CC- Why was Rich Rodriguez hired and how that affects our perception.

Submitted by skunk bear on

[Ed-M: Bumped to diary 'cause it's a diary, basically, then un-bumped due to WAIT YOU WERE SRSLY?]

After reading countless posts about whether Rich Rodriguez should continue to be our football coach, it seems clear that a large percentage of the MGoCommunity believe that Rodriguez was hired to drag an antiquated football program, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century.

If you believe this, then how could your reaction to the possibility of Rodriguez being fired, be anything other than: "No, you have to give him enough time to complete the transition"?.

But, is that why Rodriguez was hired? Let's review  (and please, if you followed the last coaching hire more closely than I did, or if you have inside information, correct me where I am wrong).

1) Lloyd Carr became ill. This illness drained Lloyd of energy and made Lloyd condider retiring. But, Lloyd is a battler and loved coaching Michigan football. So Lloyd stayed on. But Lloyd, who never believed in over-working players in the first place, because football should be fun, could no longer provide the attention to detail that the team needed.

Lloyd was also very loyal to his assistant coaches, some of whom became complacent. So, the program began to slide. However, Athletic Director Bill Martin loved Lloyd, in part because Martin was never a "football guy", but mostly because Lloyd was a low-maintenance coach. There was however, growing discontentment with Lloyd as coach in the Michigan football community.

Then came what we now call "The Horror" Then the Oregon blowout. Under pressure, no longer young or well, Lloyd (one way or another) retires.

2) Bill Martin expects Michigan to have its pick of top coaches and wants another low-maintenance coach, a ready for primetime coach. Martin wants someone who has already established himself as a successful head coach.

If Michigan is to go outside the present staff, Lloyd's pick is Kirk Ferentz of Iowa.Ferentz is well-respected, smart and accomplished and has assembled a fine staff. Ferentz is offered the job. Ferentz turns it down.

One coach that Lloyd Carr did not want was the favorite choice of Michigan fans, Les MIles. Miles had coached here at Michigan, with Carr, but had quickly left after Lloyd became head coach.

But, Bill Martin wants a successful, popular coach. A backchannel contact is made to Les Miles to become the next Michigan coach. What happens next is less clear, but apparently an opponent of the Miles hire leaks the news to Desmond Howard, our former Heisman trophy winner, who now works for ESPN. Kirk Herbstreit, the former OSU quarterback, also works for ESPN, gets wind of the story from Desmond and breaks the story on live national television.

Miles is about to coach LSU in the SEC title game. A victory could send two-loss LSU to the national championship game. Miles is now under enormous pressure. LSU wants to know: "Is this true?" LSU's players want to know. Miles frantically tries to contact Bill Martin. Miles wants to know: "Do I have the job?" But, Bill Martin, unaware of the leak, is literally out to sea. Martin, an avid sailor, has gone out on his boat and done so without a phone. Miles quickly agrees to a contract extension with LSU and coaches them to victory and the national championship.

Michigan is looking foolish, the Michigan brand-name is taking a hit.

Greg Schiano is a temporarily hot coach at the moment. Schiano has coached Rutgers from (b)oblivion to respectability. Anybody who could do that has to be a good coach. Michigan needs a coach. Martin offers Schiano. Schiano accepts, reluctantly. Then Schiano talks to his team and decides to stay at Rutgers. Martin is getting desperate. Martin offers Schiano again. But, still the answer is no.

Then, unexpectedly, Michigan is contacted by the agent for one of the hottest young coaches around. Rich Rodriguez has led West Viginia to three straight top ten finishes. Rodriguez is well-enough thought of to have been offered the Alabama job the year before. It's like a cold glass of water to a thirsty man. Martin and university president Coleman meet Rodriguez for a five hour meeting in Toledo, Ohio. Rich Rodriguez becomes the next Michigan coach.

 

3) My point for the MGoCommunity to consider: RR was not brought in to revolutionize Michigan football, but as an act of desperation without fully realizing what would be entailed in adjusting to Rodriguez as coach.

Those who wanted such a revolution, do not want to give it up.

Those who didn't are just appalled at the way we are playing.

And so you have a divided fanbase.

PS: This is just my second time starting a thread. My first was a meta post that got sent to some obscure place (Bolivia?) Any constructive criticism is welcome. TY

Edit: No ill intent of any kind is intended by this post. My sources for this is that I followed the coaching search as closely as I could. TV , radio , newspapers, online, and Micigan sports blogs and forums including this one. I am writing from memory. I am open to any corrections.

