Former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez taking over at Arizona, reports say
Updated story: It's official: Former Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez hired by Arizona
Reports are circulating that former Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez has agreed to be the next coach at Arizona.
A source told The Associated Press that the hiring was "pretty much" done, but that no official announcement was coming immediately. The person spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because contract details were still being finalized.
Arizona spokesman Tom Duddleston told the AP he had no information on a hiring and athletic director Greg Byrne did not immediately return messages left on his cell phone.
Bruce Feldman, a columnist and commentator for CBS Sports, tweeted the following at 5:19 p.m. Monday: “Expect Rich Rodriguez to be named the Arizona head coach in the next 48 hours according to sources.”
Reports say that former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, above, will take over at Arizona.
Rodriguez was fired from Michigan in January, four days after a 52-14 Gator Bowl loss to Mississippi State. He compiled a 15-22 record in three seasons with the Wolverines.
Arizona fired Mike Stoops in mid-October and replaced him with interim coach Tim Kish. The Wildcats are 3-8 and coming off an upset of rival Arizona State.
Stoops was 41-50 in seven-plus seasons at the Pac-12 school.
Rodriguez apparently turned down Tulane this morning, according to The New Orleans Times-Picayune, which also reported that Arizona planned to make an announcement this evening.
Arizona Daily Star columnist Greg Hansen wrote today that Arizona might want to move quickly, because Arizona State may soon need a new coach, too.
Hansen on the situation:
Ask yourself this: If UA director of athletics Greg Byrne and ASU's Lisa Love both were to appeal to Rich Rodriguez, or to Mike Leach, "Please coach my team," which job would that coach prefer?
Comments
D21
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 8:04 a.m.
A RR quote from the recent past: "Vince Lombardi could come, too, and it's not going to ... going to fix some of the problems we have on defense". Happy trails Mr Rodriguez.
D21
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 7:56 a.m.
A future quote from RR: "Not even Mattison could coach this defense". :)
Arborcomment
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 4:21 a.m.
Is Arizona the go-to place for non-Michigan men? Thinking of a certain basketball coach, long ago.
Mick
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 5:39 a.m.
"A Michigan Man will coach the Michigan Team"!
edjasbord
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:20 a.m.
Sources say that RR's new contract includes a timeshare condo overlooking Saguaro National Park and round-trip tickets from Detroit to Tuscon for all of Arizona's home games as well as Valentines Day for one Mr. J.U. Bacon.
Mick
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 5:38 a.m.
The dip will have bacon bits in it, I'm sure. He'll forever be on their Christmas card list, fo sho!
1st Down
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 3:21 a.m.
Bacon gets free holiday dip courtesy of the Rodriguez family
GoblueinNE_PA
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:17 a.m.
Does this mean that finally we can put the RichRod error behind us? No more articles about this guy, please?
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:42 a.m.
Nope. Just look at the man crush crowd above pining away for the object of their desires. Unbelievable. Good Night and Good Luck
Sallyxyz
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:17 a.m.
Below is an excerpt from the NY Times article in today's paper: "Greg Byrne, the Arizona athletic director, flew to Michigan to consummate the deal, which was expected to be made official late Monday. Rodriguez took a year off after a disastrous three-year stretch at Michigan during which he clashed with the program's culture and fielded bad defenses. Byrne is hiring Rodriguez off the promise stemming from his 60-26 record at West Virginia, where he had the Mountaineers one victory from the national championship game in 2007." 1. Why would the AZ AD fly to MI to seal the RR deal? I thought RR moved away from MI after being fired and selling his house. 2. Good luck to AZ with the "promise stemming from his 60-26 record at West VA." It didn't work at UM, so why would that "promise" work at U-AZ?
Mick
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 5:35 a.m.
Sally that girl, I think you're quite the keen one milady! I really enjoy reading your posts, I love a female perspective amongst all us fellows.
heartbreakM
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 4:48 a.m.
