Random attack (criticism) on Rodriguez

Submitted by da shiz on

I was reading about Brian Kelly taking the job at Notre Dame and all the great things he'll accomplish then this randomly comes up:

"This isn’t Rich Rodriguez going to Michigan and demanding the roster change dramatically for him rather than he change even a little bit for it. Rodriguez wants to run the spread and the spread only and if that meant watching a guy such as Ryan Mallett, possibly the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL draft transfer to Arkansas, then so be it.

Of course, so be it meant 1-7 in Big Ten play for the Wolverines."

Just seemed really out of place.

Link: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=dw-kelly121009&prov=yho…

Irish

December 10th, 2009 at 9:25 PM ^

The writer prefaces that with

It’s why one of Kelly’s chief attributes should be so valuable – he knows how to win with other people’s players.

Its not really that random, what other major BCS program has gone from a Pro system to the Spread in the past few years? He is saying that Kelly will adapt to the players on the ND roster, and not force his system on the players.

Whether or not that comes true is up for debate but its not that random and not really an attack.

bjk

December 10th, 2009 at 9:36 PM ^

it sounds like a fabricated excuse to bring up RR. Since the whole Mallett thing came down, we've been hearing here that both Carr and RR lobbied him to stay, and that he was headed out the door before the coaching change. I wish we could factually settle this "RR drove Mallett away" thing once and for all. In any case, if Mallett simply refuses to stay and play for RR, that can hardly be blamed on RR. RR has adjusted his offenses from Tulane to WV depending on available talent before.

dearbornpeds

December 10th, 2009 at 11:33 PM ^

i attended the last fantasy camp run by carr and he told the entire group that mallett wanted to transfer before his freshman year-he was homesick and didn't feel as though he fit in. the coaching change may have been the final nudge but i don't belive rr could have done anything to change the outcome.

bjk

December 10th, 2009 at 10:15 PM ^

RE

This isn’t Rich Rodriguez going to Michigan and demanding the roster change dramatically for him rather than he change even a little bit for it.

If the posts here have been about anything for the past year, they have been about that UM barely HAD a roster when RR arrived; I don't feel like rehashing the litany again. The above assertion is, at best, sheer uninformed laziness and repetition of hack memes, and, at worst, malice.

I ditto the poster's assertion that inserting this dubious claim about RR in an article about Kelly is in fact "out of place."

Magnus

December 10th, 2009 at 10:21 PM ^

It is kind of random, because Rodriguez and Kelly don't run the same type of offense. While both Lloyd Carr and Charlie Weis ran pro-style offenses (tight ends, fullbacks, occasional shotgun, etc.), Rodriguez brought in a run-first read option offense. That's not the same type of spread offense that Brian Kelly is bringing. He does run some read option, but that's not the whole centerpiece of his offense. Of course Brian Kelly can adapt Notre Dame's personnel to his offense - all he's doing is adjusting Weis's shotgun passing game.

(That's an oversimplification, but not an egregious one.)

Besides that, the continuation of the Mallett-was-forced-out idea gets old after awhile. It's not like Rodriguez wanted to be stuck with Nick Sheridan and Steve Threet, two guys who are somewhat statuesque AND worse passers than Mallett. Mallett was headed out the door anyway, whether it was because Mustain had transferred to USC or simply because he didn't think he would fit in Rodriguez's offense. Media continue to blame Rodriguez for Mallett's departure when, in fact, Rodriguez had very little to do with it.

I doubt anyone will be saying that Brian Kelly forced out Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate.

alabluema

December 10th, 2009 at 9:41 PM ^

Here is what's on a Chicago hot dog:

hot dog, natural casing
sport peppers
onion
tomato
salad mustard (no dijon)
celery salt

that's it! dEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEelicous!

A Case of Blue

December 10th, 2009 at 10:31 PM ^

This isn’t Rich Rodriguez going to Michigan and demanding the roster change dramatically for him rather than he change even a little bit for it.

This quote makes it sound like RichRod pulled some kind of bait-and-switch on the Michigan athletic department. I think it was abundantly clear when he interviewed for the job that he would bring his system to the school, and if the AD didn't want to bring in the spread, I don't think they would have bothered to interview him, let alone hire them. Rather than worry about what system the team would play, they picked the man who they thought was best for the job.

El Jeffe

December 11th, 2009 at 10:16 AM ^

I think it took huge balls and was really kind of a dick move of RR to assume that when he was hired he would coach the way he knows how to coach and had been coaching for 25 years.

