Rodriguez Feeling Heat at Michigan

Some Wolverines fans can put up with the losing, if they think it will lead to greater things. But couple that with a pending NCAA investigation and the seemingly regular defection of players, and the U-M faithful appear to be counting the days until the Rodriguez era ends. The record has been bad for Rodriguez since he arrived from West Virginia — 3-9 in 2008 and 5-7 in 2009 — and some wonder whether it can be turned around. He certainly hasn’t been given the strongest vote of confidence from new athletic director Dave Brandon, who hasn’t committed to Rodriguez beyond this season. In defense of Rodriguez, he has tried to revamp the Wolverines’ offense from a traditional style to a spread, requiring different types of players. The question remains, however, will Rodriguez be given the time to get his system to work? Barring at least seven wins and a decent bowl bid, I’d bet on a new coach in Ann Arbor for 2011. – Detroit News

Michigan AD Dave Brandon says Rich Rodriguez’s job safe

Wherever he is, and whoever he bumps into, new Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon fields the same questions about Rich Rodriguez and the NCAA probe of his football program. Brandon, who took over the job in early March, has repeatedly said he backs Rodriguez, who after two seasons is 8-16 and been the focus of an NCAA investigation. But he continues to have to respond to questions about his support for Rodriguez. Michigan is facing five potential major violations under Rodriguez’s watch. “I understand it, but it’s amazing to me that people keep asking the question wondering if they will get a different answer, and they’re not,” Brandon said Monday at the Pizza House following a radio appearance. “So they can keep asking it over and over and over again, and they’re not going to get a different answer.” – Detroit News

New Michigan AD: Football success is critical

(Dave) Brandon had a lot on his calendar Monday, his first day as Michigan’s athletic director, but acknowledged nothing on his list of things to do was more important than his plan for Rich Rodriguez and college football’s winningest program. “It’s critical,” Brandon said. “If you look at the annual revenues that drive this department, football is three-quarters of who we are. It’s essential for that program be successful if our entire athletic department is going to be successful. “I will continue to spend a lot of time with Rich and all of the people associated with the football program to understand it really well and to hopefully make an impact in terms of how we precede going further.” Michigan’s once-proud team has been embarrassed on and off the field lately. The NCAA notified Rodriguez and school officials two weeks ago that the football program is facing five potentially major rules violations in part because its report said Rodriguez “failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program” in regards to time spent on practice and football-related activities. Brandon backed his coach then and on Monday reiterated his support for Rodriguez. “He’s our coach for this season,” Brandon said. “There’s nothing within the framework of the NCAA allegations that led me to believe that it should change his status as our coach.” – Record- Eagle

Rich Rodriguez won’t be judged on just wins, losses at Michigan

Incoming Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said he’s seen improvements in the football program under Rich Rodriguez and won’t mandate a number of wins Rodriguez needs to keep his job. So how will Brandon evaluate Rodriguez’s performance after the season? “Much like your boss, there’s a lot of different things you look at,” he told AnnArbor.com last month. “Certainly you need to see progress and some of that’s measured by wins and losses, but it’s also measured a lot of other ways. And when I’m in a position where I can evaluate as closely as I need to and I want to, all those metrics and all those measures will be clear between the coach and me.” Michigan is 8-16 in two seasons under Rodriguez and coming off a year in which it tied for last place in the Big Ten. – AnnArbor.com

After NCAA ruling, pressure is on Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez to win now

This was not a good day for Michigan and Rich Rodriguez, that’s for sure. There were dour expressions and serious tones, although tinged with the slightest wisp of relief that nothing crushing or unexpected was delivered. Michigan broke rules, according to the NCAA, and however it’s spun in either direction, that’s a stain. The NCAA didn’t accuse Rodriguez’s program of breaking the biggest rules, and Michigan officials said they don’t believe it was done maliciously. And no, Rodriguez won’t lose his job over this, not now. But for Michigan football, previously untainted by the NCAA, any allegation is embarrassing. For Rodriguez, it doesn’t help his cause, but it doesn’t really change much either. The truth is, Rodriguez is under the same amount of heat today as he was before the report. He’s 8-16 in two seasons and there’s a new, aggressive, impressive athletic director, David Brandon, taking over. Rodriguez had to show progress this season whether the NCAA found nothing, or all sorts of nasty stuff. – Detroit News

