This year hasn’t been the best, but there’s progress…and that progress is apparently saving Rodriguez’s neck, as the school is reportedly bringing him back for another year in 2010. Says athletic director Bill Martin,

He will be our coach next year. You’re asking me today if he’s going to be our coach, there’s no if, ands or buts about it. He is our coach and he has my full support. He’ll be there next year. No question about it.

On Saturday, the Wolverines lost 21-10 to Ohio State, and they’re last in the Big Ten – something that hasn’t happened since 1962. Under Rodriguez, they’re a pitiful 8 – 16. So why would they keep the coach around for another year? Is this a smart choice?

Rich Rodriguez, Image: Newscom

In this writer’s opinion…absolutely. This year, the record doesn’t tell the whole story. Although they’re sitting out again during bowl season, the team has a lot of heart and hung in there with teams that were clearly on another level. Even the Ohio State game wasn’t a total blow-out, though the offense wasn’t playing well this past weekend, that’s for sure.

A lot of players left over the past two years. People are still getting used to the Rodriguez coaching method. The team is fairly young, but they have a lot of new talent coming to the school. Keeping him around was a no-brainer in my opinion. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of the guy, but I do think he can take Michigan places if given the chance.

Post from: EveryJoe

Rodriguez to Return in 2010

I have to say, though, I think many are willing to give him a chance. The Big Ten needs to be taken into 21st century to be a conference that has national championship contenders year after year. Rich Rodriguez could be the man to do it.

Image: Newscom

But there seems to be a bit of mutiny going on at the school, as a number of players have come forward to report NCAA violations at Michigan.

Under conditions of anonymity, a group of current and former players have told the Detroit Free Press that Rodriguez and his staff members routinely demand more of the players than is allowable by NCAA rules. The NCAA sets limits on workouts and other practices in order to prevent injury, to provide student athletes with enough time for academic work, and to keep any one team from gaining a competitive edge over another due to workout time.One player says that the practices were certainly affecting classwork, with some players even falling asleep during class due to the demands of the football program.

Says Rodriguez,

“We know the practice and off-season rules, and we stay within the guidelines. We follow the rules and have always been completely committed to being compliant with all NCAA rules.”

The allegations mainly surround the workouts by conditioning coach Mike Barwis, who followed Rodriquez from West Virginia. Although some of those players who came forward insist that his workouts are “ridiculous,” others who work out with him, including NFL players, swear by his methods.

Here’s what’s going on with the allegations:

• During the off-season, teams are only allowed to require players to work out for 8 hours per week. Players can work out on their own for more hours, but it must be voluntary. However, players say that the staff members would call workouts voluntary, yet severely punish anyone who didn’t show up, essentially making them mandatory.

• Players can also hold scrimmages during the off-season, but quality control staff can’t attend, and they have to be player-run.  Trainers are allowed to attend for safety purposes only. Players say, though, that quality control staff members routinely observed the games

• During the season, they can only practice for 20 hours per week, with a maximum of four hours per day. Players say that both of those limits were exceeded, with players spending nine hours or more on the field on game days.

Players said they were made to sign forms that say they were complying with NCAA rules. Everyone signed because they felt like there was nothing they could do if they wanted to play. Even now, players refuse to give their names, as they are worried about repercussions from staff members and other players.

At the school’s media day, some freshman, perhaps unaware of NCAA rules, talked about how long they practiced, one player saying that they’ve been working out from 8:00 AM to at least 6:00 PM six days a week. These players didn’t note whether or not the workouts were mandatory, so that in and of itself doesn’t incriminate the coaches, but it does fall in line with what others are saying.

That, and Rodriguez has been caught saying, “The workouts aren’t mandatory, but neither is your playing time.” That statement seems to be used often at Michigan, since players who have left have quoted it.

So that really begs the question: what is “mandatory.” If you’re determining playing time by voluntary practice attendance, doesn’t that kinda cancel out the “voluntary” part of it? Actually, YES according to the NCAA. Rules state that if attendance is tracked or is given to coaches by trainers, the workout or practice must be considered mandatory.

But isn’t everyone doing this? Being honest with yourself, don’t you think that other schools are also breaking workout rules? Says one anonymous player,

“They know the rules. Of course they know the rules. There was a time when the offensive line coach told me, ‘You’re not doing nothing different than anybody else in the country is.’ ”

Wrong. I mean, I don’t know every school’s conditioning schedule, but former players have come forward to say that the NCAA workout rules were strictly observed by Carr and players who are now in the NFL and have come back to visit have said that the current requirements are crazy.

