That was quite possibly the worst press conference in the history of Michigan football
January 5th, 2011 at 4:28 PM ^
is that Rosenberg and Snyder got what they wanted all along.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:32 PM ^
Did they come out of this whole thing unscathed just being their report was correct in the end? In my opinion, they come out looking very bad and were discredited by Brandon when he stated that a decision had not been made yesterday. But I'm sure that will not affect how they operate in the future.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:43 PM ^
But later during the conference he sort of contradicted himself, he said "we had a meeting last night, and the outcome of that meeting was reported before the meeting was over". That gave me pause...
January 5th, 2011 at 4:34 PM ^
Snyder and Rosenberg wanted a story -- and surely were pushed along by some angry anti-RR forces, which Martin should have done a much better job of addressing.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:29 PM ^
He said that he has a list of replacements that he has been workng on for a year. He knew this day was coming.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:31 PM ^
Still with the strawmen? Very few of us were "haters," and I don't think many of us delight in seeing a man get fired. Even though I support this decision, I feel for RR. He stepped outside his comfort zone, leaving his alma mater (where he enjoyed rock-star status) to come here, and it's sad that it didn't work out. I wish him the best.
This board's manic-depressive attitude toward Brandon is unreal. Back in the summer, I cautioned people not to blindly support everything he does. Now I guess I have to urge you not to blindly oppose the man. Let's just all take a deep breath and see what happens. I personally doubt that we're just beginning a search now; I think that was just political correctness on his part. All this hand-wringing over recruiting is shortsighted. The worst thing we can do is panic and make a rushed hire because we think the 2011 recruiting class is the most important thing in the world. Getting the coaching hire right is the priority.
Regardless of whom we hire (yes, including the "evil" Hoke), I sincerely hope everyone will give him a chance. If you turn your back on the new coach from the outset, you'll be no better than the jerks who hated RR from the start because of his accent.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:33 PM ^
The hire is more important than the recruiting class because this is a young team. We aren't looking for true freshmen to play in the secondary, we are looking for this year's true freshmen to play well next year as returning starters... as long as the obvious impact players are kept, I won't freak out if there are a few decommits.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:49 PM ^
Unless we're hiring a coach that changes offensive philosophies. If the next coach is insisting on a pro-style, smash mouth offense, we need this recruiting class to provide some offensive players that fit that mold.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:34 PM ^
Sir, for the first time I agree with you. Whole-heartedly so. I think the way this has played out is definitely a black stain on the Michigan "brand" in the eyes of the sports world, but I have to hope it will work out for the best in the end??
January 5th, 2011 at 4:38 PM ^
Though appearing on the Huge show doesn't exactly show good judgment...
Count me as someone who still can't believe DB would mess this up and is hoping for the best.
As for RR, while I think it was time for him to go, I'm in no way a hater -- he has always been who he is, and true to himself. My blame is on Martin, not so much for bringing him in, but in all the ways he set RRod up to fail and/or failed to make sure he would succeed.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:38 PM ^
blindly opposing DB? Everyone can see quite clearly that he waited way to late to make a decision, did not get the only coach who would have justified the firing, and now has no imminent replacement. The anger is justified toward Brandon.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:42 PM ^
You may not have followed very closely a few months ago, but many posters were so pro-Brandon it was obnoxious. No one knows how this man operates except a select few and I, for one, was suprised to read posts months ago about how great of an AD he is without anyone having seen any actual work product from him in this role.
January 5th, 2011 at 5:34 PM ^
I'd pos-bang you as well...DB was given all this veneration without proving himself...
January 5th, 2011 at 6:52 PM ^
Truth - the Brandon love was obnoxious. Other obnoxious things of late (in no particular order):
- Barwis love
- Constant fodder that yards and records are as important as wins
- Ridiculous notion that the spread can't work in Big 10
- Posts that make JH supporters RR 'haters'
- Kirk Herbstreit
- Matt Millen commentating on UM games
- CC threads
- Radar tracking plane flights
- Me not having alcohol during the press conference today
January 5th, 2011 at 8:54 PM ^
10. That a 6-7 third-year Dantonio is considered a god in the Detroit media.
11. Nick Saban. Just because.
January 5th, 2011 at 5:22 PM ^
Would +1 you if I could. People being critical of Brandon aren't doing it "blindly" or out of spite. He has handled this whole situation very poorly and we are in a terrible position right now (late to start process, NSD a month away, recruiting class under immense pressure with no chance of getting any additions until HC situation is resolved, etc.).