Legally Speaking, Now Is Time to Fire Rich Rodriguez

In two seasons, Rich Rod has racked up a 8-16 overall record, beaten down the Michigan fan base to such a degree that Ohio State scarlet and gray filled up many of the best seats in the Big House this past Saturday, and left my wife, a Michigan alum, refusing to watch their games on television. “I’m already over Rich Rod,” she’s said on many occasions. Now as Michigan enters the long, difficult winter of Wolverine discontent, there’s a real issue that has to be decided. If you don’t think Rich Rod is going to get it done at the school, you need to fire him now, before the next season commences. Why? Because you have a legal hook that can significantly lessen the blow of the firing — you can argue that Rich Rodriguez breached the terms of his contract by violating NCAA rules. Bang. Meet Michigan’s own stimulus plan for the athletic department, firing Rich Rod for cause. A bit of a legal primer: All NCAA contracts contain a contractual provision allowing a school to end their relationship with a coach “for cause.” Think of it is as the school’s parachute in the event the plane is going down. Unlike a golden parachute where a coach is fired but receives millions to end the contract, firing someone “for cause” effectively wipes away the buyout provisions in a contract. Rather than face a multi-million dollar obligation for a buyout, something Michigan fans are all too familiar with after the negotiations between Rich Rod and West Virginia, the school can allege a major violation of NCAA rules or intentional misconduct and show him to the door. Given that the NCAA and Michigan are already investigating Rodriguez and the football program over the amount of hours that players have spent playing or practicing football each week, the door would appear to be open to push Rich Rod out. – Fan House

Michigan should fire Rodriguez, Hire Harbaugh

Through it all — the most wins of any team in college football history (872), 42 Big Ten championships, 11 national titles and 40 bowl appearances — the University of Michigan has prided itself on doing things, “the right way.” Not once in the years since the University of Michigan began playing football in 1891 has the school been found in violation of NCAA regulations. But the past two years have not been kind to Michigan football. After Saturday’s 21-10 loss to archrival Ohio State in front of a stadium half-full with Buckeye fans instead of Wolverine faithful, the question needs to be asked: Is Rich Rodriguez the right man for the job as the head coach? Of equal importance, should university president Mary Sue Coleman and outgoing athletic director Bill Martin be held accountable for the hiring of Rodriguez and the situation the school’s football program finds itself in today? The answers: No and yes… Michigan should cut its losses and look for a way to return the program to its roots. Hire a coach with close ties to the old program. Former Michigan quarterback Jim Harbaugh has done wonders with the program at Stanford, beating highly touted USC and Oregon this year. Harbaugh’s contract expires this year. Michigan would be well-advised to pick up the phone and call the man who once guaranteed and delivered on a promise to beat Ohio State. – The Oakland Press

Rich Rodriguez running short on time?

Rich Rodriguez strongly believes his program is growing and progress is occurring. He said again Saturday he has no fears of losing his job, and athletic director Bill Martin stood firmly behind him, saying Rodriguez “will be here next year — no ifs, ands, or buts about it.” Still, no matter how difficult the transition, the record is inexcusable. And there can be no doubt now, Rodriguez doesn’t get a ton of time to show more. Rodriguez is aware of factions, inside and outside the program, working against him. Massive change, especially when executed by a confident young “outsider,” stirs controversy. – Detroit News

Rodriguez likely okay at Michigan, but what if he’s not?

I agree, he’s not a good fit. From nearly the day Rodriguez arrived in Ann Arbor, a significant faction of Wolverines fans simply hasn’t liked him, whether because he’s not a “Michigan Man” like Les Miles, or because he runs that new-fangled spread offense, or because he’s got a “twang.” Throw in all the backlash from West Virginia, the lawsuits, the potential NCAA infractions, and it’s clear there was only one way he could have won people over: to start winning, and in a hurry. That has not happened. That said, I’m still 90 percent certain he’ll get another year. AD Bill Martin has been outspoken in his support, albeit in sometimes bizarre context. (Paul Johnson? Not a good comparison. Though SI appreciates Martin’s readership.) Martin has already announced he’s retiring next September, and I doubt he or school president Mary Sue Coleman will want to stick his successor with a brand-new coach not of that person’s choosing. Furthermore, many of Michigan’s present problems can be directly attributed to the high amount of attrition that occurred during the transition from Lloyd Carr to Rodriguez. Another coaching change would only prompt more defections. As for Harbaugh, there’s no doubt he’d be a great hire, but I’m hearing the Michigan brass hasn’t yet forgiven him for taking shots at his alma mater’s academic standards two years ago. However, if this time next year Michigan still sits in the bottom half of the Big Ten, a call will almost certainly go out to one of its own — if not Harbaugh, then the formerly coveted Miles, who, in SEC life-span years, may well have worn out his welcome at LSU by then. – SI.com

Agent: Michigan president backs Rich Rodriguez

According to Rich Rodriguez’s agent, Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman supports Rodriguez “100%.” Mike Brown told the Free Press that the pair met on Monday — he said he wasn’t sure what the meeting was about or how it arose — and that’s what she told Rodriguez. – Detroit Free Press

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