Sally: That's called closing your eyes to reality and hiring based on nothing but a dream and a prayer. And last I checked, most dreams don't come true. That AZ AD is doomed to repeat history. Even Pac 12 weakness is >>>>>>>> Big East in football.
truebluefan
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:13 a.m.
Arizona is getting a great coach. I wish Rich nothing but the best. Arizona is now my second favorite college football team!
Mick
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 5:30 a.m.
Unremarkably, I believe you. Truly MCC all the way.
DonAZ
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:11 a.m.
I live in Tucson, where U of A is located. This is not a bad pick for him. Tulane would have been a safe pick, but a clear step backwards. OIe Miss would have been WAY over his head. He'd have been pulverized in the SEC west. At U of A he'll get second pickins' after USC, Stanford and Oregon clean up the top tier California talent. He'll feed good teams that will probably be in the 8-4 to at best 10-2 records. Each year he'll get buzz-sawed by USC, Stanford, Cal or Oregon. He probably take any time to learn from Oregon ... who has that hurry-up spread offense but also has a pretty darn good defense. He'll settle comfortably into the pantheon of okay-but-not-great coaches.
DonAZ
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:26 a.m.
By the way ... as one who lives near U of A ... I can assure everyone that this school is first and foremost a BASKETBALL school. And yes, that matters ... the very DNA of this school is built on Wildcat basketball. Kinda like UNC or Duke.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:04 a.m.
So to hear those who support the WCiMFH tell it (taken from Ed Daggett, above): "RR built a fantastic team while everybody bitched and moaned, then told every one of them to stay even after the school and the fans treated him like junk. Maybe things would have gone differently this year if he'd stayed but the folks who assumed the worst about every other aspect of the job he did don't really have a leg to stand on at this point." To believe this fairy tale, one would have to believe that RichRod and his band of merry incompetents were somehow going to take the same group on defense and that had been 110th in the nation last year and make them, as of this moment, 14th in total defense and 8th in scoring defense. The reply to this inevitably is: "It was Scott Shafer's and Greg Robinson's fault." This response has two problems: *RichRod hired these two and presumably he was going to hire a new DC. Why, then, should anyone believe that he was going to get it right the 3d time around? *Scott Shafer's success before arrival and after departure suggests that the problem was not Scott Shafer. Given his access to the Michigan program, did John U. Bacon look into why Shafer was such a failure here? Nope, because that would not have reflected well on his boy. And as someone pointed out above, the improvement in the defense has as much to do with the offense as it does with Greg Mattison. Last year Michigan was 113th (out of 120 teams) in Time of Possession. This year it is 12th. Do I need to explain to those with a man crush on RichRod what that statistic means on the defensive side of the ball? Oh, and under RichRod the team averaged 32.7 points per game. At the moment, under Hoke and Borges, it is averaging 33.6 points per game. So much for the offense not being as explosive as last year's. There is no way we are 9-2 at this moment if the WCiMFH were still here. Good riddance. Enjoy the drama queen you hired, Arizona. GN&GL
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
As for LC's loyalty, there is nothing in the book specific, just the old baseless charges. But, yes, it is clear the LC was not the supportive presence Bo was for him and that many former Michigan players weren't around either. Gee, ya don't think that that happened because the WCiMFH fired all of LC's assistants but one and immediately began badmouthing the team he had inherited, do ya? If the support of LC and past players was important to the WCiMFH, he needed to take another path. But he chose his path, and thus his fate. Why does LC not dispute the claims? When asked why he did not publicly rebuke Joe McCarthy, President Eisenhower quipped "I will not get into the gutter with this guy." I suspect Lloyd does not want to get into the sewer with former drama queen who ran the football program and his chief propagandist. GN&GL
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:09 p.m.
