Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard wanted a Michigan Man

Desmond Howard, the 1991 Heisman Trophy winning wide receiver of the Wolverines, seems to be having issues with the hiring of Coach Rodriguez. Howard, who was on the search committee, was recently quoted as saying, "Well I think only time will tell if it was a good hire. The saddest part of the whole situation is that a Michigan Man never got offered the job. That doesn't sit well with any former players."

I took a fair amount of flak for my previous post ("Buyer's remorse") as some people saw it as unfairly criticizing Coach Rodriguez without giving him a chance. It's kind of cool that a Heisman Trophy winner who was on the search committee came out publicly a few days later and leveled the same criticisms I made in my post. He has just a little more credence than I carry. As Desmond said, Coach Rodriguez has no choice but to be successful and we wish him all the luck in the world as we would like nothing more than for Michigan to go undefeated next year. However, I think the reality is that Michigan is in for some tough sledding next season. I could even tolerate that if I found the man leading the program to be more honorable (e.g., Lloyd Carr). However, Coach Rod does not even have integrity going for him. I hope Bill Martin knew what he was doing when he hired this guy. Go Blue!

Buyer's remorse

It has been just over a month since Michigan announced the hiring of Rich Rodriguez as the 18th Head Football Coach in Michigan history. In the past month, Coach Rod fired the entire coaching staff save one (Fred Jackson); Coach Rod became embroiled in a very bitter and public spat with his former school WVU over his $4 million buy-out clause and allegations of "shredded files"; players with eligibility have left the program in droves including Ryan Mallett, Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington and Alex Mitchell; and Coach Rod's recruiting season has been uneven thus far. Uh, is it too late to return Coach Rod to West Virginia University? I think I must have my receipt around here somewhere.

The coaching search was a debacle from the moment A.D. Bill Martin botched the courtship of LSU's Les Miles. Personally, I did not want Miles to be the next coach but I did not like how Miles' candidacy was (mis)handled. The coaching "search" only went downhill from there. It was nothing short of a disaster. Michigan was a laughingstock. President Mary Sue Coleman had to step in and assist A.D. Martin in landing a big name (i.e., Rodriguez) to staunch the bleeding as Michigan was getting killed. The problem is that in the rush to bring in a hot, young coach (Rodriguez is only 44 years old), Michigan sacrificed bringing in the right guy for the program. Michigan was so desperate to "stop the bleeding" it was willing to overpay for a coach (any coach) who was considered a young, hot commodity. In bringing in Rodriguez, we got a young, innovative coach. We also have a person of questionable integrity and character now leading the football program. It did not have to be this way.

Michigan had the perfect internal candidate in Ron English. Young (39 years old) and highly respected, Coach English had been with the program for five years serving as the Defensive Coordinator for the past two seasons. Coach "E" is a man of great integrity and high character as he demonstrated during his tenure at Michigan. Coach English would have made changes but likely would have kept many of the prior members of the Michigan coaching staff. Coach English would have blended the old with the new. He would have been able to move the football program forward while building on the strength of the traditions of the past. The wholesale changes made by Coach Rodriguez means things will be very different next year but it does not mean they will be better. In fact, they will likely be worse. However, under Coach English, the program would be in better shape now and in the future. A.D. Bill Martin did a great disservice by creating an environment where the hiring of an internal candidate would be viewed as "settling" and not in the best interests of the program. In fact, staying inside (as it turns out) would have been far preferable to the outside hire that was made. It's all water under the bridge but sometimes as I watch Coach Rod's soap opera I wistfully wonder what might have been if Michigan had hired Coach English instead. Go Blue!

