Rich Rod, job security
From espn
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4977377
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan athletic director David Brandon said Monday there's nothing in the NCAA allegations hovering over the football team that has put coach Rich Rodriguez job status in question.
Brandon had a lot on his calendar on his first day on the job, but acknowledged nothing on his list of things to do was more important than his plan for Rodriguez and college football's winningest program.
"It's critical," Brandon said in an interview with The Associated Press. "If you look at the annual revenues that drive this department, football is three-quarters of who we are. It's essential for that program to be successful if our entire athletic department is going to be successful.
"I will continue to spend a lot of time with Rich and all of the people associated with the football program to understand it really well and to hopefully make an impact in terms of how we precede going further."
Michigan's once-proud team has been embarrassed on and off the field lately.
The NCAA notified Rodriguez and school officials two weeks ago that the football program is facing five potentially major rules violations in part because its report said Rodriguez "failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program" in regards to time spent on practice and football-related activities.
Brandon backed his coach then and on Monday reiterated his support for Rodriguez.
"He's our coach for this season," Brandon said. "There's nothing within the framework of the NCAA allegations that led me to believe that it should change his status as our coach."
Michigan was given 90 days to respond and is scheduled to appear at an NCAA hearing on infractions in August. Brandon said he is "very" involved in formulating the school's response, but declined to comment much about it.
"We're going to continue to be in a quiet period as all of this evolves," Brandon said.
Rodriguez lost a school-record nine games in his debut season two years ago, then finished 5-7 last year after a 4-0 start.
"Rich knows football, he's passionate and his track record for success -- winning everywhere he's been -- is there for the world to see," Brandon said. "He's feeling very good about the upcoming season."
Then, Brandon paused and simply said what many in Ann Arbor and around the country are saying.
"It's a big season ahead," Brandon said. "A big season."
It was a big day Monday for Brandon, walking into his new office at 7:45 a.m. after stepping down as the CEO of Domino's Pizza Inc. The first-time athletic director -- with his autograph monogramed on his blue dress shirt -- was clearly fired up about his new challenge a couple hours later as the sun poured into his office.
"There's no place to hide up here, especially at night when the lights are on and that's OK," Brandon said. "I can't wait to get started."
Brandon replaced Bill Martin, who announced last year he was stepping down. Martin will serve as a special adviser to university president Mary Sue Coleman until his retirement in September.
"Dave is going to be an outstanding athletic director because he knows the university inside and out and he has a great passion for Michigan," Martin said. "When I was driving to the hockey game the other night, I saw him up in the office."
the casting of the sacrificial goat innards upon the altar to predict the future of Rich Rodriguez!
If you don't have access to fresh goat innards, please make your prediction about his future be based on the following quote:
"It's a big season ahead," Brandon said. "A big season."
Surely someone out there can deduce the concrete meaning held in that simple phrase? Be sure to add the specific number of WIN required to keep his job.
(obligatory /sarcasm)
one DOES wonder what the improbability drive would do this situation
NOTE: I'm not knocking the OP, they were just passing on some info I was glad to read, more on the likely trail of conjecture that is sure to follow.
Best. Reference. Ever.
including bowl game?
UNACCEPTABLE
(again /sarcasm)
heya - just a quick note to those that are 'seriously' pondering a specific number in relation to the Brandon quote, there isn't one. IF (and that is a big IF) 2010 is an abolute make or break year for RR, Brandon and co. will look at the team progress and state as a whole and make a decision based on numerous factors, of which the number of Ws will surely be one. I actually trust Brandon to be able to take a comprehensive look at the program, the progress and the potential for the team the following year or two in deciding whether or not RR has a job. I don't expect it will be a rash decision based on a number.
It seems like the answer is always 42!
Well, let's first look at the word "big". It can't mean 13 wins, because if he meant that, he would have said "huge". However, "big" seems like the next logical step down from "huge".
Secondly, we must determine how many logically descriptive terms are present in the Dave Brandon lexicon. From the article, we see the words, "Critical" "Successful" and "OK". Because "successful" likely means the same thing as "big" in this context, we are left with four descriptive terms.
13/4=3.25
(1) Critical=0-3.25 Wins
(2) OK= 3.26-6.5 Wins
(3) Big/Successful=6.51-9.75 Wins
(4) Huge= 9.76-13 Wins
In conclusion, a "big" season means that Rich Rod must win a minimum of 6.51 games this year to retain his job.
