http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Breaking/000001281
The Rich Rodriguez era at West Virginia ended early Sunday afternoon, not with a bang, but with a whimper.
In an early afternoon meeting with his football team, Rodriguez announced he was leaving to become the head coach at Michigan.
Rodriguez walked into a scheduled 1:30 p.m. meeting with his team and emerged 10 minutes later without comment and walked briskly back to his office. Shortly thereafter the players began to file out of the meeting room, somber-faced and generally without comment.
Rodriguez reportedly met with Michigan officials this past Friday in Toledo, Ohio.
PS...Terrell Pryor just added Michigan to his list.
After a horrible job at conducting their hiring process, I think this is actually a pretty good hire. Not a homerun, but still very strong. I like the fact he's young for a head coach, at 44. He will probably help the offense a lot, but I'm not sure how the defense will be affected by this hire.
I would assume that English is retained if he doesn't get a HC position. Also assume Debord will be demoted to towel boy or something. Rod also will have much, much better offensive/defensive players than at WVU.
So I would keep English(defense), Loeffler(QB coach), and Jackson(Runningbacks).
I am looking forward to next year.
Rodriguez's offense combined with a mobile quarterback like Pryor and a speedster like McGuffie would certainly make for a new-look U of M. They could be a lot of fun to watch.
yeah! more Buckeye dominance
Michigan fans thought similarly when Cooper was fired and replaced by a I-AA college coach from the Gateway Conference. We'll see how things turn out over the next several years.yeah! more Buckeye dominance
I'm not a big fan of Rodriguez or his 3-3-5 stack.
So then does Mallett transfer?
Good hire, IMO.
I'd think it all depends if Pryor decides to go to UofM.
OIC...my bad, I thought he had already committed.
Oh no. He has just added Michigan to his list...which apparently is narrowed down to Ohio State, Michigan, and Florida...then Penn State and Oregon.
Personally, I think it is between Ohio State and Michigan.
I think it's funny how Michigan fans get all worked up about star QB's every year. Every year there is a new savior to the Michigan program, and none of them seem to pan out to anything more than a manageable QB or a baseball player. I personally think Pryor will go to Florida or Ohio State because he wants to play football and give basketball a shot, but if he does go to Michigan you can put him on this list
-Chad Henne
-Clayton Richard
-Jason Forcier
-Ryan Mallet
-Matt Gutierrez
Michigan fans have someone new to dream about every year and they never pan out to be what they envision in their dreams. Last year it was Mallet, the same guy alot of Michigan fans want to cast away never to hear from him again. If they land Pryor, they will just get someone else next year to talk about.
The funny thing about this hire is it doesn't even come close to what they wanted 2-3 weeks ago. They said it themselves that they wanted a coach that was a Michigan man, ran a traditional run oriented offense, and someone that could coach a stout defense. How does Rich Rodriguez fit into any of those? It sounds sort of like a desperation hire.
-
I wanted more of a defensive coach than RR but I definitely wanted the spread offense in AA.
BTW, all those things you described were the way things were for 30+ years. Many of us were ready for a change.
I'm just saying that the school wanted that type of coach a couple weeks ago. I'm sure the fans just wanted a coach and that RR would be perfect. But the school went out a couple weeks ago and said the type of guy they were looking for.
That's because BM and that didn't know what they were doing.
They made the process much harder than it should have been.
This is both surprising and not surprising as a WVU alumnus ...
Surprising, given the fact he strung the West Virginia football organization, players, staff, administration, and so on last year by "playing" with Alabama in their bid to land a HC. At the last minute, he declined the position and said something to the affect that he had always intended to stay with West Virginia. Surprising, because in the process last year, he basically held the West Virginia administration over a fire to get what he wanted (money, upgraded facilities, etc.). Once he got it and decided to stay, he jumps ship a year later. Surprising, because he has led West Virginia to three straight big bowl games, including a 2006 upset win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. With Slaton, White, Devine and a whole cast ready to return next year, he had a good opportunity to compete for the NC again. And, surprising, because he was a WVU alumnus.
Not surprising, because it is after all a "brand name" college. Not surprising, because he has shown he is a spotlight coach by leading a better-than-average school (WVU) to big bowls. Not surprising, because he'll probably be offered a huge salary - more than WVU could probably ever pay him (even if they wanted to).
As a WVU alumnus this was a big blow. We had some success with Don Nehlen before, but Rodriguez was doing a better job in a shorter period of time than Don. It's also a blow because Rodriguez was also an alumnus and many of us had hoped he was in it for the long haul, a'la Don Nehlen (and Don wasn't even a WVU alumnus). With this announcement, I really wonder if maybe - just maybe - he was thinking seriously of this while playing (and losing to) Pittsburg. Doubtful, but one never knows.
Also, as an alumnus, I can honestly say that this will leave a VERY bitter taste in the mouths of other alumni and for WVU fans everywhere. While it's his right to find "greener pastures" and so on, many strongly feel that he is nothing more than a traitor for bailing on his own school (and putting the school through the emotional roller-coaster last year WRT Alabama).
Based on the reports I've read - including the one from the OP in this thread - it really makes me wonder the short-term and long-term shape this program will be in now. I had high hopes they would beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl this year, but I really have to wonder of the players will really be into the game - especially people like White and Slaton - knowing their coach has bailed on them. I also wonder now if White and Slaton will opt to turn pro next year and forfeit their Senior seasons.
Saban, Petrino, and now Rodriguez (albeit, at least he stayed a few years). All about the TEAM, eh?