1block: I suggest you re-read my post. My point is that G-Rob and Scott Shafer were not idiots. You are correct. The WCiMFH forced both to adhere rigidly to a scheme they did not like and he forced them to accept the assistants he brought with him from WVU--they had no say in the hiring of THEIR staff. Hence my point that no matter how you cut it, the defensive collapse over the last three years fall squarely on the shoulders of the WCiMFH, and there is absolutely n reason to think that that sinking ship was ging to magically right itself in a 4th year for the WCiMFH. Never rooted against the program. Never. Did I want him out of here? Absolutely. Some of us are intellectually nimble enough to pull that off. Some of us, apparently, are not. Regarding John U. Bacon's Book, yes I have read it. And only in the sporting world would such a book pass muster. An editor at a respectable press in the history field would never let such a poorly sourced obviously slanted piece of junk anywhere near the printing presses. But I forgot. Our $4 million man had no responsibility whatsoever for the collapse of the Michigan Football program that happened on his watch. GN&GL
Commoncents
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 12:24 p.m.
Answer me this: Why are none of the claims in 3andOut desputed by Lloyd Carr ? Isn't the silence deafening ? Why does the press only throw him softballs ? Just ask yourself that....
Commoncents
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 12:22 p.m.
Have any of you guys that HATE Rich Rodriguez read the book "3 and out" ? Unless you have I think your opinions are not informed and you are just hearing what you want to hear. RR made plenty of mistakes, but the things that Michigan Men did to him for 3 straight years is sickening. READ THE BOOK.
Commoncents
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 12:19 p.m.
Edward R Murrow: It sounds like you have made your mind up and are not open to hearing any of the facts about what happened. Rich Rod wanted to hire his guy to run a 3-3-5 defense because that was what he liked. It was a huge mistake to push GERG into running a defense he wasn't used to, but to say that Greg Robinson is an idiot or anyone would have predicted what happened you would be a fool or a liar. GERG won a couple super bowls so obviously he's competent. The problem was LOSING TALENT to transfers and injury combined with shoe horning a defensive scheme into a staff that didn't understand it. I love Michigan football and I have NEVER rooted against the program. It appears as though there is overwhelming evidence that many of you have, including Lloyd Carr and many of the former players I idolized as a kid. If any of that is true, those people are NOT 'Michigan Men" - they are bums.
DonAZ
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 3:37 a.m.
"What happened to all the negativity surrounding Rich's recruits?" Those problems still persist despite the 9-2 record. In case you haven't noticed, we've been INCREDIBLY lucky (knock on wood) with respect to injuries. Imagine losing Mike Martin ... or Taylor Lewan. There's just not a lot of quality depth behind either. Hoke himself said that ... that's not just me talking. Then look at the 2012 recruiting class and note the position focus and size Hoke and staff went after. They're definitely addressing the issue. But to your point about how this team of Rodriguez players can be 9-2. I'd suggest two things: (1) Hoke, Mattison and Borges went back to fundamentals and it's paying off, and (2) the team is playing at near 100% of its potential right now, which again is coaching. It's produced a very satisfying 9-2 record but I don't think we should labor under the illusion this is anywhere near a "great" team. It's a very good team playing it's heart out and thankfully avoiding the injury demon so far. In summary ... Hoke and staff took a team of good hearted but poorly prepared kids and turned them into a football team that's currently hitting on nearly all cylinders. That doesn't just happen. It's made to happen. By coaching. This year's coaching. Not last year's coaching.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:55 a.m.
truWCiMFHfan wrote: "What happened to all the negativity surrounding Rich's recruits? Too small. Can't handle the rigors of the physical B1G." I guess all they needed was a semi-competent coaching staff. GN&GL
truebluefan
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:54 a.m.
Mick -- you don't understand my point. If Cousin Eddie is happy, as you say, then what's the point of his 2000 word rant? Most happy people (read, NOT bitter) would leave it alone, wouldn't they? I'm as happy as can be that Michigan football, under Coach Hoke, is 9-2. I am also happy for Coach Rodriguez. Why can't Cousin Eddie just say that he is happy for Rich? Why can't you?
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:53 a.m.
