“Recruit for Character,” from Bo’s Lasting Lessons
—Legendary football coach Bo Schembechler, “Recruit for Character,” from Bo’s Lasting Lessons
Do we want somebody whose heart is not in it but is the current "hotshot."
I think this would apply to coaches even more so than it does players.
The famous Michigan Man speech saw the exit of Frieder from mbb coach because he took a job elsewhere before the 1989 tournament. So Bo famously said "A Michigan man will coach Michigan" and Fisher finished coaching that season. Somebody who wants to coach Michigan and be loyal to Michigan is what the program deserves.
January 7th, 2011 at 9:46 AM ^
how i wish there was ONE MORE GUY on this planet that was like bo.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^
We just broomed him. If he was just a dirt bag and not suspended Hagerup maybe the OSU game doesn't unravel because of a 14yd punt and we could have kept him around.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
It amazes me more people don't see this.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
the pos bang was back.
Let's not forget sitting Nard in the Illinois game because he wasn't sure of his head injury, despite Nard's protests.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:48 AM ^
I wonder whether Bo could have succeeded under the circumstances that RR faced. Bo inherited a lot of talent, guys like Jim Mandich and Reggie McKenzie, and had support from his predecessor. Beyond that, it was a different world without the internet and an adversarial press.
Rest In Peace, Bo.
Good luck, Coach Rodriguez.
January 7th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
RR's priorities were clear from the beginning. The Safety of his players and teaching them good character took precedence over saving his own job. I can do nothing but pledge my undying support for a person like that.
January 7th, 2011 at 1:14 PM ^
Good character is correct. I enjoyed that fact that all Michigan players handed the ball to the official after ever play. Does not win football games, but reflects well on the school, players, and coach.
Best of luck RR.
January 7th, 2011 at 12:00 PM ^
RR is a good guy and coach but I haven't seen enough evidence that he is anywhere close to Bo in terms of instilling mental and physical toughness in his football teams.
That's like, my opinion, man.
January 7th, 2011 at 12:27 PM ^
The guy has been successful at every single place he has gone to. If you want to bag on the Big East that's fine, but his teams knocked out SEC/ACC and Big 12 heavyweights in bowl games. He just didn't forget how to coach, he came to the perfect storm of talent loss out of Ann Arbor in history and was unable to recover.
January 7th, 2011 at 1:15 PM ^
The guy has been successful at every single place he has gone to.
He was extremly successful at Michigan wasn't he? I like the guy too but please get off your knees.
January 7th, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^
He just didn't forget how to coach, he came to the perfect storm of talent loss out of Ann Arbor in history and was unable to recover.
Or maybe he was never that great of a head coach to begin with, and the presence of Jeff Casteel on his WVU staff masked this at the time.
January 7th, 2011 at 5:02 PM ^
January 7th, 2011 at 5:02 PM ^
January 7th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
This is hands down one of the best books I have ever read. RR was perceived by many to be a dirt bad because of the messy divorce from WVU, he was not a Michigan Man, and then you add in him not embracing the traditions, and lets not forget the sanctions. Add in the losses and you have a train wreck. If he would have won, none of that would have mattered. Remember, winning cures all. With all that being said, RR, imo, was a high class guy, he just never had a chance. It's ashame, and I wish him all the best of luck. Still wish he was given a fourth year.
January 7th, 2011 at 1:09 PM ^
Except for the probation, the borderline recruits, the legal actions, and -- not least -- the tendency to shift blame onto his players and Lloyd Carr.
Likable guy. Not a saint.
Be a little objective. He's not your grandfather.
January 7th, 2011 at 1:52 PM ^
And let's be honest: you don't make as many enemies as RR has if you're as saintly as this board has made him out to be.
RR just got sued (again) this week, by the person who bought his old house in Morgantown. The plaintiff is alleging that the Rodriguezes didn't inform the purchaser that there was a water main leak in one room until the day before closing - and then refused to fix it.
January 7th, 2011 at 2:05 PM ^
Lloyd Carr, Gary Moeller, Bo Schembechler, Bump Elliott, Bennie Oosterbaan Fritz Crisler.
As everybody knows, Fielding Yost actually has been granted Sainthood, so he can't be on the Non-saint list.
Oh, and Drew Brees is a Saint.
the probation, the borderline recruits, the legal actions, and -- not least -- the tendency to shift blame onto his players and Lloyd Carr.
