Will Brandon even feel he has a choice after this?
The alumni and especially the rich Alums, will have a deafening voice to fire after this. Even if he was inclined to give another year, do we think he can withstand the chorus of "fire RR" in his voicemail and email? I'm not sure it's possible to resist that, especially as business oriented as he is. If your rich and majority of Alums are screaming, and you need those contributions, can you withstand that even if you want to?
November 27th, 2010 at 2:58 PM ^
Yes, he absolutely does.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:41 PM ^
I think the mistake in OP's statement is that the rich alums want RR gone. By most standards, I am that rich alum. I am not the "uber" rich alum, but I have, and will continue to contribute to the University of Michigan. I am also a supporter of RR.
I have found that most of the people who are the most vocal about RR are those who never attended the University. They may work at the University, they may live in the area (or not), and they may just be people who are hoping for turmoil at the University of Michigan so they can take advantage of it. Michigan may be down, but they will not stay down.
Brandon will make the right decision and even if it is something that I am not happy with, I will support his decision because I think he has a great vision and long term plan for athletics at the University of Michigan.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:21 PM ^
I'm of the same opinion. I don't contribute consider myself rich, but I contribute more than some. And I know where I stand (and so does the athletic department).
November 27th, 2010 at 7:46 PM ^
There are a lot of people on here that have a very optimistic view of the future under RR but face facts that this team is lucky to be 7 - 5. As everyone's favorite poster "Irish" will tell you ND would have won if their QB didn't get hurt and the game against Illinois could have gone either way. Hell the game against UMass wasn't a gimme. On the other side of the ledger all five losses were by double digits and most weren't competitive. Personally I'm not looking forward to more RR progress.......a 9 - 3 season in 2011 and watching other teams play for the Big Ten Championship.
November 27th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
I've been happy with many hard-fought 9-3 seasons, and would actually be quite content with that record when the dust settles in 2012 with as absurd as that schedule will be. I think 10 wins is quite achievable next year though, hell, this team minus a few of the injuries could probably get close even w/out the fresh blood for special teams and the next year of hard practices.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^
Best response in the thread.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:44 PM ^
This post is distracting from the task at hand.
Can't look away.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:01 PM ^
I will add to your yesses.
He is the AD and a darn good one at that. If he chooses to bring back RR then he weighed the facts and thought it was the right move.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:00 PM ^
Of course.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:06 PM ^
but a CEO of a business, which is absolutely how Brandon views his job, needs his best customers, which Brandon views as the Alums, to be supportive. I've seen many CEO's succumb to this sort of pressure, and their rationale is that "if I've lost the support of my customers, I don't have a choice." Now perhaps Brandon is strong willed enough to withstand that, and I'm not making a judgement on him or RR. But it is absolutely not as open and shut as all of you state.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:12 PM ^
This analogy is not valid unless you assume that the alumni base is going to withhold enough money in the form of donations, ticket sales, and the like to threaten the AD's financial stability. And there's pretty much no chance of that happening.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:17 PM ^
I don't presume to know that answer either. But it seems like there will be some drop off.
November 27th, 2010 at 4:42 PM ^
It has been happening since before RichRod was hired. People did the same thing with Carr. Bill Martin didn't make decisions based on donors threatening to withhold money because (in part) he didn't want people to believe that their money gives them a say. Brandon might be more used to that as a former politician, but even with his "customer satisfaction" concerns, I don't see him being swayed simply by what group of alumni can be the loudest, even if they have money. A lot of alumni who are pissed off are just pissed off and loud, they don't give money and they don't go to the games, and they're never happy unless they have something to bitch about.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:27 PM ^
You don't really need a mass movement. To be honest people like me who kick back a thousand or less a year aren't really that big at the end of the day. It's people like Stephen J. Ross who cut 200 million dollar checks that matter. If you get three or four people of that size who hold out, that matters.
Harbaugh and RR aren't that different in terms of record. RR took a Big East school and built them up into a ranked power. Harbaugh took one of the lesser PAC-10 schools and did the same. In terms of coaching talent it's hard at this stage to point to one and say "He's better." Harbaugh is the fancy new model right now, while RR used to be hot when he was going to BCS Bowls at WVU. So switching to Harbaugh might be worth it to Brandon if the big donors put on pressure. Think of it like:
Keep RR: Talented coach, angry donors/less money
Get Harbaugh: Talented coach, happy donors
Since Harbaugh is a "Michigan Man" he'd get more time to build the program and while we're likely suffer a down swing for a year or two but long term I think the program ends up at the same place. Although I have to wonder if it would be possible to shit the bed worse than we did against tOSU today on the offensive side of the ball.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:34 PM ^
strong willed CEO's will make their own informed decision. Brandon will collect all the facts and data he needs to make his decision. He will not let fat rich un-informed alums make the decision. If he let them decide it would have ended after penn state.
Thank you im available all night. I also am a district manager for verizon and if you need a phone let me know.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:01 PM ^
Next question?
November 27th, 2010 at 3:03 PM ^
Of course.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:04 PM ^
As Brandon has said all along, he has a better perspective on the program than almost everyone else. I trust he will make the best decision for the program, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's not the answer you think.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:04 PM ^
Stuffed Beaver should get play calling duties for the Bowl Game. 7 points in 3.5 quarters, really??
November 27th, 2010 at 3:04 PM ^
But I'm sure the decision to let GERG go will be an easy one.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^
Yes and that choice is Chris Peterson. BTW Harbaugh is a douche who bashed Michigan just a couple years ago. We didn't forget Jimmy.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:20 PM ^
November 27th, 2010 at 3:22 PM ^
Peterson isn't leaving.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:05 PM ^
Deserves to stay.