@block: Yeah, they paid money to get Mattison. So what? How does that explain Shafer's success before he got here and his success upon leaving? And what was Ron English getting paid in 2007 when he had the nation's 24th ranked defense? I'll bet a paycheck he received much less than either Shafer or Robinson. And don't kid yourself: after three disastrous years, no one of Mattison's caliber was going to come here to be the DC under the WCiMFH no matter what their salary might have been because, had RichRod not been fired, it would have been clear to anyone with vision (in other words, it would NOT have been clear to those with man crushes) that he had but one year to turn things around. Nope. Mattison's pay might explain why he was willing to leave Baltimore. It explains nothing regarding the team's complete defensive collapse in 2008, 09, and 10. GN&GL
truebluefan
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:50 a.m.
98% of the players on this team were recruited by the "WCiMFH". We're 9-2 and one almost certain win away from a BCS bowl berth. What happened to all the negativity surrounding Rich's recruits? Too small. Can't handle the rigors of the physical B1G. I'll take this roster of "undersized players" over any Carr team.
truebluefan
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:45 a.m.
1Block -- don't waste your keystrokes, Cousin Eddie will never get it.
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:40 a.m.
Yeah, truWCiMFH fan, I'm bitter that the WCiMFH left. I'm bitter that we're 9-2. I'm bitter that we have one of the best defenses in the country along with an even more potent offense than last year. I'm bitter that we have our swagger back and that we are physically dominating teams that are not used to being physically dominated. I'm bitter that this team is getting better week after week. I'm bitter that, unlike 2008, 2009, and 2010, this team doesn't have any quit in it. NO!! WAIT!! I'm not bitter about those things at all. Nope. It's the people who pine away for the object of their man crushes who are bitter about those things. Good Night and Good Luck
azwolverine
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:28 a.m.
Agree with Ed.
Mick
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:25 a.m.
Why would Ghost be bitter, we have Hoke, he's happy now. You MCC people are unbelievable. Your boy (the WCIMFH) better have learned some things from his time in AA, otherwise UA will can his behind too!!!
Mick
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:20 a.m.
Ghost, you are the man! What you wrote is exactly correct. When I was reading Ed Daggett's post earlier, I was shaking my head at the thought that some people actually think the WCIMFH would have us where we're at now, can you say COMICAL!? I say pathetic is that thought. Hail Hoke!!!
truebluefan
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:16 a.m.
Geez, Cuz, you sound bitter. Is it because you predicted Rich would never coach an FBS program again? LOL.
Commoncents
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:16 a.m.
RR's first choice for defensive coordinator, Jeff Casteel, turned down the job because West Virginia offered him MORE money and a multi-year contract. West Virginia paid him $275,000. That was RR's first choice. Guess what Greg Mattison makes ? Over a million dollars w/ incentives. I think it's great to have Mattison here and I'm even happier that Michigan allowed the new head coach to bring in the staff he wanted. Who's to say if RR was around he was going to get it right ? No one, however Dave Brandon knew it was time to start paying people. Under RRod The University of Michigan spent less money on football than West Virginia and were 6th on salaries in the Big Ten. Not exactly what you'd expect, eh ? Also, you didn't address that the defense was young and the secondary was injured and true freshmen. That secondary was just plain bad luck and nothing more. (Warren left early which NO ONE saw, Woolfolk and JT Floyd got season ending injuries, JT Turner didn't workout in the summer and was humiliated when Rich Rodriguez beat him on an endurance bike ride and quit the team) This year all those young guys have more experience - and the new defensive recruits that were brought in to address needs have made a BIG impact - look at Countess and Ryan alone. Leaving these points out of your argument is misleading, at best.
Macabre Sunset
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:01 a.m.
Sorry, Wildcat fans. Your AD did not do his due diligence. I've never had anything against Arizona, so I feel bad for you.
riverraisin
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:57 a.m.
As an Arizona resident, all I can do is groan and wonder if this guy will ever go away....far, far away. I have to feel especially bad for azwolverine as I believe he resides in Tucson. Oh well....it should be interesting for the next 3 years out here.
riverraisin
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 4:18 p.m.
