Mary Sue Coleman standing behind Rich Rodriguez, coach's agent says
Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman met with Rich Rodriguez on Monday to voice her support for the football coach, Rodriguez’s agent Mike Brown said Wednesday.
Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman
Coleman and Rodriguez met about the release of a university audit that revealed the football team did not keep logs detailing how much time players spent on Countable Athletically Related Activities last season. During the meeting, Brown said Coleman reiterated that she stands behind Rodriguez.
“They came together in regards to the (release of) those CARA forms and Mary Sue said we’re behind you 100 percent,” Brown said.
Rodriguez is 8-15 through his second season as Michigan coach and 3-12 in the Big Ten. After a 4-0 start, Michigan (5-6, 1-6) has lost six straight Big Ten games and is on the verge of back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1962-63.
If the Wolverines don’t beat ninth-ranked Ohio State on Saturday, Rodriguez will become the first coach in Michigan history to lose his first two games to the Buckeyes.
Brown said Rodriguez and his staff “are committed to getting Michigan on track as soon as possible” and that Rodriguez is not interested in leaving for any other job this offseason.
He’ll be at Michigan “2010 and beyond,” Brown said. “They’re working hard to improve the program on a daily basis.”
Coleman has declined recent interview requests by AnnArbor.com, but told The Wall Street Journal last month she intends to be patient with Rodriguez.
“I don't think it's fair to coaches to bring them in and say, 'We're going to give you three years,’” Coleman told the Journal. "When (former Michigan basketball coach) Tommy Amaker came in, we stuck with him for six years. It just wasn't going to work; it wasn't the right fit. But it wasn't a rushed decision.”
Rodriguez said at his press conference Monday this has been the most emotionally taxing two years of his career.
"We can see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "Sometimes it's hard when you're losing to see that. But we can see it."
Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
Comments
rightmind250
Thu, Nov 19, 2009 : 8:15 a.m.
Don't worry RR has one more Michigan record to go after this weekend. No Michigan coach, never ever, nada, none has gone 0-2 against Ohio State. So whats tyour prediction little buddy (Tater)?
DennisP
Thu, Nov 19, 2009 : 1:48 a.m.
RR would have had his 3 years if he just beat either Purdue or Ill. Instead, we got a beat down from two perennial bottom feeders in the Big 10+1. We now rank as the lowest bottom feeder and have the most pathetic record over two years in the conference than Michigan has ever experienced. You got to ask yourself, if RR has MSC's confidence, then why did the UM release the findings from an audit the week of the UM - OSU game? It could have waited a week. Instead, we have this big distraction that will make it even easier for OSU to trounce us. I think RR was in a good situation until those Ill and Purdue losses. He's now dead meat. I don't like to see it because I think it will create too much confusion for the program, but I think that's where it's headed. I hope Harbaugh (who I thought we should have hired the first time but everyone was prissy about his true comments regarding academics) is available.
wvualumus
Thu, Nov 19, 2009 : 12:39 a.m.
Hold on to your hats, Wolverines! The Waterboy is in the building! Job shopping surely can't be far behind...
Point_Given
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 10 p.m.
Interesting that this "vote of confidence" had to be delivered by the weasel's agent... silence on MSC's part speaks volumes (I hope).
captain
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 9:57 p.m.
sure... rich is "my guy" but no love anywhere from mary sue for the head honcho... billy martin... apparently mary is upset w/ billy for the ugly incidents at the stadium... as we all are. too bad billy doesn't even have the class to resign when it is obviously the only thing left for him to do. someone with some true passion for the u of mich would have done so by now. these new rumors of martin paying off the students involved not to press charges are just about the worst... so we hope.
mzanblu
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 9:32 p.m.
Kiss of Death!! I was a supporter of RR but 3-12 in the B10 in 2 years in unacceptable. For you pipe dreamers who think RR is going to turn this around WAKE UP! This guy has zero class and is a embarassment to the University. His gomer pyle personality may have worked in W.VA but it's not here. I pray the NCAA finds something so they can send his broke arse packing without paying the rest of his overpriced contract.
CynicA2
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 9:24 p.m.
LOL!!! Yeah... she's standing right BEHIND him, so he can take all the incoming first. Talk about a rock and a hard place. How classic can it get? Time will tell.
Danny
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 8:30 p.m.
Looks like one more year of bile and name calling for the fair weather fans! GO BLUE ALWAYS
Tom Bower
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 7:18 p.m.
Rich Rod stated, "We can see the light at the end of the tunnel," he said. "Sometimes it's hard when you're losing to see that. But we can see it." That light is probably a train coming at him --- a train from Columbus....
Point_Given
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 6:25 p.m.
I'm with Macabre... there's nothing that would give me greater happiness than to have to admit that I jumped the proverbial gun when I said he needs to go. But,... he needs to go.
Macabre Sunset
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 4:46 p.m.
No, tater, I will happily admit I'm wrong if I'm wrong. Which I'm not. He will never win as many games here as Carr averaged.
nick
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 4:17 p.m.
Why would she cite Amaker in this? Did she want to infer that they have stuck by losing coaches for much longer in the past?
RASWVU
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 4 p.m.
Rich Rods problems must be bad, as Mike Brown has gone to the media. Even though Mary Sue Coleman has refused interviews about this, Brown is not shy about telling the press her feelings. "The Waterboy" only goes public when the stakes are high.
foreigner
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 3:30 p.m.
He definitely won't get six years like Amaker did, but he certainly deserves another year at Michigan.
aareader
Wed, Nov 18, 2009 : 3:27 p.m.
This is as it should be. We are not Notre Dame where "University officials have pointedly declined to offer any endorsements of Weis." Next year will be the first time to make an official in-depth evaluation of the program.