Angelique on "What's Good Enough"
Angelique picks up on Braylon's latest backhand to RichRod and declares it meaningless.
Speaking as one of the "alumni guys," Edwards said he wants someone who can make this work. They have been "patient," Edwards said of his fellow former players. "If it doesn't go right this year, we'll have to find a guy that can make it work with that winged helmet," he said.
Fair enough, and not suggesting Edwards is wrong, but one thing that is always missing from the commentary is, what does "has to make it work" mean? What, in fact, does Rodriguez need to do to "make it work" and coach a fourth season at U-M? (Amazing that we're talking about a fourth season when the third still is a couple months away).
She then poses the question: "What's good enough?"
Bottom line: Enough verbalizing in generalities. Yes, we all know Rodriguez is under pressure and this season could decide his future at Michigan. But what are the parameters that will ultimately decide that future? Beats me.
So, until someone can paint a picture for me with a specific outline of what Rodriguez needs to do to "make it work," here's a few more generalities to add to the list.
• Fact: Rodriguez's Michigan team must be competitive through the fourth quarter of every game this fall.
• Fact: A victory over Michigan State would be beneficial to Rodriguez's cause.
• Fact: The season must play out before a determination is made, and then we'll see if Rodriguez made "it work" and had the season "go right."
I do believe she's got it just about right.
Braylon Edwards needs to be working more with his hands instead of his mouth. Anyways, he's in NYC. Isn't there anything better to do than bash Michigan while it's down? One paper in Detroit already has it covered..Well, at least he hasn't pulled any Plaxico's...
edwards has to talk michigan football...only football he has cache in
Wow, nothing there about a winning record, bowl game, national championship, just nada. Can it be that someone following the Wolverines might be totally rational in their take on RR, and believe that he might not get canned even with a losing record? Someone actually is willing to wait and see how the season unfolds before calling for RR's ouster? Well played Ms Angelique.
a 3rd straight (not that I want or predict one) losing season be rational. LMAO. It'll be very interesting to see how we do against BK in his 1st year at ND.
He will get fired for another losing record, I can assure you.
...Braylon can't catch the ball this year then New York will have to find a guy that can make it work with that Jets helmet. Braylon, stop running your mouth about Rodriguez and go work on your pass-catching skills. We've all seen in the past that you have those skills, so have you been slacking off the last couple years? I guess that would be jumping to conclusions about you, but then again you're familiar with that idea, seeing as how that's all you've been doing about Michigan Football since Rich took over.
Angelique is one of the few level-headed writers out there these days. It's nice to hear a voice of reason in the MSM.
7-5 or 6-6 would be a tough pill to swallow however it should earn RR 2011-what is essentially his 3rd year with his players.
6-6? Really? Brandon is better at business than to give RR 2011 with 6-6. Its too much of a risk of long-term mediocrity. A better business decision would be to bring in someone who does not run such a radicalized system (relative to the system already installed), who could and was willing to adapt his system to the players already here, while recruiting the players he needs for 'his' system. At 6-6 RR does not demonstrate that he can coach good enough to generate the amount of income the whole athletic department needs from the Football program. It's a business decision, and the better business decision would be to make a change. The evidence would suggest a choice of demonstrated mediocrity under RR or taking a chance of excellence under someone else. I think Brandon would go with the latter.
"... willing to adapt his system to the players already here..."
Sorry... brace yourselves for some dead-horse action.
Could you please expand on that? What exactly should he have done in '08? I'll buy that Threet was more of a pro-style QB, but how much do you think an adaptation to that style (assuming it would have been possible) would have helped in the "W" column (and at what expense to the development of the spread, etc.)?
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As you say, it's a business decision, and if he needs to go after this year, fine. But, the idea that some tweaks to the offense would have made much difference with Threet / Sheridan doesn't seem reasonable.
We all know the only reason Threet overthrew so many receivers in 08 was because he wasn't dropping back from under center, not because he was an inaccurate, young QB.
Seriously, I watched about 10 or 11 plays from the 08 Wisky game on the B10 network and saw 2 touchdown passes that were overthrown by about 5 yards and a first down pass that was 3 yards behind the receiver on a slant. I am not saying he hasn't improved his accuracy (although judging by his spring game numbers, I am not so sure he has improved much), but the QBs in 08 were absolutely horrible.
Firing coaches too quickly is a good way to bring about long-term mediocrity.
What happens when you fire a coach? First, you disrupt recruiting, and you run the risk of losing more players to transfer. As has been discussed here ad infinitum, the talent pool when Rodriguez came in was pretty depleted, and the team is still very young.
Second, you limit the pool of coaches who are willing to take the Michigan job. Potential coaches are watching what's going on here. Some of them will look and say, they fired Rodriguez after only three years, and look at the lack of talent he had when he got there--are they going to give me enough time? A lot of established coaches would pass. It's obviously a different situation, but Tennessee couldn't get an established coach after firing Fulmer and the Kiffin fiasco.