Dec 2- All right, at the implicit suggestion of an ex-mod, and after careful thought, I've decided to edit out the unnecessary parts that have offended some MGoBloggers. I hope this doesn't make the commentary seem too out of place. Please keep in mind that what remains is my understanding of events and that I seek correction from those more knowledgeable.

Germany Shultz

December 1st, 2010 at 5:22 PM ^

I rarely post, but I have to say I'm amazed at these 'enough of this' posts. I am here, on this site, to read about RR/JH. I'm fascinated by the situation. There is nothing much else going on. Michigan football this month is all about RR/JH. The bowl is a sideshow. If DB were going to endorse RR, he would have already. There is obviously something going on behind the scenes that will affect Michigan football for the next decade or more. This post was outstanding and interesting. The author should be congratulated for his good work. And I will be checking this site every few hours for any tidbit of news/analysis about this situation.

swarwick33

December 1st, 2010 at 6:21 PM ^

This is a point that not many of us have thought of and talked about.  Now I know your sick of it, in which case DON'T READ THE FREAKING THREAD. 

People are going to talk about this, and they should.  It is a very important to the future of a football program that we all care about very much.  I would also like to say that the people that often "don't want to tlk about it anymore" are the supporters of RR.  At this point I don't care if it is Rich Rod, Harbaugh, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford from the grave, David Brandon himslef, or Tom from the corner store.  The coaching position at Michigan is going to be debated untl we get back to 9 wins again, beat MSU, beat OSU, and play defense.  So debate on, and +1 to the author for a well written post.

M-Wolverine

December 1st, 2010 at 6:26 PM ^

That so many people would want to discuss. If the topic that may hugely change Michigan Athletics for the better or worse isn't something that interests people, maybe leaving the Michigan Blog for a couple of weeks would be a good idea.  Unless that Women's basketball open thread is going to be started by one of the complainers soon.

Dnldk3

December 1st, 2010 at 6:27 PM ^

I don't think that's necessarily true, infact I strongly believe if we win whatever bowl game it is we go to that Rich Rod will be back again next year. If we lose however, I think Dave Brandon will look into looking for another head coach (Jim Harbaugh) and if JH doesn't want the job RR will still get another year. DB heasn't said anything yet because DB doesn't know anyting yet. 

jmblue

December 1st, 2010 at 7:02 PM ^

What's going on in Brandon's mind?  There are three possibilities:

1) That he's already decided to keep RR next season, but is keeping quiet until after the bowl.

2) That's he's already decided to fire RR, but is keeping quiet until after the bowl.

3) That's he's genuinely undecided and will make a final judgment after the bowl. 

 #2 and #3 are very much possible.  #1 isn't.  No AD would ever leave his coach stewing in the wind if he could avoid it.  You never want uncertainty.  If RR's his guy, he'll tell it to the world. 

It's possible that RR will survive as our coach, but if so, it will almost certainly be as a result of #3 - a post-bowl decision.   

Dnldk3

December 1st, 2010 at 7:31 PM ^

I think #3 would be the most likely answer, I honestly feel that the bowl game will decide if RR stays or goes, although I feel that if there isn't a big name coach (Jim Harbaugh) interested in the job that DB will stick with RR for another year. Personally I'm torn between if I want him to go or not. I am extremely frustrated with him, especially the lack of beating OSUcks mainly because I live in Columbus. But on his defense the team has shown alot of improvement, and when i say that i mean Denard Robinson has shown alot of imporvement. I think one more year would be fair, just to see if he can turn our defense into something. It's already at rock bottom so thankfully it can't get any worse, only way to go is up.

michgoblue

December 1st, 2010 at 5:34 PM ^

I agree - you do make some interesting points.

While there is a ton of speculation in the OP, the one thing that I think is pretty clear is that RR's name came up late in the coaching search process.  We all knew for days or weeks about the potential interest in Miles, Ferentz, Schiano, maybe Hoke.  Simply, there were leaks.  At no point during the search did RR's name leak out. 

Why?  Because he was not on the list - the search committee probably did not believe that they would be able to pry him away from WVU.  So, it is likely that there was little due dilligence done on RR as to how the fit would work.  And, with the search going poorly, and the possibility to land one of the 5 hottest and most successful coaches in the country, Martin, MSC and whomever else was involved made what at the time the right decision.