Sorry azwolverine. I confused you and DonAZ. I now live in the valley and don't care for either team. Strictly a Michigan man and fan of the B1G.
DonAZ
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 3 a.m.
I live in Tucson. But RR's being here doesn't really matter. Almost nobody in Tucson cares about Arizona football. Strangest thing I've seen ... game day and there's no buzz whatever in town. RR will come in and go 5-7 or something his first year, then he'll settle into a comfortable 7-5, 8-4 pattern with the occasional 9-3 season. He'll get a chance to coach out of the limelight. His reputation will heal a bit. But he won't return to anything approaching glory. I don't think U of A has it in its DNA to be a consistent football power. Now basketball they worship.
azwolverine
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:26 a.m.
Thanks for the sentiment, river. I live in the Phoenix area, though, near ASU...thank goodness! The fans here despise UofA.
Psudolus
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:40 a.m.
Rich Rod will recruit those Cali kids and make that team into a power. He will do so with a clueless AD, a former coach to sign transfers for all the good players and "Michigan Men" there to tear him down at every step and leak non-stories to the idiots at the Freep. FYI, that team that smoked Nebraska last Saturday was what RichRod built. Even the defense. It just needed a better D-Cordinator.
DonAZ
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:14 a.m.
He'll get some California kids ... after USC, Stanford, Oregon and others pick the bones clean. U of A is *not* a football school. Recruiting top-tier football talen to come to U of A is like recruiting football talent to go to North Carolina ... everyone knows football plays second fiddle to basketball.
riverraisin
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:03 a.m.
No, the pathetic teams of the prior three years were RR's teams. This is Hokes team. Maybe RR recruited them, but he sure didn't know what to do with them once he got them. Enter Brady Hoke and staff. Suddenly they are winners.
azwolverine
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:57 a.m.
Good luck to Rich...but that's not all he needed. Hopefully the dessert will be a better fit for him and he learned some things along the way.
Larry Weisenthal
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:40 a.m.
Fielding "Hurry Up" Yost was also a West Virginia native, whose pronunciation of "Mee'-she-gan" was the model for Bob Ufer (source Wikipedia). Rodriguez was also a hurry up sort of a guy, who didn't have the same results. Yost tended to win his games 55-0, as opposed to 67-65. Mattison wouldn't have been as successful, had he been hired by Rodriguez. Defense is -- both physically and mentally -- more draining than offense. The offense knows what it is going to do. The defense has to both anticipate and react. I think that a big reason why Michigan's defensive stats were so much better this year is that the defense has been on the field for so much less time. I'd like to compare the time of possession stats for this year with those for last year. I think that a no huddle, hurry-up type of offense is much more effective, the last drive of the game, than it is, sustained over the whole 60 minutes. That's really a fatal flaw in the Rodriguez offensive philosophy, in my opinion. USC/UCLA often don't sell out. Maybe I'll stop by the Rose Bowl or Coliseum next fall and gather some first hand data, when Arizona comes to town. - Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach CA
DonAZ
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 4:02 a.m.
"I'd like to compare the time of possession stats for this year with those for last year." 2010 - Michigan 27:10/game average vs. opponents' 32:50/game average 2011 - Michigan 31:38/game average vs. opponents' 26:52/game average
Tru2Blu76
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:32 a.m.
Just glad to see RR's life is apparently rolling along. He did not fit in the Michigan Picture - but that's not to say he won't fit well somewhere else. And just think: @ Arizona he and his family will be saying good bye to winter.
Ed daggett
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:21 a.m.
