BlockM

November 29th, 2010 at 10:18 AM ^

I think it's more an indication of the state of college athletics that people can't just take him at his word. He said "after the season is over." Then he had to reiterate that that meant after the bowl game. Now he has to reiterate it again, and probably will several more times before the bowl game.

Also, does anyone know when David Brandon will begin evaluating Rodriguez? I know he's said after the bowl game, but I'm wondering if anything has changed since five minutes ago.

Musthavehart

November 29th, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^

But wait! After this reiteration I still don't believe DB!! Because I just heard from a confident Alum that OSU and Michigan were gonna do a straight head coach swap! RR to OSU and Tressel is coming here!

And then someone on bleacherreport said that Urban Meyer is coming to be our defensive coordinator!

And then I read on someone's twitter account that Mack Brown wants to be our QB coach!!

And I'm just gonna start spreading rumors that Devin Hester is gonna coach Special Teams!

OMFGZ!!!!!! Why does DB keep lying to us?!?!

Quail2theVict0r

November 29th, 2010 at 10:25 AM ^

We know he says this but just like everyone else you know the guy has to have an opinion on the subject right here and now. Right or wrong that's what the media is trying to get out of him.

They're trying to get him to slip on something so they can write more speculation articles.

UMdad

November 29th, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^

I actually wish he wouldn't be so adamant about the 'after the bowl game' timetable.  There is no reason to limit himself just to give the media an answer they can print.  If he has no intention of firing RR he should say that and end all of the speculation.  If he is open to that possibility, he should leave himself the option to do that whenever the situation presents itself.  There is absolutely nothing that he could see in a bowl game that should override the body of work already on film this season.  There should be plenty of evidence one way or the other to handle any evaluations.  The only reason I can see to wait until the bowl to decide is if one or more of the coaches he would be considering as a replacement have told him that they wouldn't be available openly until after their bowl game, and he learned a little something from the Les Miles fiasco.  This is making me lean towards thinking DB has already probably decided.  No inside sources, just an educated guess.

M-Wolverine

November 29th, 2010 at 10:19 AM ^

The situation swirling around Rodriguez's status might turn into a circus at the team's banquet Thursday night because Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh plans to be there to be honored along with his 1985 teammates.

switch26

November 29th, 2010 at 10:22 AM ^

It's pathetic, the media wants drama that is all they care about and they want to be the first ones to bust the article about RR getting fired.. so everyone is busting brandon's balls non stop. 

 

I wouldn't be able to take it if i was Brandon.  He already knows what he is gonna do.  There can't be anything that he is waiting to see in the bowl game that he hasn't already seen.

 

The only reason i can imagine he would wait to fire him is that he would wait till after Jan 1, cause the buyout drops like 1.5 million dollars or some shit.  Which would be an incredibly stupid idea because of how it would ruin this whole recruiting class.

Steve in PA

November 29th, 2010 at 10:31 AM ^

Or he doesn't have things lined up for the next guy and doesn't want the circus that we had last time.

I've been thinking about this in those terms.  If I were to evaluate one of my subordinates it would be an ongoing process.  I think that's why we've seen him on the sidelines so many times this year.  

I think no matter what camp you are in, there is no way for RR to recover from the loss of support.  This was the pivotal year and he didn't exactly knock it out of the park.  

switch26

November 29th, 2010 at 11:19 AM ^

I don't know about a pivotal year..  Unless brandon had very high expectations with such a young team.  I think we should of beat MSU this year, but i still couldn't see us beating Wisc or OSU

 

We were picked by about every publication to go 7-5, and we did.  Now if brandon has made the decision, whether to keep RR, or fire Gerg is yet to be seen.  Im sure we will know soon enough.

Steve in PA

November 29th, 2010 at 12:03 PM ^

IMHO the AD of any school in the B10 would use B10 wins as a higher criteria than Baby Seal wins.  That's where I see the erosion of support coming from.

Personally, I didn't see us beating Wisc or tOSU because we're not there yet.  But Iowa, PSU, and MSU were games that we could have won (on paper).  Barely beating Illinois & Indiana and a less than stellar output against a Purdue team that fits the definition of decimated even more than our defense got many fans off the fence on RR's future.

