RR statement

Submitted by Geaux_Blue on
Ht maize and blue nation

“I am proud of the dedication and commitment exhibited by the coaching staff and student-athletes who have represented the University of Michigan football program over the last three seasons. While I am disappointed to depart Ann Arbor before we were able to reach the level of success we had in our sights, I am confident that the players who remain have the potential to do great things and to return the Wolverines to greatness. I would like to thank our fans and our student body for their tremendous support. There is great passion for Michigan football and I have made lifelong friends through this experience.”

Michigan4Life

January 6th, 2011 at 5:56 PM ^

GO TO CLEMSON, GO TO CLEMSON!!!!  Clemson fans love RR and by waiting a year, Dabo Swinney probably will be fired if Clemson underachieve(they will).  Clemson is a sleeping giant with tons of talents that they were able to attract.  RR can use his florida connections in addition to the recruiting pipeline at the Carolinas.  Clemson could very well be a national power under RR.

Joined: 07/29/2010

MGoPoints: 24994

dakotapalm

January 6th, 2011 at 10:01 PM ^

This is true. Actually, I think it will happen. I live in upstate South Carolina, not far from Clemson, and their fans would love it if he were to return.

I'd even have to buy an Orange shirt. That'd make my father-in-law happy.

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 2395

dieseljr32

January 6th, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^

This guy is nothing but absolute class.  And isn't class part of what being a "Michigan Man" is all about?

Good luck Rich Rod, please do not kick our asses if we ever have to face you in a game.

Joined: 04/19/2009

MGoPoints: 4792

lbpeley

January 6th, 2011 at 7:19 PM ^

not all self proclaimed Michigan Men deserve the title. Examples being the people who treated RR like a child abuser for no fucking reason other than their own bigotry, stupidty, and  arrogance.

Don't like his style of football? Fine, but to drag him through the mud and dance on his grave like he's Hitler is beyond pathetic. 

Joined: 01/29/2009

MGoPoints: 19651

El Jeffe

January 6th, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^

It is hard to believe that RR could come out of all of this with his reputation more intact than either the guy who fired him or the fans who spurned him, but I think it might happen.

Joined: 07/07/2008

MGoPoints: 27314

umich_fan1

January 6th, 2011 at 4:56 PM ^

Was the situation impossible here? I would say Difficult. Did RR make some bad decisions with his staff and strategy? yes. Did he not understand Michigan tradition when he came aboard? likely. Offensively there seems to be improvement in the last three years, but defense and special teams seem to have regressed. Splitting hairs, but I disagree that the situation was impossible when he hired in.

RR has handled his departure with class, for sure, and I respect that. I won't miss his coaching @ UofM though. Two plays of the Gator Bowl comes to mind: First, Denard throws a WR screen to one side of the field. Goes for nothing. Next play, WR screen to other side. Goes for nothing. I won't miss that.

 

Joined: 06/14/2010

MGoPoints: 733

Section 1

January 6th, 2011 at 5:23 PM ^

... and he is of course flat-out amazing.

But in the Gator Bowl, sadly, Denard played like a sophomore first-year starter.  A gifted one, to be sure.  But he made a lot of bad decisions in that game.  Denard, for all his brilliance, has a lot of room to improve his thinking, his throwing, and his ability to slow the game down.  JMHO.  I say this, because my guess is that Denard would agree, although he'd be too modest to admit to his brilliant talent.

If the story comes out eventually, that Michigan did not do everything humanly possible, including the payment of one million dollars and full support for Rich Rodriguez, to get Jeff Casteel to come here, Michigan will look like the dumbest administration in major college football.

Joined: 06/29/2009

MGoPoints: 16535

TartanAlex

January 6th, 2011 at 5:21 PM ^

Year One was always going to be difficult. Perhaps even impossible. Not only did few players from 2007 return, UM was switching its football philosophy. The most predictable major program in the country was going sexy.

But without a QB to run the offense it was doomed from the start. And since UM had hired RR to install his system it's daft to argue that he should have adapted it to suit Sheridan and Threet. The whole point of RR was to change things.

So Year One was essentially Year Zero and I think you can make a decent argument that RR has been fired after just two "proper" years in which he had players (albeit young) who had some idea of what he wanted and aptitude for it.

Of course there were mistakes, most obviously on defense. And the results and all the rest of it do make it hard to make the case for keeping RR. You can see why it has panned out this way. But if getting Harbaugh was a reasonable and consensus First Choice for next year I'd say that giving RR one more shot was a reasonable Second Choice.

Sure, there would have been pressure and intense media speculation and a new DC and all that. But we'd also be better placed to see if the building could be finished, even late and over-budget, than is the case now that we've abandoned a half-completed project and are looking for a new architect to finish it in, well, lord knows what kind of style.

So good luck to RR wherever he lands. I understand why it's happened this way but I can't help but feel somewhat sad about it all.

Joined: 01/23/2010

MGoPoints: 161

M-Dog

January 7th, 2011 at 12:08 PM ^

We are starting to come off like a 50 year old divorcee who thinks she's still hot and insists on being extremely, extremely picky. 

Big turn off for the ever-dwindling number of desireable candidates out there that may still show some interest. 

We're going to spend the rest of our Saturdays bitter and alone, bitching about how life has passed us by, with our BFF Ms. Notre Dame.

Joined: 07/06/2008

MGoPoints: 256987

mtzlblk

January 6th, 2011 at 4:23 PM ^

Thanks for everything you endured at M and for everything you did for the program. You have a fan for life wherever you land.

Anyone think there should be a /s after the 'tremendous support' sentence

/s

What are best coaching opps for him right now? Is Pitt out? Clemson?

Joined: 01/20/2009

MGoPoints: 5016

blueblood06

January 6th, 2011 at 4:12 PM ^

Glad to see him going out with class.  Although, I'm sure plenty of "fans" will somehow manage to twist his words around to find something terrible in there. 

Joined: 01/06/2011

MGoPoints: 314

Ponypie

January 6th, 2011 at 5:01 PM ^

Well, there's class - which characterizes Rich Rodriguez and the statement he made - and then there's masochism - which would include thanking someone who handled the last couple of months in about as poor a manner as could be expected.

I am hopeful that we will be back in the thick of things in the Big however many and on the national stage before too long, but I have the feeling that Rodriguez will find his way to success in a very short time.

Best regards to a man who, when it comes to integrity, runs circles around the crabby alumni, ersatz journalists, cranky "livin' in the past" players, and bandwagon fans who couldn't stand to give him a real chance. 

Now Brandon is in a pickle, and I sure hope he can find a good way out of it.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 907

TIMMMAAY

January 6th, 2011 at 4:13 PM ^

I hope he absolutely destroys whatever conference he ends up in, and wins that MNC that we were all so convinced would come. Good luck Rich Rodriguez, you deserve better.

Joined: 09/08/2008

MGoPoints: 56292