RR took over a lousy team, won three games, then five, then seven. He said we were about to be really good this year with everybody coming back. Everyone said he was full of it, that he had done a lousy job recruiting, that attrition was going to screw us over, that his players were too small to even compete in the Big Ten, that he didn't recruit defensive players, etc., etc. Lo and behold here we are sitting at 9-2, could quite easily be 11-0, and people still act like he drove our program into the ground. And next year we still bring back our record setting QB, a 1,000 yard rusher, a versatile 3rd down back, a stud fullback, four starters on the offensive line, two starting wideouts (plus hopefully Stonum), and 8 starters on defense (plus guys like Campbell, Cam Gordon, Beyer, Hawthorne), all of whome (save for Stonum) committed and/or signed to play for Rich Rodriguez. RR built a fantastic team while everybody bitched and moaned, then told every one of them to stay even after the school and the fans treated him like junk. Maybe things would have gone differently this year if he'd stayed but the folks who assumed the worst about every other aspect of the job he did don't really have a leg to stand on at this point. The least we can do is say "Thank you RR " for where we're at today (in position to have our best season in over a decade with a win Saturday and another in early January
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:51 p.m.
@Don You hit the nail on the head. "Cult" That cult hated Lloyd Carr and loved RichRod. As you point out, RichRod went 60-26 in his last seven years at WVU. Over the same period, Lloyd Carr went 64-24. Wow. BIG difference. RichRod won two more games. Just Wow. Playing in the Big East? Wow. With, near as I can tell, not single non-conference game in 7 years against a top 25 opponent? Wow. Yeah. Cult is exactly the word to describe them. GN&GL
DonAZ
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 6:11 a.m.
Over at Athlon sports the story about RR going with UofA trots out similar nonsense: "And the team Rodriguez left behind for new Michigan coach Brady Hoke is 9-2 going into Saturday's game against Ohio State." There's a cult around Rich Rodriguez. For the life of me I don't understand it. His record at WVU was impressive enough at 60-26 (70%) in 7 years. His first four years he went 28-21 (57%). He made hay in 2005 - 2007. Those were the Pat White and Steve Slaton years. Terrific athletes, both. But those were also some pretty heady years for defense. For example, in 2007 WVU was 8th in the country in scoring defense. So it appears this cult was formed off the Pat White / Steve Slaton years at WVU. His record at Glenville State prior to WVU was okay but not stellar (43-28). His first four years at WVU were okay at best (28-21). His record at Michigan was horrible (15-22). He has no national championships to his name. His one shot was in 2007 when he coached a horrible loss to Pittsburgh. He deserves a certain degree of recognition for what he accomplished at WVU in the later years. But that's it. Beyond that, his cult standing is just wishful thinking. Based on what I can't fathom.
heartbreakM
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 4:39 a.m.
I knew there would be a post saying how our team this year was due to the outstanding coaching of former coach. Yup. The last 3 failed seasons were due to Lloyd Carr and now of course, due to Tony Gibson, MIke Barwis, and former coach's outstanding everything!!! LOL people.
1st Down
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 3:17 a.m.
to everything spin spin spin...there is a season spin spin spin.. yeah the "lousy team" that had not had a losing season in the previous 40 and had a 33 year bowl streak and was fresh off a bowl win and went 9-4... yeah lousy team seriously do you work for RR?
azwolverine
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:23 a.m.
Agree with Don. Michigan is 9-2 due to Brady Hoke and his assistants. Thank you, Brady.
DonAZ
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:15 a.m.
Could not disagree with you more. Utterly without basis in reality.
Tru2Blu76
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:35 a.m.
I agree with you on all your major points. I just really believe he was likely to "fail" anyway because so many U of M insiders wanted to see that happen. He surely has not failed as a man and as a human being - and that's what counts in the end.
BornInA2
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:20 a.m.
I can't decide what to post here, but it comes down to one of these two things: 1. Who? 2. Who cares?
TcFlint
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:19 a.m.
Congratulations to Coach Rodriguez!!! I don't think anyone wants to win as badly as RichRod. Thank you for your years at Michigan and your countless hours at the Charles Stewart Mott Children's Hospital. Best of luck to you, Rita, and your kids in Arizona!!!
ArthGuinness
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:17 a.m.
I wish him luck as well. I don't think he necessarily got a fair shake here, but neither do I think he was a good fit. We've got a better coach for Michigan now, and Arizona should have a better coach for them now.
Mick
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:13 a.m.