3-9
5-7
7-5
If he wasn't winning more games, I'd be concerned.
Harbaugh looks the exact same at Stanford -- and he had MORE talent in a WEAKER conference than Rich Rod.
Rich Rod wins 10 games next season and stays.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:25 PM ^
First of all: in games that matter -- rivalry games -- we were far better last year.
Second: Harbaugh, at Stanford, began with a team that had gone 1-11. So you're making no sense.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:26 PM ^
come talk to me when Harbaugh actually wins a bowl game
November 27th, 2010 at 4:09 PM ^
If that's your primary criterion for evaluating coaches, I don't want to know what you thought of Bo Schembechler.
November 27th, 2010 at 5:22 PM ^
good cause i believe he is overrated
November 27th, 2010 at 6:47 PM ^
So continually winning bowl games against shitty teams means your good?
You're in for more pain. Michigan is going to get something like Oklahoma or Arkansas. Gotta love bowl tie-ins.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:27 PM ^
come talk to me when Harbaugh actually wins a bowl game
November 27th, 2010 at 3:06 PM ^
Of course there is. Alumni have been calling for RR's head before (i.e. 2008 & 2009)
November 27th, 2010 at 3:08 PM ^
The cry after this game will Be NOTHING like what has happened so far.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:14 PM ^
Agreed that the outcry will be rediculous but, we''ve improved every single year and next year we wont be starting 5-6 freshman on defense...
November 27th, 2010 at 4:11 PM ^
If not for a tipped TD reception in double-overtime, we'd have won two Big Ten games this year - same as in 2008. Progress?
November 27th, 2010 at 6:32 PM ^
So you're saying, what ifs... We dont know what would have happened on that 4th down if it the miracle reception didnt happen. So you're saying "what if". College football is built on "what ifs" I refuse to apologize for a win.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:33 PM ^
That's great, but the problem is, we have only six Big Ten wins in three years to not apologize for.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:21 PM ^
and thanks for making a post about it
/s
November 27th, 2010 at 4:01 PM ^
they were after Carr's head. They don't know what they want.
November 27th, 2010 at 4:18 PM ^
Double post. They weren't after Carr's head? Could have fooled me, I distinctly remember arguing with a few. Then there are the ones that I cautioned with "be careful what you wish for".
November 27th, 2010 at 3:06 PM ^
I am furious right now. I am distraught, disturbed, torn up. I know we are all upset but if you cant see the difference in talent level between our freshman and sophmores vs. their seniors and redshirt juniors than you are an ignorant ass... RR cant prevent fumbles on the field he cant control the decision making on the field. next year we will see a new DC who is going to look like a genious because there wont be 5-6 freshman playing at a given time. I feel real good about the my prediction of 7-5. See you at the bowl game.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:29 PM ^
True. But as we know from many other examples of other teams, some coaches CAN field teams that do not have the horrible turnover margins that we do--three years in a row. This thread I started was not a fire RR thread, I personally, despite my huge disappointment and growing sense of unease, favor bringing him back for one more year provided we clean house defensively.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:07 PM ^
RR definitely didn't do himself any favors with this mess, but I think DB is strong enough to make his own decisions and stand by them. This game would make a switch a lot more justifiable since "progress" was his main concern and no progress was shown between the 2008 OSU game and this one. The players certainly didn't do the coaching staff any favors. A lot of unforced errors.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:07 PM ^
He could but he won't!! The Alums will win this fight i'm afraid.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:09 PM ^
Yes. Brandon is a big boy; I'm sure he'll be okay.
And good God, this topic has been discussed at great lengths all week, and I'm getting so sick of it. How many times does Brandon need to say that he will conduct a post-season review just like every other damn year and make his decision based on his findings????? Give it a rest, PLEASE.
November 27th, 2010 at 5:04 PM ^
In the business world, big time managers are always review and analyzing risk of their path forward and decision making processes. You hear DB talk about the Michigan Brand and see him making business / marketing moves to improve it. DB is in the position right now that he "inherited" the current path of the program from his predecessors' decisions. But, that luxury will run out once he gets to the end of the year and evaluates the state of the football program. Whatever decision he decides to make after that evaluation, he will now own the product / path forward for the organization. If he chooses to stay the course with RR and next year the team does not improve, people will start to blame him for the state of the program, not just the head coach. DB will be the one to blame because he was the one who kept RR around and allowed this path forward to continue, when he had a chance to act. So if he stays the course, he has to get this correct and moving forward next year, or his credibility will be impacted. If he chooses to go another route and replace RR, he knows the expectations from the fanbase will not be as great with a new coach, as they will be if RR stays on (because he will be in his 4th year.) Going in a different direction actually buys DB some more time to correct the situation, unify the fanbase (if he makes the right hire) and mold the brand to exactly the direction he wants it to be.
RR is a nice guy and does a lot of positive things with the players and charities he involves himself with. But, he also has a lot of baggage and issues that have surrounded him during his 3 years at Michigan. DB has to look at all of these issues, the lack of performance against the better teams in the B10 the last 3 years and what we can put together next year for a team and decide if he wants to push all his proverbial chips into the pot and say, "I am all in for RR." Does DB really have a choice to head down this path? Yeah, he does, but from a business and credibility standpoint, it is worth the risk to continue down this path?
I think he has a really tough decision on his hands.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:11 PM ^
Michigan just spent a ton of money to add extra suites to the stadium which did not sell out this year. Do you think your going to have people spending tons of money next year to watch a team that did not beat a team this year that will finish in the top 30. On top of getting blown out by the top three teams in the conference.