Rich Rodriguez talks at a press conference before an open football practice at the Al Glick Field House on Dec. 18.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Rich Rodriguez declined to address reporters on the day he was fired as the Michigan football coach. But he's said quite a bit in his three seasons with the Wolverines.

Here's a sampling of quotes from Rodriguez since he arrived on Michigan's campus.

"Do you have to be a Michigan man to be a Michigan football coach? Gosh, I hope not. They hired me. I think you have to have great respect for the tradition."

"When you're new, you want to learn as much as you can about the tradition of the program, the university and the community, and I'm trying to do it as quickly as I can. I've read one book, 'Bo's Lasting Lessons,' by John Bacon, and several other books have been sent to me by fans. I'm having fun with it."

"The only one that really bothered me were there were questions about our family values and how we approached the young men on our team. That was the one that really upset me most. That's the thing that we take the most pride in. Players who have played for us in my 15 years as head coach would tell you it's just the opposite. Not only in our team, but also amongst our staff."

"You want to look at the finality of it all, I've been here nine or 10 months. We've had tradition. We still got great tradition. We're going to try to do all we can to uphold it. Right now, we're not going to a bowl. We're going to get up, go to work tomorrow and get better."

"Even though there may have been some disappointments, I'm not disappointed. I'm encouraged. Those 15 seniors and the rest of the guys that are sitting in front of you have laid the foundation in stone and concrete, not in mud or sand, and it's going to last forever."

“If we’re not in a bowl game we’re all going to be ticked. If we’re not competing better in every game, we’re all going to be upset. Not talking about the fans, but us. We think that we should be a whole lot better in a whole lot of areas even though we lost a lot of guys on defense."

“I don’t take a job and say, OK, we’re here to build a team. I take a job and say we’re here to build a championship program. And at Michigan, you’re here to build upon the tradition they already have, but you’re still trying to build a championship program. And that doesn’t happen over night.”

“Sometimes it’s unfair to have these roadblocks and these things thrown out there that go against the very fabric of how we stand for a program. So I guess I’m here to tell you that whatever you’ve heard or want to believe, the truth of the matter is that this coaching staff cares very deeply about the young men in our program. Always have. Always will.”

“I don’t have a magic wand and can’t fix this right now. I’ve said it a bunch of times - some of our problems are going to take a little longer to fix than anybody wants. But we’re going to fix them, just give us time. It’s not going to happen right now. It’s not going to happen right now, I wish it would.”

“How much does a man got to get humbled? I’m tired of being humbled.”

“I asked earlier … what is a Michigan man? I’ve heard that a lot, ‘I’m not from Michigan.’ How do I become a Michigan man? And nobody’s really given me the definition other than if you work hard and you're passionate, you give everything you got to the cause, which is having the best football program in America, to developing young men so they represent you the right way on and off the field and you’re a good guy and you have good guys around you and you believe in the university and it’s ideals, then you can be a Michigan man. Well, I think I’m a Michigan man.”

“Probably the best times as a coach is when you get on the practice field, maybe even more so than a game because it’s you, the coaches, the players and you get to teach and progress and learn. You get on the field, there’s none of that other stuff. I’m probably as excited as I’ve been in a long time to just get to practice.”

“I’m not used to this either. These coaches aren’t used to this. They’re used to playing in championships and bowls, and it’s as frustrating as heck. But I’m not deterred, because I know where we’re at. I’ll evaluate everything again tonight, tomorrow and we’ll start getting better next week, next months and next year, and we will be better.”

“You’re asking the wrong person. I do.”