My criticism are based on the facts today. If it turns out he can get a tier-1 coach (sorry, not Hoke) in a week and salvage this I will of course eat my words (and happily). That said, I see no reason to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe that this apparent fiasco is all part of his master plan.
Maybe I am being overly critical, but living in MN and getting mocking emails from Gopher fans saying that Brewster is available and they wouldn't trade Kill for Hoke is probably making me slightly insane
January 5th, 2011 at 5:50 PM ^
We are in a terrible postion because of Dave Brandon? No, we are in a terrible postion because we weren't winning games.
January 5th, 2011 at 5:58 PM ^
Why the binary position? We are in a terrible position because we weren't winning football games and because Brandon waited until Jan. 5 to make a determination.
We can make a good hire at this point in the game and salvage everything, it's just harder. The fact that Brandon barely seems to acknowledge that is troubling.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:17 PM ^
I just don't think DB should be taking all the blame for this when if we were winning football games none of this would be relevant. And acutally he acknowledge the retaining/firing of richrod before/after the bowl game directly in the press conference.
January 5th, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^
that the team needed for RR to keep his job? I thought the consensus this season was that the team would be 7-5 by the end of the season. The team did as expected given the deficiencies on defense and the young but talented players on offense. Most people that heavily criticized RR was because the defense/special teams were getting worse and the offense wasn't being spectacular against the better teams it played; that's an issue with quality, not quantity.
Really, after publicly showing support for Rich Rod all season, why did Dave Brandon change horses after the season and the bowl game? He shouldn't have been TOO shocked that the team gave letdown performances against OSU and MSU (NTMSU) after watching the team in its first 11 weeks and spending time on the sideline during games and practices. And why, in God's name, would he think it was a good idea to start a coaching search with 26 days before signing day? The only defense for that is the speculation that Dave Brandon has already started it, but if that's the case why not say so in the press conference? It's not like he's saving much face by introducing the new head coach tomorrow rather than today...
January 6th, 2011 at 8:05 AM ^
Really, after publicly showing support for Rich Rod all season, why did Dave Brandon change horses after the season and the bowl game?
DB didn't "publicly support" RR during the season. He was neutral. From the start, DB said he would conduct a thorough evaluation after the season ended.
January 6th, 2011 at 2:47 PM ^
Of course he kept to his timetable of evaluating the coach following the season; what I was referring to is Dave Brandon saying "I don't know how many times I have to say that I support Rich Rodriguez." (need a link; can't find it under the "Dave Brandon" tag on this site) However, in any case, I think I took Dave Brandon out of context; when he states "I support the coach" during the season, that can simply mean Dave Brandon won't fire the coach at that time.
In any case, from his timetable, he made the absolute worst possible decision he could have made between
a) keeping Rich Rodriguez,
b) firing Rich Rodriguez following the loss to OSU and do anything,
c) waiting until after the New Year to reduce the buyout, then firing Rich Rodriguez and immediately introduce a new coach (even hiring one of his assistants would have been a better option than the status quo), and
d) waiting until after the New Year to reduce the buyout (despite that he himself said money was no object in this hire), then firing Rich Rodriguez and starting a nationwide coaching search.
Communist Football, maybe we can put in our resumes into the head coaching job. That way we can rehire Rich Rodriguez and his staff ourselves. Worst-case scenario is that we resign and Rich Rodriguez takes over as the coach.
January 5th, 2011 at 7:12 PM ^
Before we've even made a hire, how can you say that we're in a terrible position?
January 5th, 2011 at 8:22 PM ^
sorry I should have quoted "terrible position" from the post I was responding to. Not the terminology I would pick either but since it was chosen, I went with it. I don't think we are in a terrible postion.
January 5th, 2011 at 8:59 PM ^
...but certainly a terrible time crunch.
I'm optimistic that DB will find a good coach. But he lost 6 weeks waiting until today to make this foregone conclusion. I was hoping he'd be introducing the new head coach today.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:48 PM ^
" If you turn your back on the new coach from the outset, you'll be no better than the jerks who hated RR from the start because of his accent."
