UPDATE: Uh-oh! CMU, EMU and now WMU in big trouble thanks to Rich Rod!

U-M's football bust last night turned into a "Kumbaya" moment, with DickRod and others standing up and holding hands to Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up." If I were Dave Brandon, I would have fired DickRod on the spot. The look on Frank Beckmann's face is priceless.

DickRod needs to go. Now.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20101203/OPINION03/12030414/Rich-Rod’s-performance-‘embarrassing’

 

It's likely pretty telling that Brandon hasn't officially endorsed DickRod. You'd think if he was really behind him, he'd end the speculation and say he's the man for next year.

 

I see no priceless Beckmann look; just Rich and Rita looking like Rex and Rexella...

 

WJBK - Fox's Detroit affiliate - reports that RichRod is out.

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/sports/rich-rodriguez-fired-as-michigans-head-football-coach

 

You're a little slow.

 

Guilty as charged. I didn't see the other thread.

 

What with that subject line that said "Rodriguez" right near the top of the page and all...

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah......

 

Ummm guys... get the popcorn ready. Rodgriguez hasn't been fired yet.

 

Nothing like bringing this old shit show of a thread back up, but there is a book coming out this month chronicling the 3 years that Rodriguez was the head coach for Michigan.

http://johnubacon.com/

I've read some excerpts online this week, including a piece in the WSJ. I've also read some reviews and they make a lot of people look bad. Rodriguez doesn't come out looking bad - all of his dirty laundry had been aired... but Lloyd Carr and Mike Rosenberg aren't portrayed in the greatest light. And Bill Martin comes out looking like an incompetent ass hole.

Again, this is just from what I've read so far. Can't wait to get a hold of the book.

 

I haven't read the book yet -- just excerpts of the excerpts -- but the whole U-M/DickRod football fandango is hilarious for no other reason but for how closely it parallels the Sparty/ John L. Smith comedy show of half a decade earlier. Who knew U-M would suddenly adopt Sparty as its role model of how to run a football program??

1) AD decides to give the football program a "fresh start" by hiring a rising coach with flashy offensive credentials, but with no previous connection whatsoever with the school

2) Forces of the "old guard" within the fanbase and administration have their own candidates, but the AD prevails and the flashy new outsider is brought in.

3) The "old coach," the hero of the old guard, at least publicly expresses support for the new guy, but behind the scenes he and his minions are working to sandbag him, killing recruiting, sabotaging him inside the athletic department, etc etc. A lot of teeth-gnashing about the new guy's foo-foo offensive style, not the blood-and-guts leatherneck stuff the old guard thinks is "real football."

4) On-field performance drags and the fanbase gets unruly. Finally a series of catastrophic losses put the new guy in hot water. Then some goofy off-field antics (JLS's face-slapping, RR's Josh Groban singalongs) turn him into a nationwide punch line. More disastrous losses send the new guy into the drink.

5) The "old guard" seizes complete control of the hiring process. "We tried an outsider and he bombed" is the open-and-shut argument. Any and all candidates for the job must in some way have a direct connection to the regime of the "old guard." It's a pass-fail litmus test.

6) After a glamor candidate or two turns them down, the "old guard" settles for a middle-level prospect, a guy with some (but only moderate) success at the head coaching level, but an impeccable pedigree as a former assistant in the old regime. He comes in, of course, preaching blood-and-guts leatherneck football.

 

I'll wait til it comes out used on abebooks... will pass on putting money in Bacon's pocket.