Otherwise, you are pretty much completely full of shit. Is it still Harbaugh for you? You seemed to think it was just a fait accompli. Until you turned to "Patterson. Period."
We get it. You hated Rich Rodriguez. I supported Rich Rodriguez. As a result of Rodriguez's firing, our progression with his system has come to a standstill, and our program is as fucked up right now as any time in my life. It's not your fault, of course. You didn't fire Rich Rodriguez. I just want people like you to eat shit for a while.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:21 AM ^
+ 403 Error to you, sir.
We may find more successful coaches in the coming years... but we're never going to find a better person.
January 7th, 2011 at 11:14 AM ^
That was funny. I would + 403 Error-bang you if I could. Well, I guess I could...you just wouldn't know it.
January 7th, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^
That Brock Mealer video from the other day should be mandatory viewing for all Michigan fans.
January 7th, 2011 at 9:47 AM ^
Like the sentiment. Of course, big, talented and fast would be nice accompaniments to character.
Semi-related topic: I just heard everyone's favorite columnist Drew "Not-So" Sharp say that Brady Hoke is the answer. Also, he said Michigan needs to understand it isn't a national championship contender any longer, but rather a regional program. The sooner Michigan realizes that, the better, in his words.
Just wow.
January 7th, 2011 at 9:48 AM ^
which is exactly what we'll be if we continue to inbreed our coaches and hire Hoke.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:09 AM ^
January 7th, 2011 at 10:13 AM ^
..."how can I best piss off Michigan administrators and fans today?"
January 7th, 2011 at 1:44 PM ^
It's remarkable how often he is able to succeed in that goal!
January 7th, 2011 at 10:25 AM ^
Who is this strange man of whom you speak? He sounds like he lacks knowledge.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:44 AM ^
Why on Earth do you ever read what Sharp says? He is a professional troll. I'm not exaggerating when I say that all he does is try to think of inflammatory and provocative things to say, whether they make sense or not. You're willingly serving as his demographic by ever looking to see what he says.
I really don't think that anyone who reads Drew Sharp has any right to complain about what he says at this point.
January 7th, 2011 at 11:33 AM ^
From the Wiki page on the 2004 ND team:
Aftermath of the Willingham firing
In firing Willingham, the Notre Dame athletic department cited a relatively poor record of 21–15, a weak recruiting class, and three losses, each by 31 points, to rival USC.[28] However, the Irish also hoped to entice Urban Meyer, the head coach of Utah, to lead Notre Dame. Meyer had just led the Utes to an undefeated season and he had a clause in his contract that stated he could leave Utah without a penalty to coach for the Irish.[29] When Meyer instead took the head coaching position at Florida,[30] the Irish were ridiculed in the media, saying that the Notre Dame coaching position is no longer as prestigious as it was in the past.[31][32] After over a week without a coach, the Irish hired New England Patriots' offensive coordinator Charlie Weis as head coach. Weis was an alum of Notre Dame, and became the first alum to coach the team since 1963.[33] At least one sports writer stated that Weis was a choice that made sense for the program.[34]
Shows you what sports writers know.
January 7th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^
Sharp was on the radio in san diego on the first day of DB/RR meetings and he pissed me off so much I had to call into the radio station, something I always try to avoid.
One of his quotes was, "They will riot in the streets of Ann Arbor if Hoke is hired." Its interesting that 3 days later he is saying things like the above.
The ass-hats in the MSM, "I have no facts, so lets make some up, state my opinion as fact or rely on an unconfirmed, non existant source as collaboration." This week has brought out the worst of the worst in the print, radio and TV sports media. The entire world relied on a tweet from Fox 2 News Detroit as confirmation on Day 1 despite all evidence to the contrary (at that point).
January 7th, 2011 at 12:35 PM ^
Sharp should have been a blow job!
January 7th, 2011 at 9:47 AM ^
Look what he's done at SDSU making them at top 10 team
January 7th, 2011 at 9:47 AM ^
If I remember correctly, that "Michigan Man" Steve Fisher got the university in a little bit of trouble. This whole "Michigan Man" myth has gotten ridiculous.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^
in his latest pronouncement in the Freep. (Forget, for the moment, about how, 96 hours ago, the Freep was publishing Rosenberg's view that he had "...zero doubt that [Harbaugh] wants the Michigan job.")