The (tenuous) Michigan connection

Everything comes back to Bo Schembechler. It always does. Michigan Head Coach Bo Schembechler had Don Nehlen as an assistant coach on the Wolverines staff from 1977-1979. Following this three-year stint under Bo, Nehlen became the Head Coach for the West Virginia Mountaineers where he served for the next 21 years (1980-2000). Nehlen became to WVU Football what Bo Schembechler is to Michigan Football. Nehlen was greatly influenced by his three years on Bo's staff and Coach Nehlen molded his Mountaineer program to mirror the Michigan way of doing things. During Coach Nehlen's tenure, Rich Rodriguez played defensive back from 1982-1984. Thus, Coach Rod has a connection (however tenuous), to the Michigan Football tradition. Go Blue!

Meet your new Head Coach Rich Rodriguez

On Dec. 17, 2007, Rich Rodriguez was announced as the 18th head coach in University of Michigan football history, and just the 11th in the 106 years since Fielding H. Yost made his debut in 1901.
Rodriguez comes to Michigan after spending seven years as head coach at his alma mater, West Virginia University, where he led the Mountaineers to a 60-26 record, four Big East titles and six consecutive bowl game bids. In 2005, he was named to the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees.
Following a 10-2 (5-2 Big East) season in 2007 in which his team won the Big East title and a Bowl Championship Series berth, he was named the AFCA Region I Co-Coach of the Year, sharing the honor with Boston College's Jeff Jagodzinski. It was Rodriguez's second such honor after being recognized by the AFCA in 2003. He is also a finalist for the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, which honors the college football coaches who best exemplify responsibility and excellence on and off the field. Rodriguez was the 2003 and 2005 Big East Coach of the Year.
Under Rodriguez's guidance, WVU has claimed four of the last five Big East championships and recorded three consecutive seasons (2005-07) of double-digit victories for the first time in school history. The Mountaineers recorded at least eight wins in each of the last six seasons, and since 2002 have accumulated a record of 57-16, winning 78.1 percent of their games.
In 2006, the Mountaineers finished 10th in the national polls at 11-2 behind a pair of All-Americans and the Big East Player of the Year. In 2004 and 2005, Rodriguez's teams claimed conference titles, as the 2005 squad went on to record WVU's first BCS victory, a 38-35 upset over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.
After a 1-4 start in 2003, the Mountaineers rattled off seven straight wins, posted a 6-1 mark in conference play to tie Miami for the Big East title, and earned a second straight bowl berth. In 2002, Rodriguez engineered the greatest turnaround in Big East history, taking his 2001 team from a 1-6 record in league play to 6-1 the following year. West Virginia finished second in the nation in rushing in 2002 (283 yards per game) and ranked fourth nationally in turnover margin.
Prior to accepting the West Virginia job on Nov. 26, 2000, Rodriguez served as offensive coordinator and associate head coach for Tommy Bowden at Clemson in 1999 (6-6) and 2000 (9-3). He spent the previous two years as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Bowden at Tulane, where he helped lead the Green Wave to 7-4 and 12-0 marks, culminating with a victory at the Liberty Bowl.
Rodriguez began his collegiate head coaching career at the NAIA/Division II level at Salem (1988) and Glenville State College (1990-96). At Glenville State, he won or shared four consecutive West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and was named the WVIAC Coach of the Year in 1993 and '94. He was the 1993 NAIA Coach of the Year after leading his team to a national runner-up finish. Rodriguez, who also served as Glenville's athletic director in 1995-96, was inducted into the Glenville Hall of Fame in 2003.
A member of West Virginia's 1981-84 teams, Rodriguez was a three-year letterwinner (1982-84) as a defensive back for coach Don Nehlen, who served as an assistant coach at U-M for Bo Schembechler from 1977-79. The Mountaineers posted a 26-10 record in those three years and made three bowl appearances: the 1982 Gator Bowl (lost to Florida State, 31-12); the 1983 Hall of Fame Bowl (defeated Kentucky, 20-16); and the 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl (defeated TCU, 31-14).
A native of Grant Town, W.Va., in Marion County, Rodriguez grew up just five miles from the birthplace of U-M legendary coach Fielding Yost (Fairview, W.Va.). He is a 1981 graduate of North Marion High School, where he was a four-sport letterman and an all-state honoree in football and basketball, leading the Huskies to the 1980 Class AAA state football championship. Rodriguez and his wife, Rita, have two children, Raquel and Rhett. Go Blue!
Rodriguez's Head Coaching Record:

