Ok Rich, time to move on.

You are the coach of Arizona now, quit talking about not getting a fair shot at UM.

And before you all jump on me, I read the freaking book by Bacon and I haven't changed my mind, he needed to go.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120309/SPORTS0201/203090374/1131/sports0201/Rich-Rodriguez-still-thinks-Michigan

I thought the hire was great and I was excited about it until he fielded his first team. I knew then after he would not adapt to the players he had things were not going to work out. I can remember arguing with StJoe about it that whole 3 - 9 season. In comes Hoke, and so far the rest is history.....

Yes RR, needs to shut his pie hole and move on. He wouldn't have gone 11 - 2 with that team last year. He doesn't know half of what Hoke and Mattison do on defense.

I was with him right up until the Wisconsin game of 2010. I jumped off the wagon as fast as I could after that.

10000000% in agreement with you both (Fish and um85)---not only that he needed to go, witness the great things to have transpired in our program since his unceremonious departure, but also that he should STFU.

He would have gone 11-2 with us last year, so he claims? Why wait till 2011, RR?? Why not in your final season here? They were after all the same players you had (in the vast majority) in 2010, when your ingenious coaching couldn't prevent loses by margins of 17, 24, 30 and 38 points...along with two 10-pointers.

Good luck in AZ's backyard...with all those player arrests you've already endured. Maybe AZ's nonpareil brokerage talents can help you post the bail money...eh?

The only thing about changing his system to match what his players could do is.........His Quarterbacks COULDN'T DO ANYTHING!

It really didn't matter what offense he ran. Those guys couldn't hit a 5 yard button hook for cryin out loud!

Anyway, I'm way past that.

michmike wrote:

10000000% in agreement with you both (Fish and um85)---not only that he needed to go, witness the great things to have transpired in our program since his unceremonious departure, but also that he should STFU.

He would have gone 11-2 with us last year, so he claims? Why wait till 2011, RR?? Why not in your final season here? They were after all the same players you had (in the vast majority) in 2010, when your ingenious coaching couldn't prevent loses by margins of 17, 24, 30 and 38 points...along with two 10-pointers.

Good luck in AZ's backyard...with all those player arrests you've already endured. Maybe AZ's nonpareil brokerage talents can help you post the bail money...eh?

sad he finally left nor am I sad he's gone.

I also gave him my full backing for the first two years.

At the time, I didn't know how his tenure was going to end....and my thoughts were simple: he's the new MICHIGAN coach, I've GOT to give him my faith and backing.

Well, as said in an earlier post, the rest is history.






Idiot.

The worst part is we've had to endure the rath of those little green men in E sesspool for 4 years thanks to RR. God the are annoying.

Just read the book with an open mind and a word of advice to 1umgoblue...don't say anything about joe, you will be deleted.

I think the book and RR's departure are not so intertwined. I think the book sheds a lot of light on the factions that were working against RR from day 1. Shame on those factions for behaving the way they did. I think it is pretty f'd up the way people close to the program turned their back on it.

As for RR's departure-It was well deserved. Politics or not he was still given the leeway to run things as he wanted sans ruining traditions. He brought in his players, coaches, offense, etc. We were blown out in big games and his record was not Michigan worthy. For that you get the boot.

I agree with others-He would not have had the season Hoke just had. The man did not put the emphasis on defense that Hoke and Borges did in the three years he was here combined. I do not see year 4 being any different.

That's precisely where I'm coming from on him, Willie. Yes, implementing changes takes time---and the more drastic, the longer time.

But as you insinuate---I saw absolutely NO IMPROVEMENT, to ANY DEGREE, in his defenses from year One to Year Three. Heck, if anything, I'd say they were REGRESSING. Which gives me chills just to speculate on what '11 would have been like had he not gotten his walking papers.

Then turn around and look at what Brady and Matty did with essentially the SAME CREW on defense---even plugging in some walkons and true frosh at spots (and is anyone disappointed with Jake Ryan or Blake Countess?)

(Ahem---in '12---"Make or Break with Jake and Blake"???)

Mike, it was COACHING COACHING COACHING. PERIOD!

We obviously had some talent.

I've had numerous arguements with a michigan fan at work who believed that last year would have been the same if not better. He argued that RichRod would not have lost to MSU.

For me it was like pounding my head against the wall. The defense played much better from a technique and positioning. It was not as if RichRod had 6 stud defensive recruits coming in. You could tell the players knew what the hell they were doing, that was something that was not there the years before.