But, having a hot coach fall into your lap and smartly taking him when your coaching search is flailing around in a national embarrassment is very different than bring in RR to "drag Michigan football into the 21st century."  I agree withthe OP that this was likely NOT the intent when RR was hired.  Yes, we had gone through a few disappointing games, but we were still competing for the NC one year earlier.  I am not so sure that those inside Schembechler Hall really wanted to knock down and rebuild the program.  A minor renovation, perhaps, but nothing of the magnitude of reshaping the whole program.

OP, great, thought provoking post.

AAB

December 1st, 2010 at 4:35 PM ^

because he was (at the time) by pretty much common consensus, one of the absolute, no-foolin', 5 or ten best coaches in the entire country.  While the process was messy, characterizing it as "an act of desperation" is, quite frankly, utterly absurd.  Hiring a coach with the track record that Rich Rodriguez had at the time he was hired can never, ever be considered an act of desperation. 

jdcarrtax

December 1st, 2010 at 6:00 PM ^

I agree that his track record made him attractive to Michigan.  However, I think our decision to offer and his decision to accept had more emotion than reason.  Rodriguez wasn't even on our radar until he had his falling out with West Virginia (we had offered Schiano beforehand).  He was wounded by West Virginia not accepting his demands.  I certainly think Martin was anxious (maybe desparate) for a good outcome given the circus that was happening around him.  So everything came together in Toldeo over the weekend.

Hindsight being 20-20, perhaps both parties are wishing they had slowed down and really thought about the transition process before pulling the trigger.  In that context, Brandon's deliberate process seems entirely reasonable.

AAB

December 1st, 2010 at 4:42 PM ^

No one has made the argument "we should keep Rich Rodriguez because he is revolutionizing Michigan football, which is what he was brought here to do."  People are arguing that we should keep Rich Rodriguez because he's a coach with a fantastic track record who has a brilliant (and yes, innovative) offensive mind, and who has made great strides with the offensive side of the ball that we hope can be paired with even an average defense to accomplish awesome things.  It's not that the argument is wrong (which I think it is).  It's that the argument is a complete non-sequitur from the actual debate at hand. 

Dark Blue

December 1st, 2010 at 4:46 PM ^

It's that the argument is a complete non-sequitur from the actual debate at hand.

Is this really such a badt thing? We've been arguing about the same damn thing for the last 3 weeks. I like that he took a different approach to it. The argument very well may be wrong, but its an interesting look at things imhe.

AAB

December 1st, 2010 at 4:50 PM ^

about how those supporting Rodriguez's firing are wrong (and possibly insane) when they say that keeping Rodriguez would incur the wrath of Cthulhu and result in us all dying horrible, painful deaths.  It wouldn't really be all that helpful though, because no one is actually making that argument. 

Communist Football

December 2nd, 2010 at 3:55 PM ^

I would point out that the main reason Rich Rodriguez wasn't included in the search is because nobody thought he was available.  He was a WVU native and a WVU graduate, and had just turned down Alabama the previous year.

While it is true that Martin didn't go out explicitly seeking an innovative offensive coach, it is also true that a huge portion of the fanbase was frustrated by the underperforming on-the-field product, and wanted innovative offense.

It's worth noting that Bill Martin repeatedly put Rodriguez's offensive style front and center when describing the hire:

"I am thrilled to have Rich Rodriguez as Michigan's new coach," athletic director Bill Martin wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Sunday. "Rich brings an exciting brand of football to Michigan Stadium. We welcome the entire Rodriguez family to Ann Arbor."

As THE_KNOWLEDGE would say,

YES

.

.

YES

Logan88

December 1st, 2010 at 9:18 PM ^

I know Go Blue Wolverine isn't very popular on this site, but I was a premium member there during the search and this is pretty much how it was relayed by the "insiders" at GBW, except the part about Miles actually being offered; according to GBW he never was offered the job IIRC.

EDIT: I forgot to point out that the only thing I am agreeing with is the coaches who were offered: Ferentz, then Schiano (who accepted, then changed his mind) and RR's agent is the one who initiated the talks with Michigan. The stuff about Lloyd's illness and Miles' affair was never confirmed by any source on GBW.

skunk bear

December 1st, 2010 at 10:25 PM ^

This thread has certainly recieved some powerfully written comments, more than I possibly could have guessed. Your comment shows me one place I did a poor job IMO.

