Rich Rod, Casteel, and the Myth about Money
I realize that this board will never agree on what caused Rodriguez to fail here. However, in an effort to focus our pointless bickering on the right questions, it's time to put to bed a very persistent myth. May the following remove one source of contention from our angry but increasingly-united fanbase.
The myth:
"In 2008, Bill Martin gave Rich Rodriguez only 265,000 to hire a defensive coordinator. This amount was too low to bring Casteel or any other top defensive coordinator to Michigan, which is why the defense was so terrible. Rich Rod was set up to fail."
Ignoring the silly notion that Martin would agree to furnish a new million-dollar weightroom and pay 2.5 million of RR's buyout but simultaneously put a $265,000 cap on the DC salary, let's take a look at what other power conference teams around the country were paying their DCs in 2008.
Ohio State (Jim Heacock): 260,510
Oklahoma (Brent Venables): 210,000
USC (Nick Holt): 300,000
Oregon (Nick Aliotti): 225,000
Alabama (Kirby Smart): 360,000
LSU (Bradley Dale Peveto): 200,000
Florida (Charlie Strong): 300,000
Nebraska (Carl Pelini): 190,000
Auburn (Ted Roof): 370,000
Georgia (Willie Martinez): 220,000
Florida State (Mickey Andrews): 295,483
Washington (Ed Donatell): 334,000
Cal (Bob Gregory): 168,000
Tennessee (John Chavis): 340,000
Texas (Will Muschamp): 250,000
Va Tech (Bud Foster): 300,000
Clemson (Vic Koennig): 260,000
Average: $269,611
Even assuming Michigan refused a requested increase, which is not supported by any documented facts, the offer of 265,000 was competitive even among the nation's richest big-name programs. The fact that it produced the 109th-ranked defense in 2010 is ridiculous and a spectacular indictment of the hiring abilites of one man. His name isn't Bill Martin.
October 30th, 2014 at 7:51 PM ^
obsessed much?
October 30th, 2014 at 7:52 PM ^
So what.
October 30th, 2014 at 7:55 PM ^
Maybe you've never been in that position yet which is why you don't understand it but trust me someday you will.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:06 PM ^
Again, you're assuming that the cap was 265,000 and that Casteel would have come here for more money, which we simply don't know. This post isn't even primarily about Casteel. It's about the failure of RR to hire a competent defensive coordinator and the ridiculous excuse that he didn't have enough money. I'm actually questioning whether you even read the post.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:11 PM ^
Hey you anti-rich guys won the war. You need to stop fighting. That horrible coach is gone and was replaced by someone far more to your liking.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:30 PM ^
The anti rich crowd (aka the old guard) may have won the first battle, but they are losing the battle of Hoke and will lose the war overall after Brandon is canned.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
I was never really anti-Rich, and I have certainly never been pro-Hoke. I just hate stupid revisionist arguments unsupported by fact, which are very popular on this blog when it comes to Rich Rod.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:44 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 9:08 PM ^
That's absolutely not true. I remember lots of us who wanted that fourth year and were very disappointed when he was fired.
At the time my stance was, if you know with certainty that you can get harbaugh, go ahead and make the change. Outside of that, it's taking a huge risk when you can do the same thing next year if he doesn't improve again.
October 31st, 2014 at 6:13 AM ^
Exactly. Like Brian said before, Hoke would have come to Michigan at any point, so there shouldn't have been a rush to get him. Brian did say he was fine with letting RR go, but I'm not sure he said it had to be done, and anyway, he didn't think Brandon was dead set on Hoke like it appears he was.
October 31st, 2014 at 3:25 AM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 8:46 PM ^
The irony of this post is mindblowing. So says the guy who is making up his own narrative while directly contradicting reports that are public record (i.e. Bacon reporting that Casteel did not come to M because it would've been less pay, he would've had no guaranteed contract at M, and he was close personally with Bill Stewart). Amazing.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:55 PM ^
Making up my own narrative? I'm using actual comparative salaries to show that Rich Rod had enough money to hire a competent coordinator regardless of whether it was Casteel or not.
I dont know how many times it will take until you accept this, but Bacon never reported that Casteel would have come here for more money. It just didn't happen. You repeating it over and over again doesn't make it true.
The only thing Bacon reported was that Michigan's initial offer to Casteel was lower than West Virginia's. That's it. The rest was pure editorial guesswork. That's not "public record."