You can't argue with that though.

It's purely hypothetical and impossible to prove do he'll be as vehement as he can be because it's impossible for him to be wrong.

WOW---I find that perplexing, to say the least. Are you certain, MB, he isn't an OSU or MSU fan doing double-duty as a counterspy???

Of course OSU and MSU fans, players and coaches LOVED RichRod.

Definitely the sort of "Michigan fan" I would not want any conversations with, or at least not if he honestly believed what he was spouting...

The two 2011 (actual, not hypothetical) wins I would the SOONEST mark down as losses had RR been the coach are:

(1) Northwestern. The way they were moving the ball in the first half, we'd have been lucky to be down only 10 at halftime. And our defense pitched a frickin' SHUTOUT in the second half...on the road. How often would a RichRod/Shafer/Robinson defense have been able to do so?

(2) OSU. Most likely Braxton Miller would have connected with Posey and others at least TWICE MORE on long scoring bombs, OR have sustained drives long enough to keep us from scoring so many (40) points, OR we would not have been able to hold OSU to a field goal after Hagerup's punt-gaffe.

As I say, I find no credibility in your co-worker's assertions.

For me, RR was dead on exactly day 2 of his regime...He fired EVERY asst coach (including Fred Jackson whom he hired back the next day). Anyone, excluding country bumpkins like RR, knows that when you take over a successful endeavour, you do not fire EVERYONE. Maybe fire half and the rest will leave on their own free will. But you don't cause them to resent you out-of-gate. That MORON caused me to disavow my school....bad of me, I know, but I just couldn't stomach him and his 70 IQ brain...Thank God Brandon is a man schooled by Bo and he knew exactly where to go....

michmike wrote:

(2) OSU. Most likely Braxton Miller would have connected with Posey and others at least TWICE MORE on long scoring bombs, OR have sustained drives long enough to keep us from scoring so many (40) points, OR we would not have been able to hold OSU to a field goal after Hagerup's punt-gaffe.
.

This is the only part I disagree with. Our defense was pretty horrible the Ohio game. Miller had every opportunity to connect with about anyone he wanted on that day. If you consider how bad OSU was on offense in the previous games last season, it boggles the mind at how easy they were able to score on our much improved defense.

BlueNectarine wrote:

For me, RR was dead on exactly day 2 of his regime...He fired EVERY asst coach (including Fred Jackson whom he hired back the next day). Anyone, excluding country bumpkins like RR, knows that when you take over a successful endeavour, you do not fire EVERYONE. Maybe fire half and the rest will leave on their own free will. But you don't cause them to resent you out-of-gate. That MORON caused me to disavow my school....bad of me, I know, but I just couldn't stomach him and his 70 IQ brain...Thank God Brandon is a man schooled by Bo and he knew exactly where to go....

I've mentioned this before....but it still chaps my a§ that Erik Campbell was bounced as is still out in Iowa City.

I don't know enough about Hecklinski, but I thought Hoke would come in and immediately get EC back.

I will say for Heck, he did seem to develop Gallon pretty well in one season.

Still. I want EC.

Admin wrote:

I don't know enough about Hecklinski, but I thought Hoke would come in and immediately get EC back.

I'd bet Hoke contacted Campbell, but couldn't get him to come back.

You think? That'd be very surprising to me.

He shouldn't have ill feelings towards UM. It was RR who canned him.

He may have settled in at Iowa. Seems like he has pretty good job security with Ferentz. Turned McNutt into a draft pick. Hoke came in amid some turmoil. It's easy to envision Soup saying "thanks, but I'm good here". Who knows, just my gut feeling.

Doesn't mean he holds anything against UM, just comfortable in his situation.

michmike wrote:

WOW---I find that perplexing, to say the least. Are you certain, MB, he isn't an OSU or MSU fan doing double-duty as a counterspy???

Of course OSU and MSU fans, players and coaches LOVED RichRod.

Definitely the sort of "Michigan fan" I would not want any conversations with, or at least not if he honestly believed what he was spouting...


As I say, I find no credibility in your co-worker's assertions.

No he's a Michigan Fan. But he is a fan who during the Carr years always wanted more points and more flashy offenses. I usually agreed only in part but I still love defense much better. So you can see he fell in love with Rich Rod on day 1.

fishgoblue22 wrote:

He may have settled in at Iowa. Seems like he has pretty good job security with Ferentz. Turned McNutt into a draft pick. Hoke came in amid some turmoil. It's easy to envision Soup saying "thanks, but I'm good here". Who knows, just my gut feeling.