I said a backchannel deal was struck and then portray Miles as desperate to know if he has the job. This is clearly inconsistent.

My understanding is this: A backchannel contact had been made with Miles, a deal in principle may also have been made, but a formal offer had to await a personal interview of Miles that Bill Martin was insisting upon. The interview was to take place after the SEC championship game. Thus Miles quandry: Miles was close to a deal, but did not yet have an offer in hand. That's why Miles needed to talk to Martin. Martin, thinking everything was all set up for the next week, went sailing.

As far as Lloyd's illness is concerned, what the illness is is unclear, but that Lloyd had/has an illness is not even a secret. Jim Brandstatter even asked Lloyd about it on Michigan Replay.

As far as Miles affair is concerned, this rumor goes back to when Miles left Michigan when Lloyd became head coach. It has been repeated many, many times. I put (Lloyd's?) in parentheses with a question mark to indicate that it was a guess. I thought that would be implicitly understood.

Neither Miles' alledged affair nor Lloyd's ilness was necessary to include. The point could have been made without mentioning them.

Considering the reaction the post has received from some, it clearly could have been made better by leaving them out. If the thread wasn't so old and hadn't received so many comments already, I would be tempted to edit them out.

pullin4blue

December 1st, 2010 at 4:37 PM ^

As I heard it, Les Miles was going to be offered until it was found that he had been using Lloyd's illness against him with negative recruiting the prior year. Once that was verified, he was out of the picture. It wasn't as one-sided as it appeared to be. For that reason alone, Les would not be re-offered by DB. 

jmblue

December 1st, 2010 at 4:51 PM ^

This wasn't some sudden discovery.  Carr knew back in 2006 that Miles was spreading rumors about his health because recruits were telling him so.  I'm fairly certain Martin never intended to offer Miles.  Where Herbstreit got that story from remains unclear.  My guess is that someone in the Miles camp leaked it.

jmblue

December 1st, 2010 at 5:17 PM ^

That could well be the case, since I believe Desmond was in the pro-Miles camp.  But at any rate, I'd be really surprised if we ever genuinely intended to go after him.  My guess (nothing more than that) is that Miles wanted to float that rumor to build public support for his candidacy and force Martin's hand.

Geaux_Blue

December 1st, 2010 at 5:27 PM ^

the OP's post is entirely based of legend and rumor. while he uses the caveat of "rumored to be," airing it out like this gives it far too much credibility than the idle speculation on boards that very well could have been made up in someone's basement and spoken of enough times to be given credibility.

profitgoblue

December 1st, 2010 at 4:49 PM ^

I'm having a very difficult time ruling on this one . . .  First, there are lots of pieces of information in there that I did not know.  I'm not sure if they are true or not (Carr has serious illness?  Miles slept with the spouse of another coach on the staff?) but they intrigue me nonetheless.  Second, this thread technically does not lobby for Rodriguez's firing, support the hiring of Harbaugh, and/or speak to Brandon needing to decide.  It arguably falls under the "catch-all" provision but I'm not sure I want to invoke that here.  I'll remain neutral here due to general interest with skepticism but, for the first time under the new Act, I'm open to suggestion as to this initial ruling . . .

Waters Demos

December 1st, 2010 at 4:58 PM ^

It certainly doesn't fall under 2(a)-(d).  Therefore, it can only fall under (e), as you've noted.

I think you have to go to legislative intent here.  Presumably, that intent was to, among other things, cut down on repetition of the same arguments/opinions that we've all heard and that can't serve to actually persuade anyone of the opposite view. 

With that in mind, I think this one holds water just fine for reasons you've noted.  I'm also sentimentally captured by the use of "CC," which indicates to me an intention to keep the screaming, etc... down, and preserve reasonable debate.

None of this, however, goes to the actual merits of the post, which, without any citation to authority, accomplishes little, IMHE.

BlueFish

December 1st, 2010 at 5:39 PM ^

I think PGB (and jhackney) are bound by the CC Detente Treaty and the Prohibition on Coaching Change Opinions Act of 2010, as amended (i.e., today), and are therefore reluctantly inclined to let this properly-labeled post go through without punitive legal or thermonuclear action.

However, Joshua remains on high alert.