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Add to FavoritesA year ago a sign stood in Grant Town, West Virginia that proudly stated that Rich Rodriguez is a native of that tiny village in Marion County. Eleven months ago it was torn down, and rumor has it that the sign itself fueled a bonfire which served as a signal that Coach Rod was no longer welcome there or any other place in the state. That marked the end of an era which began with much promise: a native son and hot coaching prospect came home to lead the Mountaineers to glory. Rod clearly stated that WVU was his dream job, and when success came after a rough first season, Mountaineer fans assumed that they were locked into a winning groove for years (if not decades) to come. They couldn't have been more wrong.
After a disastrous 3-9 campaign, many Michigan fans are also wondering if they haven't made a mistake in the land of the maize and blue. Don't get me wrong: Rodriguez's system could very well take the Big 10 by storm. The 2005 through 2007 West Virginia Mountaineers would have run roughshod over anybody in that conference, and with Rod's type of players on the sidelines, Michigan could be a perennial favorite to win the conference title and compete for a national championship every three or four years. Why? Speed kills, and Rich's system has lured some great athletes into his fold. On the plus side, Pat White and Steve Slaton are great young men, as well as top notch athletes, but let's not forget Pacman Jones and Chris Henry. Unfortunately, these dregs of humanity will be synonymous with West Virginia football long after the winning ends. Is that what Michigan wants? Bo Schembechler must be rolling over in his grave by now.
Let's also consider that the people of West Virginia worshipped Rodriguez. It's true that he was embroiled in a hate/hate relationship with school officials, but his teams won, and the fans were on his side. That's not the case in Michigan. The fans have already been called out by the coach for complaing about the losing season, and they do have a point. After forty years of winning, the people of Michigan have great expectations, and Lloyd Carr probably left enough in the cupboard to win seven or eight games. Rod expected to have Terrell Pryor pulling the trigger on Michigan's "high powered" offense this season, but when he chose Ohio State, everything came unravelled. It probably would have been a good idea to play traditional Big 10 football and suffer through a mediocre (7-5) season, but Rod's ego wouldn't stand for that. Negative results get people talking, and now Michigan fans know that Rod's character falls well short of his potential as a football coach. A lot of West Virginians could have told you guys that much.
How do I see this ending? Honestly, it could go either of two ways. At the moment, it appears that Rodriguez has embarrassed Michigan football to the point of no return. Over the past year, players have defected and some big time recruits have simply changed their minds, and that could result in a series of beatdowns at the hands of Ohio State. Rod isn't a fan favorite results or personality-wise, and if Pryor and the Buckeyes keep rolling, he is probably on a short leash. However, if Rodriguez does have success, Michigan fans have to remember that he has loyalty only to himself. Wolverine faithful think their school is the apex of college football, but is that true? It could be argued that West Virginia has had a better football team than Michigan for years, but the Mountaineer faithful were held hostage by Rod's success. Remember the Alabama job he almost took the year before going to Michigan? In other words, if something better comes along, he's gone. Want some cheap advice? Get rid of this snake in the grass before he does you wrong. Whether it be losses to OSU or deserting MU for greener pastures if he does win, it would be better to sever the relationship immediately.
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No
The University of Michigan boasts the winningest football program in the history of college football, both in terms of winning percentage and total victories. Michigan squads have won 42 conference championships and 11 national titles. 150 All-Americans and 3 Heisman Trophy winners have donned the legendary Maize & Blue winged helmet.
In 2008, the Wolverines and their fans suffered through the worst season in the program's storied history. The team posted a losing record for the first time since 1967, only the 15th losing campaign in 129 seasons of play. At season's end, the team missed out on participating in a bowl game for the first time since 1974 (that '74 team went 10-1 and only missed the postseason because the Big10 conference's rules at the time allowed only one team to participate in a bowl game). This dramatic drop-off occurred after a season in which Michigan, despite numerous injuries to key personnel, still managed to go 9-4, capping the season with a victory over a Florida Gators team led by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow (you may remember them winning the national championship this past season).
So, in Rich Rodriguez's first season at the helm of the Michigan football program he reversed four decades of dominance, oversaw the worst Wolverine season in memory (unless you were around to follow the 1962 team), and was at the center of a number of off-field controversies that tarnished the program's image (more discussion of these events will follow).
After all that, should Rich Rodriguez be fired? No way in hell!