I'm glad he'll be off TV promoting himself, I watched that show he was on and he promotes himself endlessly. He can now become King of the desert according to Theo. He better play good Defense in that Offense oriented conference. I think it's gonna be hilarious to watch, he might have moderate success with some decent years here and there I suppose. He won't have the pressure to maintain a top notch program like U-M's. You know, with USC getting off probation and UCLA's Neuheisal getting a chance to stay and build that program and rival ASU, not to mention the North Division Teams, it ain't gonna be easy, for his sake, I hope he learned his lesson and not stay stubborn. A year ago at this time I was so depressed about the Football Program and now I'm elated about the future of a golden era on the horizon. I hope Brandon schedules U-A in Tucson right away, that would be fun. Hail Hoke, the new Lombardi apparently. P.S., I know one thing for sure, he won't win any Crystal there, haha
Engineer
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:12 a.m.
Note to Arizona: Let somebody other than RR pick your defensive coordinator. This is a very very very important step in this process of going to the spread. Not done and you will set record after record after record and they will not be the kind you would like to set. Also do not fret over cost of this coordinator because if you skip this step you will lose more than the cost of the coordinator in missed bowl games for several years while setting all of these defensive records. Good Luck!
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 4:20 a.m.
What is the point of hiring a head coachand paying him millions of dollars if you don't trust him to hire his own DC? Does that not suggest he does not have the judgment necessary to ba a head coach? Good Night and Good Luck
ChrisW
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:03 a.m.
UM scored a lot of points under Rich Rod. Unfortunately both the defense and the special teams suffered. I wish him well - he got off on the wrong foot here in Ann Arbor and never recovered. If he had Mattison as his defensive coordinator he'd still be here.
heartbreakM
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 4:36 a.m.
AZ: Right you are, but does anyone actually think Mattison would have worked for such a head coach? Mattison respects Hoke and loves that man based on his comments. No way would Mattison have meshed with the former coach. What will be interesting to me will be if former coach gets the old band back together and poaches those terrific assistants away from Pittsburgh and Indiana. Based on Indiana's results this year, they would probably hire the moving vans today.
saveferris
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:20 a.m.
UM actually scored most of their Big 10 points in the 4th quarter after the games were already over.
azwolverine
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:26 a.m.
I understand your point, but a lot more goes into the equation than just who the coordinator is. First of all, part of what makes our D so much better this year is the time of possession of the offense. The D stays off the field for long stretches. Also, Mattison would need good assistants under him who all had the same vision for the defense as he did, without being forced to run the 3-3-5 or any other scheme he didn't choose. Greg Robinson was a pretty good D-coordinator before he came to Michigan (Denver Broncos, Texas Longhorns). Having to instill a defense he wasn't familiar with and coaching with assistants who were simply in over their heads and on different pages than him doomed him from the start. So, imo, simply hiring Mattison would not have been the answer. Allowing him to run his own defense and hiring his own assistants would have been a good start. Keeping the defense off the field for long stretches would help, too. That said, I wish RR well and I'm interested to see what he learned during his time at Michigan.
ArthGuinness
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:19 a.m.
I think you'll find that the number of points we've scored this year after 11 games is very similar to the number of points we scored last year after 11 games. (Sorry, I can't be bothered to add 'em up right this second.)
saveferris
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 12:34 a.m.
In completely unrelated news, Pac 12 offensive coordinators are re-negotiating special contract bonuses based on points scored against Arizona for the next 3 seasons.
saveferris
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 12:31 a.m.
An un-named source also said his speech writers are figuring out how to include the phrases "cupboard is bare", "more time", and "offensive genius" into his opening comments.
Mick
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 5:12 a.m.
Hey 1st Down, I do a mean version of "A Horse with no name" on Karaoke, Lol! I'd be glad to sing it for that occasion
1st Down
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 3:15 a.m.
You Raise me Up....or America's "Been through the desert on a horse with no name"?
Terry Star21
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:36 a.m.
Okay ERMG - that was pretty good !
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:36 a.m.