IMO this is a bad fit for Michigan, they don't have the players right now and it might take a while to get the roster configured properly to run the tricked up spread option attack, Mallet might want to go ahead and transfer soemwhere as he will never play in that offense.
The only two QBs you mentioned that came with serious hype were Chad Henne and Ryan Mallet. And, Chad Henne was a stud his first few seasons and ends his career as statistically one of the best QBs in Michigan history. And, Ryan Mallet was a freshman last year backing up Henne, so don't know what expectations he was supposed to have.
Richard, Forcier, and Guitierrez did not have that much hype at all, except from a few UM fanatics that want to make bold predictions.
No one expected Mallet to take the starting job from Henne. What are you on? There were and are very high expectations for the long term because of his size, arm, and potential. No one expected him to have a Peyton Manning year. If Henne didn't get hurt, no one expected him to play much at all. Nice way of spin doctoring the truth. As for Pryor, if he's the stud everyone says he is, he'll be fine no matter what school and program he goes to. Not every stud 5 star high school prospect is going to be a stud in their freshman year. You're talking crazy .Michigan fans have someone new to dream about every year and they never pan out to be what they envision in their dreams. Last year it was Mallet, the same guy alot of Michigan fans want to cast away never to hear from him again. If they land Pryor, they will just get someone else next year to talk about.
Actually, that's what media and some fans were saying, that they wanted a Michigan man. That's not what Bill Martin said. That's not what Lloyd Carr said. That's not what anyone associated with Michigan football said. In fact, in Lloyd Carr's retirement announcement speech, he specifically said that Bo wasn't a Michigan man and he changed the program. He went to say that the best available candidate should be the next coach. And, no one from the Michigan program said that the next coach had to coach a run oriented offense. Show me quotes. Are you quoting some fans? Fans don't make the hire. As for Rodriguez and defense, that's what will be very important for his success, to improve the defense, especially in recruiting speed in the secondary. I'm not that well versed in WVU's defense, but I heard on the radio that they were actually one of the better defenses in the country. Don't know how accurate that is.The funny thing about this hire is it doesn't even come close to what they wanted 2-3 weeks ago. They said it themselves that they wanted a coach that was a Michigan man, ran a traditional run oriented offense, and someone that could coach a stout defense. How does Rich Rodriguez fit into any of those? It sounds sort of like a desperation hire.
-
It sounds like a desperation hire because you are an Ohio State fan, you dolt. Rodriguez has had three consecutive 10 win seasons in a BCS conference. He has had four Big East les in the last five seasons. He was an alum of West Virginia and played for the school and Michigan pulled him away from that. That's not desperation. Desperation is going to the Gateway Conference and hiring a I-AA coach after firing a guy that couldn't beat Michigan ... oh, but sometimes "desperation" hires actually work out, huh? Even if you could argue it was a desperation hire, which you really can't, that doesn't mean he won't do a very good job or that he won't be able to beat Ohio State.
I'm not ecstatic about the hire, but everything considered, I think it was a decent hire and I look forward to seeing how he continues to build on the foundation of Michigan football. It's not like Carr left the program in shambles.
Do you guys know what a spread offense is? Do you know that Peyton Manning runs a version of the spread offense? As well as Tom Brady? How mobile are those guys? A spread offense doesn't mean you need a speedy runner at QB, but that's what Rodriguez had in Pat White so he tailored the offense to that. A pocket passer can run a spread offense.
As for being a bad fit, when a program gets a new coach, sometimes changes need to be made, recruiting targets change a little, and it may take a few seasons to have the program where the new coach wants it to be. I don't expect an undefeated season next year. I don't expect them to have an unstoppable offense. There will be growing pains. It's crazy to say it's a bad fit because of the roster. Michigan still recruits some of the best athletes in the country, some of the best football players in the country. And, he will work with what he has and with whoever else he can bring in.
Do YOU know what a spread option offense is? It requires a mobile QB and I am thinking the statuesque Mallet will not fit that mold. Don't try to bring up facts if you yourself don't have them straight please.
The school said none of that. Quotes please.
On November 19, Michigan athletic director said this on the next head football coach of Michigan:
"I think it can be someone who does not have direct ties to Michigan. It would be helpful if they did, but it's not necessary in my mind. Bo didn't have any experience here, Fritz Crisler didn't have any experience here, Yost didn't have any experience here."
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/inde...ector_bil.html
Thunder Dan, I'd appreciate it if you stopped claiming things that are untrue and inaccurate just to be critical of the University of Michigan. You shouldn't have to stoop down to lying.
You realize that the spread offense has different variations, right? And you also realize that RR has been one of the best coaches in the country at tweaking his offense to fit his personnel, right?
LMAO! You know there are variations of the spread offense depending on what type of personnel a team has, don't you? There is a pass-oriented spread offense. It does not require a mobile QB or a running QB. That obviously helps, but it more so requires recognizing the mismatches and exploiting them. When there are 3 or 4 wide receivers and a linebacker get caught on a receiver, the QB throws it to that receiver. West Virginia ran a run option oriented spread offense because Pat White was so good at running and last year he wasn't as confident at throwing the ball. As I mentioned earlier, both Peyton Manning and Tom Brady run versions of the spread offense but you wouldn't call either of them mobile. Just because you don't know what a spread offense actually is, don't question someone else's knowledge of it.
You may have a point. Coach Rod's QB's at the D-1 level have been Shaun King (Tulane), Woody Dantzler (Clemson), Rasheed Marshall, and Pat White (WVU).
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