And so, if everyone is sneering at the silly notion that what we absolutely need is someone who graduated from Michigan, played at Michigan, or who coached at Michigan, then why, I ask, was Rich Rodriguez pilloried for not being a "Michigan Man"? I guess some people just want to have it both ways. As in, "Rich Rodriguez wasn't a 'Michigan Man.' Of course, we don't really need a 'Michigan Man'."
January 7th, 2011 at 9:48 AM ^
the story was about Jeff George and him making his Mom get him a "pop" and Bo walking away from there not liking him. In the same story he bring up J.H being a High Character guy. So ????
January 7th, 2011 at 9:50 AM ^
Is this a Brady Hoke endorsement?
Please let this coaching search end ASAP!!!!!!!! I'm checking MGoBlog even more than I already did. I'll probably get fired for it too.
January 7th, 2011 at 9:52 AM ^
Is this a Brady Hoke endorsement?
Not by me, that's for sure. I'm holding out for JH, but it doesn't look good.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:23 AM ^
You want a fromer player/alumnus who publicly threw the team and university under the bus over academics to become its coach. I can see the negative recruiting already- Harbaugh talks about what a great university Michigan is and the value of an M degree to you, but look at what he actually thinks about the school as the rival coach hands him a printed version of JH's own words.
Loved him as a player, but I don't want him anywhere near the team. A person who claims they bleed Maize and Blue doesn't denigrate the program he played for or the university he attended. Just calling it as I see it- two faced.
January 7th, 2011 at 12:06 PM ^
...it is reputed that JH is an extremely strong recruiter. If his reputation is deserved he could easily shut down coaches that attempt to use his prior comments as negative recruiting tools.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:00 AM ^
I'd +1 this if I had the points. A couple tips mgoprocrastinating at work from a most of the time reader, and some of the time comment poster:
1) If you're a Windows user, Alt+Tab gets you to a non-internet window faster than clicking away.
2) Instead of constantly looking over your shoulder to make sure your boss doesn't catch you on MGoBlog, listen for key sounds that tell you someone is headed your way (footsteps, the printer starting a new job)
Wow, typing that last one made me realize what a degenerate I've become this week :-(. I need another hobby.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
Excellent. FYI - Atl-Tab works in Mac OS too.
Edit: And a whole bunch of other OSes too. I just looked up the table of keyboard short cuts on Wikipedia. Fascinating.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:23 AM ^
You may get "relieved of your duties," though.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
I'm a big fan of: "We've been evaluating our core strengths and decided to go in a different direction. I think you're very talented, but we don't have the best fit." Also - no matter how old they are - "you're young and you've got a lot of time. Life changes always work out for the better." End with a strong handshake and get them out of your office as quickly as possible.
January 7th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
Huh Huh, duties.
January 7th, 2011 at 9:52 AM ^
OP: Do we want somebody whose heart is not in it but is the current "hotshot."
Does anyone else think that "Darn tootin'!" should follow that statement?
I think there are degrees of "heart" and "hotshot." I'd like to have the new coach score more than 2/10 on the hotshot scale.
- - -
Aside: How "rebuilt" is a program that goes to two wins (from twelve) when its rebuilder leaves for greener pastures?
January 7th, 2011 at 10:12 AM ^
amen....Also, I'm not sure who the "hotshot" coaches are that he advises we stay away from, but I think most of the names being batted around (Patterson, Peterson, Pelini, Mullen) have already proven that they aren't going to flame out anytime soon. The only one who isn't proven is Hoke.
I can already hear DB next season: They're not saying "booo" they're saying "hooo-ke"
January 7th, 2011 at 9:56 AM ^
Why would you listen to a liar like Schembechler?
Everyone knows Michigan needs to get back to recruiting 5 stars. We need to get back to the old days when Michgan had All Americans on the 3rd string. We are Michigan you have to screw it up to not have 5 stars lining up at your door. Big fat ones too. Michigan has always been about big fat 5 star defensive players. Just hire a good Michigan Man and they'll all come running now that we got that hillbilly out of the way.
Sincerely,
Old School Wolverine who has no idea what he is talking about when it comes to football and doesn't follow it that closely, but they are used to wins and their favorite pasttime is complaining and being a negative dick. Picture Jeff Defran
Just because people may have lost their minds over the last couple of days I'll clearly state sarcasm. The more garbage I hear the more I want to scream. I still see no idea how firing RR is making things better.
January 7th, 2011 at 10:02 AM ^
January 7th, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^
is the best of both worlds. He would get the 5 stars but also get the character kids. I am holding out hope until DB officially announces the new coach.