1988
Salem
2-8
1990
Glenville State
1-7-1
1991
Glenville State
4-5-1
1992
Glenville State
6-4
1993
Glenville State
10-3, WVIAC champion
1994
Glenville State
8-3, WVIAC champion
1995
Glenville State
8-2, WVIAC champion
1996
Glenville State
6-4, WVIAC champion
2001
West Virginia
3-8, 1-6
2002
West Virginia
9-4, 6-1
Continental Tire/L, 22-48 (Virginia)
2003
West Virginia
8-5, 6-1 Big East champion
Gator Bowl/L, 7-41 (Maryland)
2004
West Virginia
8-4, 4-2 Big East champion
Gator Bowl/L, 18-30 (Florida State)
2005
West Virginia
11-1, 6-0 Big East champion
Sugar Bowl/W, 38-35 (Georgia)
2006
West Virginia
11-2, 5-2
Gator Bowl/W, 38-35 (Georgia Tech)
2007
West Virginia
10-2, 5-2 Big East champion
Fiesta Bowl (Oklahoma)
NAIA/Division II (8 seasons): 45-36-2Division I (7 seasons): 60-26TOTAL (15 seasons): 105-62-2
RODRIGUEZ AT A GLANCE Birthdate: May 24, 1963 High School: North Marion (W.Va.) High School ('81) College: West Virginia (B.S., '86) Wife: Rita Children: Rhett, Raquel

An offer he couldn't refuse: Rich Rodriguez is now a Michigan Man

It appears that West Virginia Head Coach Rich Rodriguez is the new Michigan Head Coach. A news conference is scheduled to take place on the Michigan campus at 9:00 a.m. on Monday. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Coach Rodriguez by AP Photo/Jeff Gentner

Back in, Back out

It appeared for a brief moment earlier today that Les Miles might once again be in the coaching candidate search. However, as quickly as he was back in it, he was back out of it. The Detroit Free Press ran an article today which revealed that Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman had personally contacted Les Miles by telephone on Friday, December 7, 2007. It was widely assumed that the discussion between the two of them included some talk of Miles coming to coach the Wolverines next season. However, Miles issued a statement on the LSU athletic dept. website today stating the following:

“I had a conversation with Michigan last week that covered a wide range of topics. I was doing nothing more than helping them with their search for a football coach, just as any loyal alumnus might do. It was nothing more than that.
“I’m not a candidate for that job and I will not be a candidate for the job. I was only assisting them in their search for a coach. I have a great job at a wonderful place, a place that my family calls home. It’s time that Michigan goes on with their search for a football coach. I’ll say it again, I’m going to be the coach at LSU next season.”

It appears, once again, that the idea of Les Miles coaching Michigan will not come to fruition. The dream (or nightmare, depending on your viewpoint) of having either Ron English or Brady Hoke coach the Wolverines next year is stronger than ever at this point. Go Blue!

Is Brady Hoke pointing towards a return to Michigan?

Ball State Head Coach Brady Hoke could be in line to become the 18th Head Football Coach in Michigan Football history. Hoke, a former asst. coach under Lloyd Carr, has been Head Coach of the Ball State University Cardinals since December 18, 2002. In his five years at the helm, Hoke has re-built the program of his alma mater. As a player, Hoke was a four-year letter winner at Ball State from 1977-1980 and was team captain his senior season. As a coach, Hoke led the Cardinals to a 7-5 record this season and a berth in the International Bowl against Rutgers University on January 5, 2008 in Toronto, Canada. Overall, Hoke is 22-36 in his five (5) seasons as Head Coach of the Cardinals. For a closer look at Hoke and his Ball State Cardinals, you can check out the 2007 Football Media Guide (.pdf). [Hoke's profile is on page 20.]

