OT: 2017 outlook for U Arizona and RichRod

Submitted by blueheron on

It's off-topic season, and this piece from the "Arizona Desert Swarm" blog (their Maize 'n Brew) might be of interest to some here. It's a preview of the 2017 football season for U Arizona and (of course) RichRod.

http://www.azdesertswarm.com/2017/5/5/15559524/arizona-wildcats-2017-pr…

It sounds like he's a goner. I didn't find anything in the piece unfair even though Arizona is a more challenging job than most. It's been interesting to see what he's done with a largely clean slate there.

BlueinLansing

May 6th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^

his offense at all.   RR is still running the exact same QB running dependant offense he ran 12 years ago at WVU.  No one runs exactly what he does 100% of the time.

 

You are correct his failures continue to be ST and defense, two elements he just doesn't give a damn about.

bronxblue

May 6th, 2017 at 1:52 PM ^

Solomon threw the ball 329 times and ran it 67 times in 2015, then the next year he had Dawkins throw 182 times and rush 133. This myth that RR doesn't adapt to his players offensively is wrong. Yes, he runs the same general system, but every coach keeps to their core staples. But he's had offensive success everywhere he's gone with his diversity.

BlueinLansing

May 6th, 2017 at 6:51 PM ^

and RR threw the ball that much because he had absolutley no one behind him except a true FR who's redshirt he didn't want to burn.  Guess what, they had to burn it.  RR would rather the run the ball, he threw so much last because for the first time in his career he was deathly afraid of getting his QB injured.

 

Its all the same exact plays.

Durham Blue

May 7th, 2017 at 4:00 PM ^

I do think Rodriguez adjusts his offense well.  Look for examples of pass heavy QB's vs run heavy or balanced QB's in just the past few years.  RR's downfall is by far on the defensive side of the ball.  It's demoralizing to the whole team if your defense can't stop the opponent.  It puts enormous pressure on the offense to score on every possession.  More pressure on the offense leads to playing tight which leads to more mistakes.  And I think RR begins to coach more "tightly" as well when he senses the game slipping away, if that makes sense.  That demeanor affects the whole team and from there it's a snowball rolling downhill.  This is exactly what has happened ever since RR took his show from the watered down and weak Big East to the B1G back in 2008.

Human Torpedo

May 6th, 2017 at 1:35 PM ^

He parleyed for the Michigan job just in the nick of time. His rigidity will be the ultimate downfall of him. Look at his first year at every stop, not just at Michigan, until he inherited a loaded roster at Arizona. So weird seeing him struggle when he was considered by many to be "The Godfather of the Modern Day Read Option"

Ty Butterfield

May 6th, 2017 at 1:51 PM ^

I wish RR had taken the Alabama job. Of course Michigan may have ended up with Greg Schiano. RR and Hoke were both failures. Still, it is easy to forget that after 2 seasons Hoke was right about where Harbaugh is now. Hoke was 19-7 and actually had a win over OSU and a win in a major bowl game. I don't care how bad that OSU team was, a win is a win. Of course we all know it went off the rails after that. I don't see Harbaugh having the same issues going forward. But this coming season could easily be 8-4 or 7-5 simply because this is a very young team with a suspect O-line and QB.

dipshit moron

May 6th, 2017 at 2:30 PM ^

michigan will never lose 5 games in a season as long as harbaugh is here. has osu lost 4-5 games in a season yet with urban? no, because great coaches at great programs dont lose that many games in a year very often.

   this year will show you how good harbaugh really is. the youth on this team is being really overstated, as far as how it projects to wins and losses. osu did pretty good with a young team last year. and did you think penn state could , at any point last year, win the conference?

MileHighWolverine

May 6th, 2017 at 2:50 PM ^

How can you legitimately say you don't care how bad that OSU team was? It's key to the comparison argument. Barely beating that team and somehow winning the Sugar Bowl with what was one of the worst offensive performances I've ever seen is kind of important to understand when comparing the two teams. The entire B10 was having a down year when Hoke had his pinnacle year as a coach. 