So yes, 7-5 was the consensus and I thought 8-4 was within reach but I don't think it will be enough with the tidal wave of negative energy surrounding RR right now.  It's a toxic environment that I don't think anyone could recover from.  If you're DB and even remotely thinking about pulling the trigger...now is the time because the masses will be more tolerant of a mediocre year under a new coach just like many (the sane ones) excused year 1 under RR.

UMich87

November 29th, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^

and the bowl game?  Aren't these student athletes, and don't they have grades coming out around the bowl game, and does that factor into the equation for a college football program, or am I just too naive to think it does?

blueheron

November 29th, 2010 at 10:28 AM ^

As expected, the MSM is looking like a bunch of bears around a beehive.

- - -

In my book, Brandon gets an extra point for every day he stiff-arms those jacka$$es.  It wouldn't be the same if he hadn't already said that he'd wait until the end of the season.

htownwolverine

November 29th, 2010 at 10:43 AM ^

I saw somewhere where RichRod has a smaller buyout >=Jan 1st. 2.5 instead of 4.0 million. Maybe this is where it's headed.

Although, I think DB is waiting to see how RichRod handles practices and preparations for the bowl, etc.

Honestly, now I just want the program to return to prominence regardless of the leader. 3 years has worn me out.

The most telling quote for me was when my wife looked at me Saturday and said, "I've never seen Michigan beat Ohio State, so why do you waste your day?". Ouch.....

tpilews

November 29th, 2010 at 10:45 AM ^

michigan_fball Michigan Football

No Monday Press Conference today but we'll hold one once the team learns its bowl fate (likely a week from today). #goblue

10 minutes ago



Just posted on the official michigan football twitter account.



"DaveBrandonAD Dave Brandon

Receiving much advice re: our FB program. Appreciate the passion & interest. Many thanks to @desmond_howard for his confidence & support."



Just posted on Dave Brandon's twitter an hour ago.

VinnieMac25

November 29th, 2010 at 10:52 AM ^

is just making sure keeping RR is the right option.  Im sure he sees the improvement with the offense.  DB has seen the team show progress on defense.  IMO DB doesn't want another coaching fiasco that happened three years ago.  Possibily he is letting RR look around for a job, until Jan 1st his buyout drops from 4.5 million, to 2.5 million.  I can't see why he needs another 4 or 5 weeks to keep everyone in the dark with his decision.  Why wait until Randy Shannon gets another job? (defense coordinator for RR) Or until JH or any other possible replacement coaches in their bowl game.  Definately be a shorter recruiting period if there were to be a change.  I see RR staying, but crossing my fingers for a change to the defensive staff, even promote Bruce Tall to DC.

ChalmersE

November 29th, 2010 at 10:53 AM ^

does the buyout go down January 1, but waiting until after the Bowl games allows Harbaugh to coach Stanford in its BCS bowl, a suiting sendoff for Harbaugh.  Of course, it coul impact recruiting, but if you think about it, a decision mid-December wouldn't be much different. 

switch26

November 29th, 2010 at 11:23 AM ^

If he is, he's an idiot..

 

This will complete waste the recruiting year.  We could lose a lot of recruits because of this and would only give the new coach less than a month to recruit..?  Give me a break tha would be incredibly stupid..  Unless Brandon is so cocky he doesn't think ruining a recruiting class matters

Big Boutros

November 29th, 2010 at 12:30 PM ^

I don't disagree that waiting all the way until after Stanford's bowl would cripple recruiting, but it might be a sacrifice Brandon has to make. If he's got his mind set on Harbaugh, he has to wait. The promise of Harbaugh might outweigh the lost recruits in Brandon's mind. 

bing24

November 29th, 2010 at 12:42 PM ^

I agree that waiting isn't necessarily a bad thing. The part that bothers me about waiting is it is just fueling the negativity that is engulfing this program already. I will back whatever they do, whether RR stays or they bring in Harbaugh. I think the silence in not publicly backing RR has to carry some weight...

I just want to know and not have to hear our local media just bash the program for a month which DOES hurt recruiting. We do not have the luxury of depth where an off recruiting class won't set us back.

If we do have to wait on the HC spot, at least ship Gerg & his stuffed beaver out ASAP.

bing24

November 29th, 2010 at 10:03 PM ^

hire a defensive coordinator that can differentiate his head from his ars...The D isn't cutting it, hire a big time D Coordinator and let him run his defense with his staff. Let RR concentrate solely on offense.