Third, any time you change coaches you run the risk of hiring somebody who will run the program into the ground. A reduced ability to attract an established head coach makes it more likely.
The worst case scenario in my opinion is if we fire Rodriguez after three years and hire another coach we fire within three years, which in turn leads to another failed coach.You know, like Michigan State after Nick Saban left.
Obviously what actually happens on the field and with the team is going to determine Rodriguez's fate. If the team takes a significant step back or if he loses control of the team, Brandon may fire him. With a slightly tougher out of conference schedule this year, 6-6 probably represents progress.
Although obviously not as much as any of us would like.
...if Stan Edwards is all in for Michigan. Is BE speaking for himself or is he also speaking for his dad?
Braylon is allowing his mouth to overshadow the great work he does with charity. I wish he would STFU about RR and let his actions do his talking for him. If RR does, as I believe he will, succeed at Michigan, it will be interesting to see if Braylon tries to worm his way into RR's "good graces."
"Braylon is allowing his mouth to overshadow..."
Par for the course... the guy is high-maintenance. I don't mean that he's always wrong.
Is a winning record in the Big Ten too much to ask for at this point? I think it's more important for Michigan to re-establish itself in the conference than anything else.
Her points are vague, but reasonable. My big thing is that I want to see marked improvement. We were three plays away from a 7-5 record last year with two freshman quarterbacks and a tenuous line. If our offense doesn't show improvement, I'm not sure if we should keep him. Thankfully, if the spring game is any indication, the offense should be much better. Defense I'm kind of willing to give a pass on since we've been gutted the past couple of years.
We need to start winning meaningful games, 3-13 over two years in the Big Ten doesn't cut it at any institution, let alone Michigan. When we start winning games against medicore teams, and then starting pulling out some key games, that's when you can pencil in Rodriguez for the rest of his career. Wins against UCONN, MSU, Iowa/Wisconsin, along with beating the Indianas and Purdues on the schedule would solidify him in my mind.
Braylon Edwards is right. As Braylon said, it is time for RR to show he can "make it work". Unfortunately, whether Angelique likes it or not, "make it work" cannot be easily translated into a handful of boxes that must be checked to declare we are there. Rather, the standard is more or less the same one the Supreme Court applies to define "obscenity" in First Amendment cases -- we will know it when we see it.
Effectively, the football program needs to show sufficient progress in 2010 to (re)convince Dave Brandon and Mary Sue Coleman (and, to an extent, the rest of the Michigan faithful) that RR is the right person for the job and that the team's unprecedented poor performance over the past two years is just part of the growing pains that come with making such a dramatic change in offensive and defensive schemes and philosophies. This is not simply a matter of reaching a minimum number of wins. It is about being able to step back at the end of the season and objectively review the program and be nearly 100% certain that we are on the right track and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Beating a middle of the pack MSU team or even a lucky win against OSU will not do that. Nor does an 8-win season if we lose to MSU, OSU, PSU and WISC and our defense continues to be horrific, even against teams like Indiana. We need to see a football team that looks like, in a year or two, it will again be perenially challenging for the conference title and occasionally even have a shot at a national championship. It is a tall order, but anything short of this will put RR in an extremely warm chair at the end of the 2010 season.
Hopefully, two or three years from now, we all will be sitting around laughing as we look back on all the hand-wringing and drama and calls for RR's head during his first two years at Michigan. We will be laughing because, by that time, we will be thinking we have the best coach in the country and would not be willing to swap him for anyone else anywhere at any price. Hopefully.
I am not from Michigan but have cheered for UM for about 20 years now. I want to win a much as anyone (I think) and have given this very issue much thought over the past couple of years (thanks in large part to all the media coverage surrounding it).
Since RR came I have been behind him 100%. I was a fan of his since he took over at WVU and I had the chance to watch his teams play. When UM hired him I thought it was an odd selection, but was really excited about the potential the decision had.
I knew also, however, that it was going to take some time for him to "make it work" given the types of player UM traditionally had on their roster.
The past two years has been painful for all UM supporters to watch. My question is would firing him make things better, because that is what the ultimate goal of the AD should be. I can't envision a scenario where firing him after this year (barring another monumental collapse or serious violations etc) would help UM in either the long or short term.
Again, I want to win as much as anyone, I just don't see how that will comes to pass more quickly by firing RR.
While I agree with you and would give RR 4 years just on principle, if this team were to flame out again, it will be extremely difficult politically to bring RR back for a 4th year.
If this team doesn't show marked improvement this season, I am going to be of the opinion that it just isn't going to happen for RR in Ann Arbor. That being said, I would give him a 4th year anyway, but don't know if Brandon will be in a position to let it happen, all things considered.