<br>
<br>There will be one difference. They'll be hypocrites too.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:35 PM ^
I was able to log in!! posbang!!!
January 5th, 2011 at 4:36 PM ^
Very disappointed to hear Brandon speak about the need for a divided fanbase to support the new coach when he balked at making similar statements about the coach we actually had. I cannot shake the feeling that if Jim Harbaugh, Brady Hoke, Les Miles or whoever else had succeeded Coach Carr posted similar results/progress we would be talking about 18 returning starters and the excitement of seeing so many promising freshmen/sophomores developing into a powerhouse as juniors/seniors.
Who knows how the transition will turn out with departures/defections when we eventually hire a new coach, but one person who does not deserve a pass for next year is Dave Brandon. This team is loaded with returning young talent and I expected at least 9+ wins with Rodriguez at the helm. Apparently Brandon expected at least 8 this year with our young team, otherwise Rodriguez would still have a job. If this team doesn't win 9 games next year, Brandon needs to have a four hour chat at Mary Sue's house next January before she kicks him to the curb the next day.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:47 PM ^
I completely agree with.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:51 PM ^
And yeah, this is by far the lowest moment in forty-plus years of my observing Michigan football.
Right now, we've got nothing. Nothing but an Athleitic Director who is now in an absolutely desperate position to hurry up to find a new football coach. He's laid himself bare; he has to hurry. His choices will be limited. And he's also promised to pay a lot of money for a coach whose identity and whose true salary requirements are completely unknown, when the search has barely begun.
Unlike his tour de force performance in responding to the NCAA allegations, where he gave something to everyone in his magnificent press conference performance, Brandon has today given everyone -- each and every one of the now bitterly-divided factions -- nothing. (purplestuff, I do understand your disappointment in Brandon's having referred explicitly to the divisions within the University of Michigan. But it's true.)
January 5th, 2011 at 4:52 PM ^
Transfer of players? Every other reason the "cupboard was bare"? Ah, do as I attacked everyone else for doing, not as I preached.
<br>
<br>But in any regard, I don't think it was the 8th victory that cost him his job, but the score of all 13 games. And how not close the losses were.
January 5th, 2011 at 5:08 PM ^
If Robinson and others leave, I'll give the new coach more leeway. As things stand now, I would expect him to do just as well as I'd expect Rodriguez to do with the players he has at his disposal.
At the same time, what I said has nothing to do with the coach. It has to do with Dave Brandon firing the coaching staff after only three years because he thinks someone else can do better. If they can't, then why should we support his decision?
January 5th, 2011 at 9:02 PM ^
That's a fair conclusion. Just don't punish the new coach for his failings. Punish him for his own, if necessary. I don't know till he completes it how much I agree with DB's overall decision. But I feel in any case it's been handled very poorly.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:59 PM ^
Hm, the vibe I get is that Coleman is in full agreement with Brandon's decision to fire Rodriguez. I don't think there was too much vacillation on that point.
Also, and this is an outlook that should be familiar to you, I think we should be patient and open-minded about our new coach.
January 5th, 2011 at 5:23 PM ^
First off, I'm willing to give any new coach a legitimate chance. However, no one was patient and open-minded with Rodriguez for no reason. I was patient because he had earned the benefit of the doubt with his ability to build a BCS program from scratch (Jim Harbaugh and Gary Patterson have also earned that benefit of the doubt, while some coaches who will remain nameless do not). Then he inherited a demonstrably poor roster. Then he improved the team two years in a row and had them poised for more improvement this season.
Dave Brandon just told me and others that our patience didn't mean shit. Why should I extend him the courtesy of granting him more of mine when he's done nothing to earn it besides turn the 2nd leading pizza company in the US into the 3rd leading pizza company in the US?
January 5th, 2011 at 8:30 PM ^
We improved by record alone but we got worse against OSU, MSU and Iowa. (actually talented teams).
January 5th, 2011 at 11:55 PM ^
Just a couple posts ago you referenced our team being bad because we weren't winning games, so apparently, this-posting-tomcat disagrees with 10-minutes-ago-tomcat. Winning games wasn't enough for you before, but now improving by "record alone" is not good enough. I bet next year if RR would have coached and won 10 games but not the B10 title, you would have been pissed, right?
January 5th, 2011 at 5:42 PM ^
I've been reading your posts; you've blandly predicted, presumed, guaranteed, et cetera, that James Jesus Harbaugh was a mortal lock as Michigan's next football coach. Post after post after post after post.
