Mailbag question: Coach Rod

Posted at 8:00am -- 5/13/2010

Mailbag question: Coach Rod

I keep reading that Coach Rod needs to make a bowl to keep his job. Let me give the following reasons for disagreeing:

1) He or any coach should have a chance to have his recruits reach upperclassmen level.

2) I cannot believe he has forgotten how to coach after a career of consistent success.

3) His players were recruited for a specific system. Any new coach hired will suffer attrition and will need years to recruit to his system. See point number one. It (a new coach) will be a major setback again for the program.

I actually think this year's schedule is tougher than last year’s. Connecticut is certainly no gimme and could easily be a loss. I think a more realistic measuring stick is looking at how we do in the Big Ten overall. If we show improvement in the league then perhaps Coach Rod should get one more year, even if we don't have an overall winning record.

Peter F.
Sent from my iPhone

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Thanks for the question.

What you say Peter makes sense. It is a little dangerous to place a sole and summary judgment on an acceptable level of wins to keep a job. Wins are what people first look at, but other factors, at least from this vantage point, must at least be considered.

Athletic Director David Brandon is on record giving his support to Coach Rod and the coaching staff. That is the only opinion and criteria standard that matters at this time.

Until (if) he is replaced, Coach Rod is Michigan's coach and has our support.

It is our opinion that anybody saying Coach Rod needs X wins or else is just guessing.

However, saying that Coach Rod doesn't need to make a bowl game to save his job would mean that Michigan would finish 5-7, or worse, again, since 6-6 qualifies Michigan to a bowl game.

Take strong note, the Michigan football program has never had three consecutive losing football seasons.

In some ways the schedule may actually be easier for several reasons. Most of the tougher games are at home, or are games that Michigan has a realistic chance to win. Also, a lot of the teams UM plays have a new quarterback, something that Michigan is all too familiar with lately.

Three key games for Michigan likely will be (1) UConn – the UM team needs to get a good start to the season along with getting the fans behind the team.

(2) Notre Dame - is breaking in a new system, new coach and new quarterback; the Irish are doing what Michigan did a few years ago.

(3) Michigan State – UM is playing at home and needs to beat the Spartans so they can get the momentum back in-state, and not let Michigan State continue to smack talk Michigan, and continue the streak against Coach Rod and the Michigan program. The Spartans winning three in a row would have negative consequences.

We will not talk about unexpected setbacks - until there is a need. We do believe that some want to throw out the scare tactic and the gloom and doom scenario to create drama. UM already has enough drama and conjecture.

To be completely honest, in the current world of big time college football, if Coach Rod goes 5-7 it would be really tough to keep him on as Head Coach, especially after not improving over last year’s record in which the UM team could have won two more games. We will say this much: David Brandon will have a tough situation/decision on his hands if Coach Rod finishes like you say, with a losing record for the third straight year.

We can tell you what we are looking for out of the 2010 team.

1. Continued improvement in the fundamentals of the game.

2. Team showing more gumption/toughness and focus after a couple of tough loses (do not fold up like a lawn chair).

3. Michigan becoming an edgy, nasty team that other teams do not look forward to playing.

Written by GBMW Staff

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