB and most dynamic player the defense has.
2011 class:
While this class is better than its predecessor it represents the bulk of the seniors on the roster. That's a problem when you've only got 11 of them and one is an offensive lineman. An attrition rate of 45% that could still go up is middling at best, something Michigan could not afford after the 2010 crater.
October 3rd, 2014 at 1:24 PM ^
This isn't always on the coach. Sometimes things happen in kids lives where they want to move closer to home or get more playing time when they aren't ready to have it, etc. RR had one class full of attrition but that could simply be bad luck. He had plenty of talent on West Virginia and plenty now on Arizona. There were no attrition problems, but then again even at West Virgina and Arizona the roster wasn't in complete shambles when he took over. Had the negativity not been swirling so hard in Ann Arbor many of those kids who committed would have stayed I guarantee it. And as we have seen for sure now at Arizona, RR is much better at getting the best out of his players than this current staff. Judging how those players turned out at other schools and in other situations in no way tells how they would have done if they stayed with RR getting another year.
The saddest thing is that we see, from the page you just posted, how few of his own players he was allowed to bring in. Why would you hire a coach for a massive rebuild knowing there wasn't much talent left over on the last roster and then only allow him to recruit two of his own classes? It's just a complete slap in the face and a horrible way of going about business. He never had a chance. At Arizona he is being given a chance and in a few years it will pay massive dividends. Arizona fans know they have an elite coach and over time when RR is massively successful in a better league maybe then it will be time to acknowledge the colossal mistake Michigan made in running off one of the best coaches around.
October 3rd, 2014 at 10:38 AM ^
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:07 AM ^
Rich Rod deserved a 4th year.
Half the fan base and state of Michigan media never gave him a fair chance - that is why recruiting took a hit.
October 3rd, 2014 at 7:24 AM ^
and the tiny little fact that THE TEAM SUCKED. Worst defense and special teams in M history (at least in my lifetime).
Yay short memories and the ability to block out horrible things from our past!
October 3rd, 2014 at 10:29 AM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 3rd, 2014 at 1:39 PM ^
Hoke stinks but that in no way validates RR as a coach. In time RR will again establish himself as one of the elite coaches when he takes the basement dwelling Arizona to new heights. He is already doing that with a team that barely has his own imprint on it right now. If you think this Oregon win and last years Oregon win were nice I told you so moments for Rich just wait and see what this guy can do when he gets his players. He was never given that chance here at Michigan and that's why Michigan will continually be laughed at when RR is winning at Arizona. He's a great coach whether Brady Hoke sucks or not and that's what matters.
October 3rd, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^
What about the fact that his teams got better every year? Novel concept.
October 3rd, 2014 at 10:20 AM ^
What about the fact that his teams got better every year? Novel concept.
October 3rd, 2014 at 1:45 PM ^
Hmm wonder why his teams sucked? Oh because he was given one and a half of his own recruiting classes and handed a shitty team with no talent! That might explain why they had a horrible team. He rebuilt the offense in one year and you expected him to rebuild offense, defense, and special teams in three years? Good luck on those unreasonable expectations.
No worries Rich will rub your face in it when he is winning big at Arizona. Keep sticking to that idea that he couldn't win in the Big Ten though! The Big Ten is so much better than the PAC 10 guyzzz
Yay short memories and the ability to overlook important details when evaluating coaches!
October 6th, 2014 at 3:32 PM ^
I emailed him after his first big win at Arizona and he was very gracious in his response. I, too, wish he hadn't been vilified from the second he decided to leave WVU. I think he could have done great things here.
October 3rd, 2014 at 8:57 AM ^
Unfortunately RR had the decked stacked against him and there were folks undermining him from day one. RR is a good coach but given the circumstances he faced, it just wasn't going to work at Michigan.
But hey...at least we now have our "Michigan Man".
October 3rd, 2014 at 10:06 AM ^
Well said. I'm so sick of even hearing that term "Michigan Man."
I just want a "football coach" who can win games and not embarrass the program.
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:04 AM ^
i used to think we should have traded that old Carr for one with Les Miles, but maybe Martin was right all along with the hot Rod.
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:05 AM ^
"Why settle for Les, when you can get Rick quick?"
October 3rd, 2014 at 3:13 AM ^
Nicely done!
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:04 AM ^
and just accept the fact that Michigan fucked it up themselves. Thanks Snyder, Carr and Brandon.
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:04 AM ^
After Rich Rod was fired, Tony Dearing, editor of Annarbor.com, emailed me and told me I was no longer allowed to write anything postive about Rich Rod in comment fields.
It was the last time I participated in their little "community" and it made me see the "newspaper" comment fields for the cesspools they are. I'll bet there are going to be a lot fo positive comments about Rich Rod there now.
October 3rd, 2014 at 8:34 AM ^
That's just amazing.
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:05 AM ^
He has previous ties to Michigan, he'd be perfect!
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:08 AM ^
but I was really disappointed we didn't give him more time. Especially after reading Three and Out. Lose big, lose small, win small, win big. He appears to have shaved a year off that schedule.
October 3rd, 2014 at 2:17 AM ^
By the end of the 3rd year the atmosphere around Michigan was so toxic he really had to go. I wanted him to succeed more than anyone but it wasn't going to work.