You don't need to be open-minded about anything, since you knew all along that Jim Harbaugh was on his way to Michigan right after the Orange Bowl.
January 5th, 2011 at 5:55 PM ^
First of all, I think we gave more leniency to Rodriguez than we would have to the other coaches you listed. Had the coaches you listed gone 3-9 and then 5-7, they would have been gone because there wouldn't have been a monumental shift in the makeup of the program and none of them had Rodriguez's pedigree (well, maybe you could say that Miles did, but he hadn't won consistently as long as Rodriguez did).
Second of all, the reason that Brandon never made the type of appeal to the fanbase that you desired was because it would have been a bad idea. When Brandon took over, he knew that he might fire Rodriguez after the season. Making that kind of show of support for Rodriguez would not help if he was going to keep his options open. Furthermore, it is unnecessary to make that kind of appeal for an established coach when there was already the whole "All in for Michigan" thing going on. It is, however, necessary to make that kind of appeal when the fanbase is divided before the guy even shows up and is angry at the athletic department. The way that Brandon bungled this is going to rub off on the new coach unless it's Harbaugh. Brandon knows this and is therefore trying to mitigate the damage he's done.
Finally, Brandon did not say that Rodriguez was fired because he failed to get 8 wins. He said the firing was in response to Michigan's inability to improve over the course of the season, which also was an issue in 2009. This is a huge issue, and it is also one squarely on the coach. If we only got 7 wins, but won one of those games later in the season or put up a fight in some of our losses, especially the last three, Rodriguez is probably still coaching here.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:17 PM ^
I'm okay with him not showing more support to Rodriguez especially if he planned on giving him the boot, but to then spout off about a divided fanbase at the press conference as if people supporting the actual head coach at Michigan are the problem and had better get on board immediately with the new guy is insulting. If he boots Rodriguez to bring in Brady Hoke, there is going to be division because it is a questionable decision, not because of some abstract lack of unity. If he hires a proven head coach to replace the proven head coach he just fired, I don't think you'll see anyone complaining.
January 5th, 2011 at 8:47 PM ^
Every AD asks the fanbase to unite around the new Head Coach in the wake of a controversial fire or hire. And I don't think it's an issue to ask the fans to support whoever the new head coach is because the new head coach won't have done anythign wrong. I personally think that Brandon has bungled the situation pretty badly thus far and am not inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt in the future, but I would give whoever the new head coach is a fair shot before calling for his firing.
January 5th, 2011 at 9:04 PM ^
Look at the startup records of Hoke or Harbaugh...add in a RR-like player exodus...and a 7-6 or 8-5 record is a reasonable best case IN THREE YEARS.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:38 PM ^
If by worst press conference you mean the decision made by Brandon, I agree.
As for hiring a new coach, well, Matt fucking Millen could win 9 games with the 20 starters returning in 2011. And I say that giving Rich credit; if Rich were the coach in 2011, we'd have 10 wins. But, we'll never know. As it is now, 2011 is another lost year and 2012 will suffer from an awful signing day next month.
January 5th, 2011 at 5:08 PM ^
Then it's hardly a lost season.
January 5th, 2011 at 5:31 PM ^
We won't win 9 next year because the team is going to melt away with attrition. That was my point.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:40 PM ^
Did anyone catch Roundtree's tweet yesterday calling Rodriguez "salty"? I was amazed that he would weigh in on this clusterf-ck. What was he thinking?
January 5th, 2011 at 4:53 PM ^
If I'm not mistaken, he was saying he was "salty" about the news, meaning he was upset.
Pretty normal reaction for a kid who's coach just got fired. I also wouldn't be surprised to see some happiness expressed by some players. No coach is universally beloved nor universally hated by the players that play for him.
January 5th, 2011 at 4:59 PM ^
I took it the other way and read it like he was calling Rodriguez "salty." I like your take better so that's how I'll read it. Thanks.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:56 PM ^
He was definitely saying that he was salty because RR was gonna be fired. For sure.
January 5th, 2011 at 5:01 PM ^
I believe he called him "Salty Coach Rod." He had a bunch of other tweets yesterday (on other issues) that were pretty cheerful. I could be wrong, but it didn't strike me as a player who was upset over the news.