The University of Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon said that he would decide the fate of Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez after the Wolverines played their bowl game. The bowl results weren’t pretty — Michigan got waxed, 52-14, in the worst bowl loss in the program’s history — and now Brandon says that he will take his time making his decision.
I’m not sure what factors Brandon considers important, but it is hard for me to believe that any factors would point in favor of keeping Rodriguez. He has a losing record. He has never beaten Ohio State, or even played a competitive game against them. His conference record is awful. His defenses have gotten progressively worse from year to year. His offenses put up flashy numbers against poor teams, but tend to come up empty against the better teams. And Michigan’s game yesterday against Mississippi State demonstrated all of those problems. Michigan scored twice in the first quarter and then was shut out for the rest of the game. In the meantime, the Bulldogs dominated the Wolverine defense and scored 42 — 42! — unanswered points.
I think Michigan’s AD should be asking one question: In three years, has Rich Rodriguez done anything to indicate that he can lead the storied Michigan program back to greatness? I think the answer to that question is clear.
Webner House 