Rich Rod to Arizona

[GoMuskies]

I expect that he will do a solid job there. He's a good coach. He and Michigan were just not well-suited for one another.

[boozehound]

I expect that he will do a solid job there. He's a good coach. He and Michigan were just not well-suited for one another.

We'll see. I think that he may do fine at Arizona, but I don't know that I would call him a good coach. If he does well at AZ then I could agree with you.

After the incredibly poor job he did at Michigan, I kind of wonder if he didn't just get lucky with some recruits at WVU.

[XU 87]

I will never understand how he could be so successful at West Virginia and then be such a failure at Michigan.

[xeus]

I will never understand how he could be so successful at West Virginia and then be such a failure at Michigan.

Are you trying to get MOR to comment about how any loser can succeed in the Big Least, but fail when he gets to a big time conference? If so, good job putting the ball on the tee for him.

[Xavier]

Could you imagine where Alabama would be right now if RR accepted that job a year before accepting the Michigan job? Wow.

But, I think RR will do good things at Arizona.

[xu95]

Could you imagine where Alabama would be right now if RR accepted that job a year before accepting the Michigan job? Wow.

But, I think RR will do good things at Arizona.

The best thing that every happened to Alabama was Rich Rod turning them down.

xu95

[BandAid]

The best thing that every happened to Alabama was Rich Rod turning them down.

xu95

The worst thing that happened to college football was Rich Rod turning them down...

[PMI]

Rich Rod is a joke. He's as stubborn as they come and is frankly a bully. He set Michigan back years. I wish him no luck because I have no respect for the man.

[X-band '01]

You could also argue that Bill Callahan did far more long-term damage to Nebraska than Rich Rodriguez (he's lost his right to a nickname) did to Michigan. I'd say Michigan is a little bit closer to being truly elite down the road than Nebraska was when they initially hired Bo Pelini.

[boozehound]

Rich Rod is a joke. He's as stubborn as they come and is frankly a bully. He set Michigan back years. I wish him no luck because I have no respect for the man.

Pretty much how I feel as well. I will be following his career at AZ though, because I am curious. I think that he is mediocore at best in AZ. After dealing with Rich and his coaching staff at Michigan for 3 years I tend to believe that is the result of luck. There may not be a coach in the country that knows less about defense than Rodriguez.

[Muskie]

Pretty much how I feel as well. I will be following his career at AZ though, because I am curious. I think that he is mediocore at best in AZ. After dealing with Rich and his coaching staff at Michigan for 3 years I tend to believe that is the result of luck. There may not be a coach in the country that knows less about defense than Rodriguez.

What about Brian Gregory?

[X-band '01]

Say what you will about Brian Gregory, but defense was one of the few things the Flyers were GOOD at on a consistent basis. They just couldn't score unless you played horse and spotted them h-o-r.

[gladdenguy]

Dick Rod........what a loser.

[XULucho27]

I will never be a fan Rod due to his stint in Ann Arbor. I was, admittedly, very excited when he first signed on. I thought if he could replicate the success of his offensive system at Michigan he would undoubtedly win a National Championship, mostly because the caliber of recruits would be superior to what he had at West Virginia. Of course, it doesn't help that he neglected to recruit any defensive or in-state players during his tenure. And let's not begin to talk about the 3-3-5 defensive scheme disaster.

Overall, I think Rod had his chance. He failed to deliver in big games and pretty much in any conference game for that matter. Some will say he was doomed from the start, but I think he did it to himself, to be honest. He was brazen, stubborn, and pissed a lot of people off as soon as he walked in the door. Some argue that Hoke is winning with his players and that Rod would have been able to replicate this year's results. I disagree. This year has been won on defense, a defense that Hoke and Mattison have fostered while Rod neglected. He needed to go.

I think this move is good for him though. He's going to a place without a lot of expectation. He'll be able to do as he pleases there. Overall, I really don't care how he does. If he wins, good for him, if he loses, oh well, don't really care. But I am curious to see how it all turns out for him.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

For a coach who is an absolute wreck with defense, I am absolutely shocked another college team hired him to be a head coach. RR would be better off as an offensive coordinator at an SEC team or PAC 12 team.

Guy is miserable pig for the 3 year stunt he pulled at Michigan. Honestly, it didn't surprise me a bit that UM is doing ok this year by just a near complete overhaul of the coaching staff.

[pickledpigsfeet]

You could also argue that Bill Callahan did far more long-term damage to Nebraska than Rich Rodriguez (he's lost his right to a nickname) did to Michigan. I'd say Michigan is a little bit closer to being truly elite down the road than Nebraska was when they initially hired Bo Pelini.

I disagree with the Callahan thoughts. While he didn't win much at Nebraska, that program was sliding in the handful of years before he took over. He also did them a favor of taking the brunt of the loses while converting them to a modern, more pro style offense, which will ultimately pay off in the Big 10 and in recruiting a larger area.

As for dick rod and Arizona, I just hope Ohio St. is able to get them on the schedule quickly.

[X-band '01]

Michigan and Nebraska are both similar in that they both won in a certain "way." Frank Solich had a bunch of 8-4 and 9-3 records during his tenure. Respectable but not what Nebraska fans had become accustomed to during the mid-90s when they won back-to-back titles in '94 and '95 along with a share of the national crown. Look who they beat at the end of each year - Miami, Florida, and Tennessee. Back then, power did trump speed and the so-called "spread 'em out" offenses.

Callahan not only lost but also alienated Nebraska fans and also de-emphasized certain traditions (such as walk-ons) along the way. Much like Rich Rodriguez's teams, his defensive teams were terrible. The Black Shirts went into hibernation.

Michigan isn't going to build themselves into a national title contender overnight, but so far it looks like they're back on track. The B1G is never going to be the cream of the crop without teams like Michigan and Nebraska contending on an annual basis. Ohio State is on a self-inflicted down cycle, but they'll be back on top once they face the music with the NCAA Infractions Committee.