In order to fairly evaluate Coach Rodriguez, one must first know something about the job he inherited. Prior to the 2008 season the Wolverines lost a four year starter and the school's all time leading passer at quarterback, Chad Henne, to graduation and the NFL Draft (he was taken in the second round by the Miami Dolphins). Another four year starter, the school's all-time leading rusher, Mike Hart, also graduated and was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts. The teams top two receivers from 2007, Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington, left school a year early and both were selected in the NFL Draft. Jake Long, the monstrous offensive lineman who made it possible for the aforementioned players to succeed, was taken with the very first pick in the NFL Draft and was recently named to the Pro Bowl squad after a successful rookie season in the league. Even with this bevy of NFL talent on the roster, Rodriguez's predecessor Lloyd Carr only managed to go 9-4. Coming into the 2008 season, Coach Rodriguez had to replace 10 starters in all on offense. In addition, the cupboard of talent with which to replace the departed stars was extremely thin (especially after a few defections from the program which will also be discussed later). In 2008, two freshmen (one a transfer and one a former walk-on) split time at quarterback for Michigan with limited success. Three of the team's top four rushers were freshmen. The leading receiver, Martavious Odoms, and three of the top four receivers were also freshmen. Rodriguez was also forced to use four new starters on the offensive line, most if not all of whom (without being overly critical of young student-athletes) were not nearly as gifted physically as one would expect from a Michigan football team.
To be fair the defense did return some quality talent, but on the offensive side of the ball Coach Rodriguez was essentially starting from scratch; not something to be expected at a program as storied as Michigan's. With the players Michigan lost, 2008 was going to be a serious rebuilding year no matter who coached the Wolverines.
Coach Rodriguez was also attempting to install a spread offense that was almost entirely alien to the players he inherited. It is an offense that has been wildly successful, as Rodriguez-coached offenses have put up record setting numbers at Tulane, Clemson (Rodriguez was the offensive coordinator at both places), and West Virginia University (where he won two BCS bowl games over heavily favored opponents). It is however, an offense that takes a little time to install. One need only look at the jump in production from year-one to year-two at each of Rodriguez's previous stops to see what Michigan is in store for once his system is in place.
A good number of players left the Michigan program when Rich Rodriguez arrived and rubbed them the wrong way. Much of this rubbing was done by Steve Barwis, the strength and conditioning coach Rodriguez brought with him from WVU. Barwis is a former MMA fighter who is regularly sought out by NFL players for training advice. Many of Rodriguez's former players at WVU cited Barwis as the reason they felt they were the best conditioned team in America (likely a claim with some merit since the Mountaineers regularly defeated more talented opponents, such as Georgia and Oklahoma). Justin Boren, a starter on the offensive line in 2007, transferred to Ohio State, claiming that Rodriguez brought with him to Michigan a decline in "family values." Boren (just look at the photos) was overweight and in terrible condition when Rodriguez/Barwis arrived. If making players run, lift weights, and work hard (maybe using the occasional four-letter word to get the message across) is the equivalent of a decline in "family values," them I'm all for it. Somehow, during the atrocious 2008 season, Michigan still managed to stage its greatest comeback victory in history when the team rallied to beat a Wisconsin team that wore down late in the game. I chalk that win up to Barwis' influence and I think many more are coming when the talent level on the squad matches the work ethic that the new coaching staff has instilled. As Bo Schembechler famously stated after similarly running off a number of players with his tough tactics: "Those who stay will be champions."
In summation, Rich Rodriguez has been successful everywhere he's been as a college coach. His offenses at Clemson and Tulane (the Green Wave went undefeated in 1998 with Rodriguez coordinating the offense) put up gaudy numbers and as a head coach he turned West Virginia into a perennial top-10 team. I suggest that anyone reading this go to West Virginia, then tell me how you would convince 18 year old star athletes to come to school there. Coach Rodriguez not only got them there, but he turned them into winners once he did. The Michigan team Rodriguez inherited did not have the talent-laden roster we are all used to seeing run out of the tunnel at the Big House, in part because Coach Carr's regime had slacked off in recruiting and in part because some players had been pampered to the point that they could not handle the demanding workout regiment Rodriguez/Barwis insisted on. It takes time to build a successful football program, even at a place like Michigan. Pete Carroll went 6-6 in his first year at USC. Rodriguez's track record shows exponential improvement from year-one to year-two. On the recruiting trail, Coach Rodriguez is doing his part to replenish the talent level at Michigan. He took over in time to oversee the signing of a top-10 class last year (according to Rivals.com) and with signing day roughly a week away, the Wolverines looked poised to bring in another top-10 class (currently ranked 8th in the nation by Rivals).
Rich Rodriguez has been a consistent winner as a college coach (both as an assistant and as the head of a program). He has overhauled a system that seems to have been resting on its laurels for too long (you don't see a collapse like Michigan had last year unless the cracks were already in place). Many of the top high school athletes in the country are coming to Michigan to play for Coach Rodriguez. I expect to see a significant turnaround for the Maize & Blue football fortunes next season and within a year or two after that I fully anticipate Rich Rodriguez will have the Wolverines regularly competing for national championships (something they have done only once since 1997 when Coach Carr's team, led by Charles Woodson, won it all). As a very proud University of Michigan alumnus, I advise all the Michigan-haters out there (I know there are plenty of you) to get your licks in now. The Michigan Wolverines will be back in a very big way very soon. Coach Rodriguez is here to stay and so is the Michigan football program.
GO BLUE!
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