Players have also allegedly been hunted down by junior staff members, graduate assistants, and others when not attended, receiving phone calls even while in class.

Rodriguez has a lot riding on this season. Last year, the team’s abysmal showing was somewhat allowable by fans, since it was a rebuilding year with a new coach. However, another season or two like that, and Rodriguez will be run out of down. After all, there are a number of other good coaches looking for jobs, Phillip Fulmer coming immediately to mind.

Post from: EveryJoe

Are Things Falling Apart at Michigan?

Junior Sheridan obviously brings the most experience to the game, since Robinson and Forcier are true freshmen. Last year, he played in 8 of the 12 games, throwing touchdowns against Utah in Week One and Minnesota, a game they surprisingly won closer to the end of their horrendous season. Unfortunately, Sheridan isn’t the most consistent QB, and along with touchdowns, he also had five interceptions during the season, including two against Notre Dame. He does have some ground mobility though, and last year, he ran in one against Northwestern. Overall, though, Sheridan isn’t a “force” – at least he wasn’t last year – so he may not be the best choice, even if the other Michigan quarterbacks haven’t even played in college games yet. Sheridan is also coming off a broken leg, so that injury could still affect his abilities on the field.

Nick Sheridan last year against rival Michigan State. Image: Newscom

Forcier and Robinson were both highly recruited by Coach Rod, who thinks that they’d be good for his new spread offense approach at Michigan, which has caused so many good players to leave the school. Forcier has a slight advantage, perhaps, as he graduated high school early to enroll in the college last spring, in time to play with the team during spring practice. Robinson’s been getting a lot of press, though, so I wouldn’t count him out of the game just yet.

Despite the stiff competition for time on the field, the three say that they remain good friends and enjoy how they push one another to play better. We’ll see if that friendship sticks when someone takes the reigns as starter and the other two get less playing time.

Post from: EveryJoe

Michigan’s Opener to be QB Playoff

Wermers is the latest Michigan player to leave the school, saying that the whole dynamic between players and coaches is just different than it was under Carr.

“I really didn’t get along with the new coaches. They were bringing in a lot of different kids that were not my kind of crowd. Coach Carr’s staff was a whole different ballgame. It was like a family. But when Rodriguez came in it was a whole different feeling. It was more of a business. I figured I’d get out while I could.”

Wermers is heading to Ball State, where he thinks he’ll find the atmosphere that he really wants, both on and off the field. He’ll have to sit out a year, but he says that he isn’t “too bummed” about it, since he’ll get to be on the practice team and learn the system.

Maybe Rich Rodriguez should have kept the business at West Virginia. Image: Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Another Michigan Player Leaves

Rich Rodriguez, back when he coached at WVU, Image: Newscom

And he still hasn’t apologized for leaving the way he did. Should he have to though? At least one writer thinks so.

Rodriguez recently said,

“It was painful last year and it’s still painful now. But I still have to be honest and say that I’m glad I did it. That’s nothing against West Virginia or anyone there, but I felt the time was right. I just wish it hadn’t gotten so personal.’’

At the end of the day, coaching is a job. You wouldn’t expect an employ to turn down a better job and then say he’s sorry about it. I think what rubs people the wrong way here, though, is that Coach Rod seemed to be letting down a program that he promised to help. To many, it just seemed like a sneaky way to leave.

What do you think – should Rodriguez apologize?

Post from: EveryJoe

Should Coach Rod Say He’s Sorry?

Coach Rod, the new Michigan head coach, is being sued.

Who’s doing the suing? Why, none other than his former coaching assignment, West Virginia. According to Rich Rodriguez’s contact, the school is set to collect a $4 Million buyout over the next two years, since he left the program on his own accord.

Also according to the contract, one third of that total cost (or, over $1.33 Million – OUCH) is due 30 days after his resignation, which went into effect on December 19th. That means Coach Rod has until January 18 (give or take) to shell out that chunk of change.

By suing him before that 30-day grace period (gees, even some credit cards give you longer to come up with the money!), West Virginia is saying that they don’t think Coach Rod intends to honor his contract and pay out the money.

Really, he’s done nothing legally wrong…yet. Usually, you’d wait until AFTER the due date passed to file suit. So, this means that West Virginia must have VERY good reason to believe that he’ll not pay up.

I’m not a fan of buyout clauses…although I do understand why they exist. That $4 Million will likely go toward bonuses for the interim coach and the new head coach when one is named.

Will this lawsuit hit the courts or will he pay the resignation “fine”? We’ll see in a few weeks!

AP Photo: Tony Ding

Post from: EveryJoe

Hey, When do You Think You’ll Have that $1.33 Million for Us…