Excellent problem solving my man.
Wait, Rich Rod's job is in danger? Somebody should let him know!
...is very aware that tightening credit markets and a national decline in manufacturing will eventually result in job losses in the football sector.
does Rich have the tools the save his ass?
Goddammit, I hope so.
is it fair to Rittenberg to paste his whole article here?
and make a comment.
A link and the whole article is redundantly repetitive.
Department of Redundancy Department
American Dodgeball Association of America
Ahhh the 5 D's of Dodgeball:
Dodge, dive, dip, duck, and...dodge.
Fair use laws prohibit this kind of thing. There are no set rules, but the general rule of thumb at other sites where this has become a problem is to allow up to three paragraphs of direct quotation from the article -- beyond that, you have to summarize/paraphrase.
That said, I don't think ESPN cares about a single Board post that will be off the front page by the end of the day. But if this practice were to become commonplace it would become a problem for Brian & co.
but a guy once told me, after using the same phrase you did (rule of thumb) that I shouldn't use it anymore. He said the phrase was derived from a law that used to allow men to beat their wives with a stich so long as it wasn't bigger around than their thumb. Hence, the rule of thumb.
As I say, I have no idea if it is true, but he definitely believed it to be as manifested by the look he had on his face when he told me.
Anyway, that wasn't to be critical of your post or used of the phrase, just something I found interesting when it was brought to my attention.
Checking Wikipedia, it would seem that is a misconception -- there may or may not have been a rule of thumb with regard to sticks used for "family correction," but that is not likely to be the origin of the phrase. There have been many rules of thumb, some almost certainly older than the one in question.
I always wanted to know if that was accurate but never had the ambition to find out for myself. +1 for the effort.
We might not ever get out of the hole we're in if Brandon doesn't support Rich to the best of his ability. The alternative might be years of mediocrity or worse.
1) What happens if RichRod stays; and 2) what are the alternatives.
Firing RichRod wouldn't be a punishment for his recent failures, but rather an assumption that he won't be successful at Michigan in the future.
So far I trust that Brandon will make the right choice. He seems to understand the importance of backing RichRod, but is capable of balancing it with the possibility that RichRod is not the future coach of Michigan.
It sounds like Brandon is dynamic and sophisticated enough to put aside any "magic number" for next year and make an intelligent decision about the future of Michigan football.
tip of the glass to a quality season in 2010 that shows excellent progress and lots of improvement
It's supposed to be "hear hear!"
I lived in London for three years, I should know better ;)
I even checked first, though admittedly I should have read a few more lines down beyond the answer that was voted most correct, as it is definitely not correct.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081025085040AAl0O6E
Thank you.
... He needs 7 wins, or at least 6 with a few close loses and a 500 big ten record and progress throughout the year.
We still have a sophomore qb and a a lot of ??? on defense. I hope his job is safe, because I have a lot of confidence in this team two years out. Firing the coach after next year is something that will come if we fail to make a bowl game, and no one wants that... except dolphin punchers and Drew (not so) Sharp.
""If you look at the annual revenues that drive this department, football is three-quarters of who we are. It's essential for that program to be successful if our entire athletic department is going to be successful"
A "big season" will not be defined by # of wins (in contrast to what I have argued), but by revenue. The two are not completely interdependent. RR can win 8 games, and if the fans are not buying up Michigan gear at an increasing rate all season, giving the university financial analysts something to smile about, then RR is gone. Alternatively of course, RR can win 6 games, and if the fan base has renewed their spending, then RR will stay. And a few meaningful wins will do that. One point of interest here is that it is the fans at the fringe, the "bandwagon fans" that people here disdain that will define RR's fate. The "true" fans are a constant. Their spending is not what Brandon is worried about. It is those who jump on board when the team is winning. They will provide the added revenue Brandon needs.
As a new comer to MgoBlog it is refreshing (AHhhhh) to know how many people would follow “the team, the team, the team” through a relegation to the MAC or a 2 year NCAA ban on competition. I feel the collective would do some healthy man-moaning but then jump into heavy conversation on how the D-Line matches up with Akron (very well) and who our 2012 prospects are.
Summary: I enjoy the unverified voracity
but I think with wins he stays regardless. I agree that he could lose some games (i.e. 6-6 with a bowl loss) and still keep his job if sales are climbing. I don't think he loses his job if he wins 8 games though (regardless how the sales look).