What he should have done is polled all season ticket holders and asked them for their input on what he should do. This would have meant that fans would have had some buy-in and therefore would have been perfectly happy with 3-9 and 5-7 seasons.

It just shows you that when you take a new leadership position like head football coach you should undercut all of your strengths and kowtow to the whims of people who know nothing about your profession.

Lesson learned, I guess.

Tater

December 10th, 2009 at 10:57 PM ^

So, why didn't Wetzel write, "This isn't Mark Dantonio bringing thugs into Michigan State in hopes of having a better record than the previous coach," or slam someone other than RR?

This whole "RR and UM as random fuck objects" approach to journalism is getting really, really old.

Simi Maquoketa

December 11th, 2009 at 2:14 AM ^

They're not subtle, and they're not underhanded.

The national media see one thing: FAIL. They aren't UM students or UM message board guys. They're detached and they look at this situation objectively.

And what they see is a guy who needs Hizz Playerzz and simply cannot win unless he has them.

Oh, and a legion of excuse makers at his back.

03 Blue 07

December 11th, 2009 at 2:56 AM ^

@ Simi: Re: your first sentence-I can't say I've seen a single comment I've disagreed more with in a long, long time on MGoBlog. Which is saying something. I agree that they see FAIL and aren't on message boards filled with UM fans. But them spouting ill-informed spew isn't okay, nor does it make intelligent fans "apologists."

Don

December 10th, 2009 at 11:37 PM ^

is for Michigan to win more games. It's a sad fact that there are plenty of people who enjoy kicking somebody when they're down. If we go 8-4 or 9-3, then most of this shit will die away. Another losing season, and it will intensify dramatically.

clarkiefromcanada

December 10th, 2009 at 11:45 PM ^

Well said Don. Michigan beat the hell out of pretty much everyone else for so long that people want to see the fall. There is that whole envy factor as well...Big House, AA, getting a degree that means something...

Look at the recruiting this year...it won't be long. I am certain that RichRod won't mind running up scores in future.

Seth9

December 10th, 2009 at 11:51 PM ^

Initial disclaimer: I fully believe that Rodriguez will turn around the Michigan football team and return us to our former glory.

That said, name one other current (meaning Charlie Weis doesn't count) coach who is at a traditional powerhouse and has just led the team to two consecutive losing seasons.

Rodriguez and the football team are going to continue to take crap until we start winning again. This is what happens when powerhouses have bad seasons. Greatness inspires envy and most fans take great pleasure when a team falls from greatness to mediocrity, even on a temporary basis. Therefore, expect that we'll take shots from the national media. They're probably enjoying it along with the rest of the country.

Also, for the record, the same thing happened to Notre Dame. Many here still laugh at Notre Dame considering their recent struggles. So complaining that we're getting made fun of by everybody else because of our tradition is both stupid and hypocritical.

mgowin

December 11th, 2009 at 2:03 AM ^

I have a question about the pass happy spreads like Cinci or OU. I understand how they differ from the read option style spreads like UF or M, but how are they different from the west coast offense? They seem like they have a lot of similarities.

03 Blue 07

December 11th, 2009 at 2:52 AM ^

Traditional West Coast offense, circa Bill Walsh: two rb, 1 te, qb under center, short passing game, high percentage, heavy reliance on slant to wr as primary route, with rb's as underneath routes on most plays, usually in the flats, but sometimes as circle route options, depending on blitz or not. The base set it's run out of is a big difference. Note that I am not referencing the "Air Coryell" offense, which may be/may not be thought of as West Coast. Also, I know Jack Elway supposedly invented it (John's dad), but am not informed as to the base formations of his original offense. But, the Bill Walsh offense, which was the most successful W.C.O., and most widely known, has a "pro style" base, and is still run in the NFL by many teams. (Eagles, Vikings off the top of my head; 90's Packers- early 2000's Packers as well.)

turfboy

December 11th, 2009 at 8:19 AM ^

wetzel is a putz that never touched a ball in his life...thats why i have a problem with SOME of the assertions he makes when he writes...his bio is online somewhere...when he wrote an article about my college coach and "what a great person he was", he lost credibility with me and alot of the alums....

brianshall

December 11th, 2009 at 11:36 AM ^

glorious Michigan, the quote reveals the writer knows less about football than he wants us to know.

We can fault the university for bringing in a spread guy, but asking Rich Rod to use the pro style players in the pro style system would be like asking Lloyd to use spread type players in a spread style system. It would simply never work at 100%. You're either all in or you're not.

Ultimately, these shots at RR will continue until he starts to win or is fired. Cause that's life in a 24 hour news cycle.