I hear that he has invited Josh Groban for a motivational sing-a-long. GN&GL
jeff blue
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 12:04 a.m.
Who is to blame for this entire fiasco at Michigan? Rich Rod was the wrong coach, at the wrong time, at the wrong place (The University of Michigan). He wasn't a bad guy, but he didn't belong in the B10, especially Michigan.
Terry Star21
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:36 a.m.
A millionaire sailor perhaps ?
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:35 a.m.
Yeah, Bacon has not agenda whatsoever. GN&GL
a2roots
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:19 a.m.
Get John Bacon's book and you will be enlightened.
MRunner73
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : midnight
I'll be curious to see how well Rich Rod will do on the defensive side of the ball. Look for another 67 to 65 match up: AZ vs Oregon Ducks, in regulation. The realigned Pac-12 will be no cake walk for him. If Rich Rod gets in over his head, I hope he has learned how to swim.
Mick
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 5:43 a.m.
He won't need to swim in the desert, but a Dune Buggy might be in order
heartbreakM
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 4:32 a.m.
His teams will get absolutely steamrolled by Stanford, Oregon, USC, and very likely Washington and if trends continue, AZ State. Those teams must be licking their chops. Does Josh Groban have an Arizona following?
7718
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:59 p.m.
Congrats to RR. I wish him all the best.
tim
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:47 p.m.
RR will be fine. He's a great offensive coordinator and I believe that he'll learn from his mistakes at Michigan. I won't be surprised if he does very well at Arizona.
Rufus
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:45 p.m.
I was glad to see RR fired but I wish him well. His failure brought us Hoke and his assistants. I also admired how he kept trying when the whole world was against him. He failed at his job; not at life.
1st Down
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 3:14 a.m.
yeah and RR often told us all about how the world was against him...again and again and again...it was never RRs fault if you asked him about it.
azwolverine
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 1:14 a.m.
You're right. Sometimes we lose sight of the big picture. For his own sake at UofA, hopefully he'll hire a good D-coordinator and let him recommend his own assistants and run his own defense.
Terry Star21
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:44 p.m.
Reports are coming in Theo is packed and jumping on the next flight.
D21
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:36 p.m.
Ingersoll, All of us know Urban will wait for the O-h-i-o opening. TiM
D21
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:34 p.m.
Egads! Shades of Fielding "Hurry Up" Yost! Hey AD Brandon, hurry up and schedule an annual non-conference game with 'Zona until RR is gone from there. What was 'Zona thinking?
D21
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 7:49 a.m.
Thanks! You, too.
heartbreakM
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 4:30 a.m.
Great post D21.
Matt Patercsak
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:22 p.m.
I was kinda hoping he would go to ole miss. he could build a program there, and with little or no expectations from rebel faithful, he would probably get more than 3 years to install his system, which would have greater familiarity in the SEC. not to mention he'd have better access to the southern recruiting pipeline in the bible belt. good for him though, i wish him luck. he's a good man and a good coach, just not for Michigan.
DonAZ
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 2:04 a.m.
He'd have been chewed up in the SEC west. And they wouldn't be that patient with him.
Rufus
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:47 p.m.
Well said.
Gabe Callender
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:22 p.m.
do you realize he was a failure?
The OSU
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:21 p.m.
With a 15-22 record at Blue, what on earth does U of A see in him? Furthermore, most of the 15 wins were against wimpy opponents.
Terry Star21
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:48 p.m.
Sure going to miss you next week.
bobr
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:12 p.m.
Safe to say Coach Rodriguez won't be hiring former defensive coach Greg Robinson if he gets this job.
Gabe Callender
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:24 p.m.
It will interesting to see who his d-coordinator is. I mean who really wants to take that job? It is a death trap. Id say he plays with out one..And by the way, he cannot have Mattison
Chase Ingersoll
Mon, Nov 21, 2011 : 11:11 p.m.
I hope he holds out for the Ohio State job.
orlandomichfan
Tue, Nov 22, 2011 : 8:24 p.m.
oh, soooo original...