Doesn't mean he holds anything against UM, just comfortable in his situation.

Be there forever.

Seems like his name comes up every 2 or 3 years for another job.

Okay, I have to weigh in on this matter. I will make it as short as possible. Fuck Rich Rod. He made millions of dollars, got his WVU contract paid for, and the only thing he was able to stop was the presses when they were writing up another story to put a blemish on the UM name.

I hated the hire and loved the fire. The fact that he is still running his mouth and crying to the press only solidifies my feelings toward him.

He has a huge ego and cries more than my 3 year old grandson. Combined it makes a very pathetic display and if I were a parent and my kid was thinking about going to Arizona, I would have to question a coach who is still worried about a previous school.

Go_Blue wrote:

Okay, I have to weigh in on this matter. I will make it as short as possible. Fuck Rich Rod. He made millions of dollars, got his WVU contract paid for, and the only thing he was able to stop was the presses when they were writing up another story to put a blemish on the UM name.

I hated the hire and loved the fire. The fact that he is still running his mouth and crying to the press only solidifies my feelings toward him.

He has a huge ego and cries more than my 3 year old grandson. Combined it makes a very pathetic display and if I were a parent and my kid was thinking about going to Arizona, I would have to question a coach who is still worried about a previous school.

Tell us how you really feel! lol

I'll agree with you about 90%. The other 10% tells me he's still a human being and I'll give him 10%.

WillieMfan wrote:

Our defense was pretty horrible the Ohio game. Miller had every opportunity to connect with about anyone he wanted on that day. If you consider how bad OSU was on offense in the previous games last season, it boggles the mind at how easy they were able to score on our much improved defense.

I couldn't believe how many blown coverages that there were in the ohio game. It wasn't the same team, but we won!

Basically, in a nutshell, here is what happened in the most general terms:

1) 2007 - The fan base is incredibly frustrated with the offense, given the NFL talent we had to work with. People have had it, and many, including myself, wanted change.

2) Carr obviously wants his guys to take over, and he wants the program to maintain all ethics. This is evidenced by Carr's words in a 2006 presser regarding Urban Meyer openly lobbying for UF in the NC game. If I recall correctly, he went on about how college football has changed, and has always talked about the disadvantages UM has had, -facilities, recruiting, practice*.

3) At some point Carr realized he wasn't going to have the honor of choosing his own successor.

4) According to the Bacon book, Carr's thought process must have been, "OK, if you don't hear me, then I'll give you the program that you want. We'll see how it works out, but don't say I didn't warn everyone."

5) Carr makes it happen, and phones the most extremely opposite candidate possible, Rich Rodriguez. He'll give everyone what they want: A high octane and exciting offense, and a 180 degree culture change to go along with it. Carr then offers transfer releases, including Boren/family values, and probably got the freep rolling a year later. The rest is history, lesson learned.

I wanted change as a lot of fans did, but I never liked the RR hire. Not a good fit at all imo. So now we're back to the Bo bloodlines which is a great thing imo. I just hope that we can take that extra step. Recruiting says we are on track.

2ndComingOfBo wrote:

WillieMfan wrote:

Our defense was pretty horrible the Ohio game. Miller had every opportunity to connect with about anyone he wanted on that day. If you consider how bad OSU was on offense in the previous games last season, it boggles the mind at how easy they were able to score on our much improved defense.

I couldn't believe how many blown coverages that there were in the ohio game. It wasn't the same team, but we won!

Defense was very disappointing in that game. But OSU was finally at full strength with Posey back and Braxton getting some experience. Plus, they opened their offense up like they hadn't all season, got a little risky with their play calling and it worked out half the time.

In regards to RichRod, I read a portion of Bacon's book. I made it all the way until the night before the Utah game in 2008 and then couldn't force myself to read any further. I couldn't relive those losses over again. I couldn't relive the defense breaking down over and over and never improving. Some things were stacked against RichRod since day one, which was a shame, but he still dug his own grave over those 3 years by not knowing what was going on with the D and making no attempt to work with the talent he had starting out.

It's time for RichRod to move on. But he's already tried to schedule a home/home against us, so I don't think that's happening any time soon.

Rich Clod, he'll never learn...