Not a “preference of system” – a reliance. I agree that he had success at West Virginia - as you say, "there is no doubt" about that. But it wasn't consistent enough or, more importantly, developed enough to prove him to be a good coach. Hell, he wasn’t even around long enough to see his stars graduate. Moreover, he was unable to do anything without the two key players in his scheme. Louisville. South Florida. South Florida. Pitt. All because he was unable to successfully implement his single-strategy offense – equally because of injuries to key players, as well as the lack of depth in his playbook. This is why you all were held to 36 yards on the ground this past weekend. That's pathetic, no matter what your scheme preference is or how young your players are.
Indeed, he was overly reliant on bringing Pryor in - both to securing his own personal legacy, as much as securing success at any school. Frankly, it shouldn't be shocking that he would walk out on his own heritage. I would go so far as to suggest that after the Pitt loss, he saw Michigan as a way to redeem credibility in Pryor's eyes. With a big name brand behind him, the loss would be played down as the clock ticked on decision time.
I don't buy the idea that Pryor turned down Michigan for any reason even remotely related to "the previous regime and its success against OSU." Not only was Pryor a perfect fit for Rodriguez - Rodriguez was a perfect fit for Pryor. It wasn't geography that put West Virginia atop Pryor's consideration list through the fall. After Rodriguez bolted for Michigan, Pryor publicly commented to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he no longer looked at Rodriguez in the same light. And who would have? He walked out on the players that redirected the national spotlight to him – not only before they graduated, but after an emotionally charged, devastating loss. Anyone who’s played any organized sport understands how that undermines a huge factor to effectively building any program, or actually teaching your players what is and is not important about the game. If I recall correctly, your players rallied behind Lloyd Carr while your fans delivered his head to Mary Sue Coleman.
Frankly, I disagree that Rodriguez has "nowhere to go but up." Two losses to Ohio State, and he won't even be able to go to his office in Ann Arbor. Moreover, he won't be successful at Michigan because of the nature of your program and - perhaps more importantly - the nature of your fan base and boosters. WVU was thrilled to have a winning season. Like Notre Dame, you can't stomach the idea of losing. That is why your message boards are lit up with anger and disgust.
You guys just suck. You gambled away a shit load of money, and now you need some excuses. "Under Construction" implies that you have the plans in place and the tools necessary to actually build. What you have is a coach that is completely impotent without the right players. Wholly one-dimensional. And even IF you can find Pryor-quality QBs consistently enough to actually sustain your shit, what will you do when Michigan fails to send kids up to the NFL? Under construction my ass.
Let me guess... your ass-backwards basketball program is also "Under Construction" until 2010. MmK.
No one should forget that Rodriguez wasn't even the first choice. You all went hard after Schiano, another gamble, who doesn't even have a particular expertise in any offensive or defense scheme. His team just fell to Fresno State. These are not proven coaches, folks. And Rodriguez's track record suggests that he's not even a good coach. He's a one hit wonder that has capitalized on a myopic impusle buy from a deep-pocketed, bratty athletic program. There's a reason why you've been losing palyers, including a top prospect, to your arch rival.
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Not a “preference of system” – a reliance. I agree that he had success at West Virginia - as you say, "there is no doubt" about that. But it wasn't consistent enough or, more importantly, developed enough to prove him to be a good coach. Hell, he wasn’t even around long enough to see his stars graduate. Moreover, he was unable to do anything without the two key players in his scheme. Louisville. South Florida. South Florida. Pitt. All because he was unable to successfully implement his single-strategy offense – equally because of injuries to key players, as well as the lack of depth in his playbook. This is why you all were held to 36 yards on the ground this past weekend. That's pathetic, no matter what your scheme preference is or how young your players are.
Indeed, he was overly reliant on bringing Pryor in - both to securing his own personal legacy, as much as securing success at any school. Frankly, it shouldn't be shocking that he would walk out on his own heritage. I would go so far as to suggest that after the Pitt loss, he saw Michigan as a way to redeem credibility in Pryor's eyes. With a big name brand behind him, the loss would be played down as the clock ticked on decision time.
I don't buy the idea that Pryor turned down Michigan for any reason even remotely related to "the previous regime and its success against OSU." Not only was Pryor a perfect fit for Rodriguez - Rodriguez was a perfect fit for Pryor. It wasn't geography that put West Virginia atop Pryor's consideration list through the fall. After Rodriguez bolted for Michigan, Pryor publicly commented to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he no longer looked at Rodriguez in the same light. And who would have? He walked out on the players that redirected the national spotlight to him – not only before they graduated, but after an emotionally charged, devastating loss. Anyone who’s played any organized sport understands how that undermines a huge factor to effectively building any program, or actually teaching your players what is and is not important about the game. If I recall correctly, your players rallied behind Lloyd Carr while your fans delivered his head to Mary Sue Coleman.
Frankly, I disagree that Rodriguez has "nowhere to go but up." Two losses to Ohio State, and he won't even be able to go to his office in Ann Arbor. Moreover, he won't be successful at Michigan because of the nature of your program and - perhaps more importantly - the nature of your fan base and boosters. WVU was thrilled to have a winning season. Like Notre Dame, you can't stomach the idea of losing. That is why your message boards are lit up with anger and disgust.
You guys just suck. You gambled away a shit load of money, and now you need some excuses. "Under Construction" implies that you have the plans in place and the tools necessary to actually build. What you have is a coach that is completely impotent without the right players. Wholly one-dimensional. And even IF you can find Pryor-quality QBs consistently enough to actually sustain your shit, what will you do when Michigan fails to send kids up to the NFL? Under construction my ass.
Let me guess... your ass-backwards basketball program is also "Under Construction" until 2010. MmK.
No one should forget that Rodriguez wasn't even the first choice. You all went hard after Schiano, another gamble, who doesn't even have a particular expertise in any offensive or defense scheme. His team just fell to Fresno State. These are not proven coaches, folks. And Rodriguez's track record suggests that he's not even a good coach. He's a one hit wonder that has capitalized on a myopic impusle buy from a deep-pocketed, bratty athletic program. There's a reason why you've been losing palyers, including a top prospect, to your arch rival.