I believe this because Brandon is smart enough to know that if RR wins this season, he is only going to get better the next season (when his first class are all seniors). This will mean that all those bandwagon fans you discussed will be jumping back on quicker than you can blink.
In short, I don't disagree with much of what you say, only that if he wins 8+ games I believe he will keep his job regardless. Great rationale on the bandwagon fans controlling his future though, I agree his longterm future will depend heavily on them.
You are right, there might be some point, especially depending on the amount of lag time of sales behind wins, at which Brandon will use his (and others) judgment about RR's ultimate ability to win as guidance over any proximate data on income. And, thinking about it now after your point, my guess is that we will be somewhere in that decision-making morass rather than having a foregone conclusion based strictly on income. We always seem to end up in the morass lately.
the business/revenue perspective will likely be at least as large a factor as the W/L at the end of the season, if not more.
I would only disagree that the decision would involve just near term results for gear sales, rather that it would be a much larger business analysis looking at longer term revenue implications.
Other factors to consider: ticket demand, luxury box sales/demand, longer term outlook for 'M' as a brand (and hence future licensing value when Adidas contract renews, though that is a ways out), both near term volume/revenue on M 'gear' and longer term potential.
That is to say, if sales volume is down for 2010 that won't necessarily mean that it is the best decision for the next 3 years to let RR go because that could further surpress sales over the next X years.
The one other thing to condier is that W/L and sales are inextricably linked and the perception by Brandon that RR is progressing toward building a program that will challenge for MNCs on a regular basis would present a very rosy revenue picture of the next 5+ years that would help him forgo short-term results for 2010 only.
Can't wait til next season. Glad he did that, now I don't have to hear RichRod haters saying there so glad Michigan got Brandon because he's going to fire RichRod right off the bat.
I wonder how many posts of job security their will be until September.
Is there an over/under to bet on?
If we have a year like 1996, where we lost four games we should have or could have won but for turnovers, then you have to say Rich Rod put his players in a position to win. We also beat end-of-year Top 5 Colorado and tOSU on the road. Despite going 8-4, that team could have played with anyone in the country. (As we saw in 1997.)
On the other hand, the 8-4 2001 team was not just not that good, and was exposed by Tennessee after lolligagging through a weak B10.
That Tennessee team should have been in the national title game though. If I remember correctly, they blew a game late in the year and dropped to the Citrus Bowl. Jimmy Clausen's older bro was pretty fantastic against us.
Meanwhile, we lost to so-so Washington, Mich St, tOSU, & barely escaped @Wiscy due to a missed Wiscy chip shot FG followed by a lucky bounce off Wiscy's unaware punt returner.
UT-UM was a blowout waiting to happen. You may think OSU hates UM, but nobody "does" hate better than Tennessee. There are still, even to this day, UT fans who bitch about Woodson "stealing Peyton Manning's Heisman."
UT saw this as a bitter rivalry game; UM saw it as a tepid reward for a tepid season. The results were, sadly, predictable. I would love to see UM get a chance for revenge at the Outback or Capital One Bowl next year. UT will never sneak up on UM again.
Man, how I wish Brandon and Rodriguez could sign a letter to the NCAA saying two beautiful words: "Fuck off."
Until then, I'll be waiting for Heather Graham to offer to have my babies.
...I'd happily take eight wins during the upcoming rebuilding year, and I'd settle for seven if one of the victories was Ohio State. RR will then have bought himself another few years.
Just sayin.'
I'm getting sick of my fantasy world. Can I live in yours for a while? It's okay, I can put up with the Chippendale's dancers if that's what's going on.
large pie, no anchovies.
The most important thing I read was that “Brandon is very involved in the response to the allegations.” He was silky smooth in his answers off the cuff at the presser, curious to see what he produces with 90 days of prep. What is smoother than silky smooth?
Seedless watermelon
Come on. Gimme some sugar.
Who said EXACTLY this before EVERYONE?
New AD. Not enough wins. Laying the ground work.
If it makes you feel any better, the new future will not be worse than the past 2 (3) years.
Look, it happens. Even the Titanic sank. Sometimes when you're on, you're really fucking screwed.
This article has not vindicated you in any way. You will be proven wrong soon enough. Any jackass can get on the internet and make baseless predictions.
What's it gone take, man?
He has EIGHT wins in TWO years--at MICHIGAN!
The NEW AD says "he's our coach...THIS YEAR."
Just goes to show you that any jackass can get on the internet and make baseless statements.