And Harbaugh took a 5-7 team and doubled their win totals....impressive feat not to be forgotten.

AlwaysBlue

May 6th, 2017 at 3:31 PM ^

important to trash Hoke here? He inherited a roster stuffed with players detached from Michigan's traditional strengths. In a large part his best season was led by a couple of Carr recruits. Michigan did suffer record wise under Hoke after that but he also started a rebuild and handed Harbaugh, despite some thin spots, a hell of a lot more than what he himself got.

MileHighWolverine

May 6th, 2017 at 6:52 PM ^

He got Denard as a JR and Devin for his entire career. Molk was a remington center and the OL was in pretty good shape across the board (not counting the 1 year of bad OL recruiting which was a huge knock on RR). He got an offense that was ready to take off and a D that was an embarrassment. He handed Harbaugh a fantastic D and an embarrassing offense. I don't believe he handed Harbaugh anything better than he got - just flipped the issues.

People still bash RR after all these years so it should hardly be surprising that Hoke get bashed as well. I mean, look at his last year. I'm sure was a nice guy but he was paid like a top tier coach, given a budget to match any other team in D-I football, and produced THAT. 

Jason80

May 6th, 2017 at 9:08 PM ^

Because the publisher of this site had sold the spread offense as the magic pill that would mean that Michigan would never lose again. Then with every Rich failure the old standby of ripping Lloyd Carr for every Michigan loss was easily given to Hoke since he was Carr's guy.

Greatgig

May 6th, 2017 at 1:52 PM ^

I still get pissed when the B1G network shows the point fest Illinois game and labels it a classic. I hated that game and all it represented

IvyLeague

May 6th, 2017 at 2:31 PM ^

This blog is run by a huge Arizona State fan who basically writes negative stuff about Rich Rod and all University of Arizona sports teamd all the time. 

The team had a ton of injuries last year and should be pretty good going forward.

Durham Blue

May 6th, 2017 at 3:18 PM ^

Rodriguez's life will be so much easier if he could just "see the light" and realize his defenses are too small to compete at the P5 level.  I've watched a lot of Arizona football since he took over there and his defensive lines get pushed around at the LOS.  It wasn't as bad at Michigan but we were still at a distinct size disadvantage to the better B1G conference foes.  The linebackers and secondary need to help out on more running plays than they should.  As a result the D gets worn down.  Then it becomes easier for the opposing team to run the ball.  Wash, rinse, repeat every game against good competition.

Der Alte

May 6th, 2017 at 6:07 PM ^

In 2010, the Wisconsin Badgers hung 48 points on Michigan. They ran their big back --- Montee Ball I believe --- into the left side of the M defensive line time after time after time, and M could do nothing to stop him. No need to throw the ball (WI passed 15 times, completing 14 w/1 int) , no need for any trickery, just pound away against a weaker D-line and LBs. The Badgers ended the game with 357 net rushing yards.

It was truly a pathetic sight. Toward the end of the first half I had seen enough --- I had to leave the stadium and hang out under the stands for awhile. Yes, I returned to my seat to watch the second half --- or most of it --- but left before the game officially ended. That's when I finally had had enough of RR. I offically gave up on him and hoped for his dismissal. After the Mississippi State bowl debacle, I got my wish. Between the overall dismal W-L record and the NCAA sanctions, RR was truly one of the more unfortunate hires in M football history.

Yes, the "cupboard was bare" when RR arrived in AA (Nick Sheridan at QB?), but he had every chance to show year-over-year improvement, which he failed to do. I wished him well in AZ, but these days things apparently aren't too rosy for him there, either. I'm not surprised.

Erik_in_Dayton

May 6th, 2017 at 3:58 PM ^

...some of you arguing about this.

"Remember that Ryan Mallett was still in the team when RR took the job."

"But Mallett didn't fit the scheme."

"Great coaches adapt to their players."

"I'm as sick of you saying that as I am of this prune juice."