October 30th, 2014 at 9:32 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 9:53 PM ^
Incidentally, you've been here for a month and are possibly the most annoying poster I can remember in my time on this blog. Congrats!
October 30th, 2014 at 11:16 PM ^
Not positive about his former identity since I don't frequent the board nearly as much as I did back in those halcyon days you speak of, but I think ol' Baloo was operating under a different name up until fairly recently.
October 31st, 2014 at 5:09 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 8:11 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 8:57 AM ^
I do agree with that although (and hindsight is always 20-20) I wonder what would've happened if Robinson was still hired but he was allowed to run the defense he was familar with and not the one Rich liked.
Seemed to me that Gerg was reasonably competent at Texas last year. Not world-beater great but competent. Something he was anything but in Ann Arbor.
October 31st, 2014 at 9:14 AM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 9:50 AM ^
..that might be the case, because it seems unlikely to go from brand new to posting enough in one month to get thousands of points (even when you're getting super-negged on every post). i bet thanksgiving dinner is fun at that dude's house.
October 31st, 2014 at 10:08 AM ^
Did you know Turkey causes cancer? I HATE sweet potatoes. Did the idiot who made this green bean casserole - can they even read? This pumpkin pie takes like absolute shit. And so on.
Yup - lots of fun.
October 30th, 2014 at 10:09 PM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 8:15 AM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 8:40 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 8:43 PM ^
I wanted RR back, even after the Gator Bowl. I also wasn't sold on Hoke simply because he did what I predicted he would do before he even took the job.
The same people who argued every prediction I made (we'd win 10 games in 2011 no matter the coach, Hoke would be our Charlie Weis, Arizona would be a much stronger program than us with Rich Rodriguez) are the same ones still making these arguments now.
The fact that people who were wrong about everything are still running their mouths is surreal.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:49 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 9:16 PM ^
There were quite a few of us who recognized that RR had inherited a disaster. The rebuilding took longer than we liked, but RR improved every year. In 2011 he would finally have a second year starter at QB. Michigan was back on track. Yes, we wanted RR back.
October 31st, 2014 at 2:02 AM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 8:11 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 9:26 PM ^
That's right, we don't know. And you cannot debate a counterfactual (as you suggest we do) in any way other than based in conjecture and coated in bullshit.
October 30th, 2014 at 9:29 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 7:58 PM ^
Exactly. I don't know why keeps posting this irrelevant list of other people's salaries.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:00 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 8:02 PM ^
You didn't really read what he wrote, did you? Had you, you would have quickly realized he wasn't speaking specifically and only about Casteel.
You may not be in a position where reading comprehension is a requirement, but trust me, someday you might.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:21 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 11:38 PM ^
The Arizona salary was 50% higher than the UM offer of $265,000 and that AZ salary was a cut only by dint of the WV counter-offer that Casteel did reject to move to AZ. So, there are pay cuts and then there are pay cuts, I guess.
October 31st, 2014 at 1:23 AM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 11:24 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 7:56 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 11:31 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 7:58 PM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 6:16 AM ^
It's "bring berk RR and Casteer!"
October 30th, 2014 at 7:59 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 8:01 PM ^
You can keep repeating it over and over, but that doesn't make it true. I think Rich Rod is a good coach provided he hires a competent defensive coordinator. He didn't here. That isn't anyone's fault but his, as these numbers are designed to lllustrate.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:09 PM ^
Are they competent offensive coordinators (both have had plenty of success elsewhere and Borges had his share here)? If so, why has Michigan been so bad on offense the last two years?
Gary Patterson went 4-8 last year. Did he just start coaching shitty for one season?
Talent pretty much determines the outcome. Your dumb analysis completely ignores it.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:12 PM ^
Ah so in 2010, Michigan was 109th in FEI because teams like Akron, Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, and Western Kentucky had better defensive talent? Did we get stomped by Utah this year because they have better talent?
October 30th, 2014 at 8:22 PM ^
Utah is more talented than Michigan. Or do you just think Hoke gets dumber every year?
October 30th, 2014 at 8:26 PM ^
We have different definitions of talent.
October 30th, 2014 at 8:31 PM ^
Yours is based on ratings of high school players put out by non-football people who have a lot of bandwidth.
My definition is based on people being good at playing college football. Utah has a better line, better skill position talent, and a comparable defense.
Again, do you think Brady Hoke is getting dumber every year? Or is it possible that the guys he brought in aren't as good as NFL guys like Omameh, Lewan, Schofield, etc.?