JohnnyV123

May 6th, 2017 at 4:04 PM ^

Feeling snarky so I'll say.....wait, but I thought he was God's gift to coaching and if he had gotten a fair shake at UM would be winning Big Ten championships on the regular now?

It was one of my biggest points of contention with Brian and crew that Rich Rod was a great coach. I think he's a good coach who has an offense that feasts on bad defenses, but has not succeeded against great defenses even with incredibly talented players. That will usually get you to 8+ wins a year but will never win conference or national championships.

Jason80

May 6th, 2017 at 8:59 PM ^

I'm sure it was Coach Carr's fault Arizona was so bad last year, and those factions. A team that plays zero defense and can't move the ball against any conference opponent with a pulse...we feel your pain Arizona fans.

Bando Calrissian

May 7th, 2017 at 12:37 AM ^

Do we honestly still care what Rich Rodriguez is doing? Really, folks. Two coaches ago, he didn't work at Michigan, everyone has moved on. I wish him well, but enough is enough.

uminks

May 7th, 2017 at 1:07 AM ^

They can hire Hoke. Hoke may have a first good season with RR recruits but then Hoke will have losing seasons. I'm happy that both these coaches lead to Harbaugh being our coach.

Humen

May 7th, 2017 at 10:30 AM ^

Arizona is to the PAC12 as Indiana is to the Big Ten. Great basketball school (AZ likely better lately). Not a lot of opportunity for winning. Arguments about his defense aside, his injury luck is so bad that it's starting to seem like more than just bad luck. I don't think he'll win at AZ. I don't think his replacement will either. In division: USC, UCLA, ASU... so at best, fourth in terms of ability to recruit. There was a stat not long ago: exactly one kid on AZ's roster had a USC offer

You Only Live Twice

May 7th, 2017 at 11:43 AM ^

I do believe all aspects of this debate have been covered, and with much attention to detail, with the exception of the AD effect.  We will never really know the extent of Brandon's damage to the program.  (and the tent-stake apology to MSU almost certainly had to have been ordered by DB).  Happy to say it doesn't matter any more and both OSU and MSU fan bases know it.

UMgradMSUdad

May 7th, 2017 at 11:53 AM ^

When your default argument is "at least he's better than Hoke" (which is itself debatable), isn't it time to throw in the towel on any claims to coaching greatness for Rich Rod?

goblue8888

May 7th, 2017 at 2:02 PM ^

Rrod is a guy that innovated something but then didn't evolve his idea. Chip Kelly learned the read option spread from him but took it and added various passing elements and sped the tempo up. Meyer did similar things after rrod taught it to him. As the spread profilerated and top programs started to run it, rrod also lost his schematic advantage because he refused to value defense and refused to embrace high level recruiting. His failure post West Virginia are due to his stubbornness. He is way to loyal to crappy assistants, refuses to evolve his offense and refuses to value defense. I wouldn't even want him as an oc anymore, there are much brighter spread offense minds out there.

Mpfnfu Ford

May 7th, 2017 at 9:14 PM ^

Because for so long I thought there was something uniquely screwed up about Michigan that caused RichRod to fail. But then you see Charlie Strong at Texas and I realized "Oh, some jobs just aren't good fits for good coaches."

Anyway, his trajectory isn't that confusing. You see similar paths for a lot of innovative coaches. Leach at Wazzu has been thoroughly mediocre and would probably be close to a hot seat if the alumni cared all that much. Mumme never really had any success post Kentucky. The guy who invented the wishbone failed by the time he got a chance to be a HC on his own. 

If you come up with a new brilliant way to play football, you've got to parlay your success at the WVUs of the world into a top job at a program that recruits well before the rest of the football world catches up. Rich Rod and Michigan was a bad fit, and he ended up at a similar job to WVU, without the advantage of being first he had at WVU and in a better conference. 

The one thing about Rich is that he's clearly not the same caliber of coach as Steve Spurrier, Spurrier was in the exact same spot Rich is in when he came back to college at South Carolina, but he changed his system and had his fabulous 2nd act in Columbia. Rich doesn't seem to have that kind of ability.