Hoke was on the Michigan staff from 1995-2002. He joined the team in 1995 (Coach Carr's first year as Head Coach) and served as the Defensive Ends Coach for two seasons. He was then promoted to Defensive Line Coach which he did from 1997-2001. In 2002, Hoke added the title of Associate Head Coach to his duties as Defensive Line Coach. Now after being gone for five (5) seasons, Hoke may be asked to return as Head Coach of the Wolverines. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Brady Hoke by Danny Moloshok/The Michigan Daily

Does anybody want this job?

Rutgers University Head Coach Greg Schiano withdrew his name from consideration on Friday, December 7, 2007 after having met with Michigan A.D. Bill Martin for five (5) hours earlier in the week. Although an offer was not officially made, the job was reportedly Schiano's if he wanted it. He didn't.

Michigan's coaching search is now in total disarray. Les Miles and Greg Schiano have now both withdrawn their names from consideration. Iowa's Kirk Ferentz keeps getting mentioned and then rejected. Michigan appears, for some unknown reason, unwilling to consider the University of Cincinnati's Brian Kelly. So far, Michigan has interviewed their own Offensive Coordinator Mike DeBord and their own Defensive Coordinator Ron English. Michigan has also "made contact" with former Michigan asst. coach (and current Ball State Head Coach) Brady Hoke. What an incredibly successful coaching search. I think it is about time Bill Martin talk to Coach Carr about coming back for one more year. Go Blue!

Coaching search: let me out, I'm getting dizzy

The search has just begun. On Wednesday, Michigan was granted permission to speak with LSU Coach Les Miles after the SEC Championship game to be played today. Earlier today, ESPN Gameday co-host Kirk Herbstreit announced that Les Miles WOULD be the next Michigan Head Coach. Just hours later, LSU conducted a hastily called press conference where Les Miles stated he is staying at LSU and will not take the Michigan job. Michigan's coaching "search" seems to be in disarray at this point. Athletic Director Bill Martin needs to get a handle on this situation quickly. He has already interviewed Offensive Coordinator Mike DeBord and Defensive Coordinator Ron English for the position. No word yet on whether my favorite, Brian Kelly, has been scheduled for an interview. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Les Miles by CHRIS GRAYTHEN/Getty Images

History of Michigan Coaching Searches

With the impending announcement by Coach Carr that he plans to retire after the Wolverines' bowl game, speculation is running rampant about who will be hired as Michigan's next Head Football Coach. Coach Carr would like to see his successor come from inside the program (such as Offensive Coordinator Mike DeBord) while others would like to see a hire from outside but still with Michigan connections (i.e., LSU coach Les Miles- a former player and assistant coach under Bo). As always, history can be a guide to the future. With that in mind, here is a look back at the history of the searches for Michigan's Head Football Coach since 1968.

In 1968, Michigan's Head Football Coach was Chalmers "Bump" Elliott. Bump was a former All-American player for the Wolverines under Coach Fritz Crisler and a former Michigan assistant coach under Coach Bennie Ooseterbaan. In 1968, Bump was in his 10th season season at the helm and the Wolverines were 8-1 and ranked #4 in the nation heading into the final game of the season at #2 Ohio State. OSU Coach Woody Hayes had the Buckeyes pour it on and OSU trounced Michigan by the score of 50-14. Although the Wolverines finished the season 8-2 and ranked #12 in the AP poll, Michigan's new AD Don Canham felt it was time for a change. He decided to "promote" Bump to Associate Athletic Director and hire a new Head Football Coach. AD Canham did this despite the fact that Bump had enjoyed some success as Coach of the Wolverines. During Bump's tenure, the Wolverines won the Big Ten title in 1964 and won the Rose Bowl game that season (Jan. 1, 1965). Furthermore, the Wolverines (despite the blowout loss to OSU) had finished the 1968 season ranked #12 in the nation in the AP poll and #15 in the UPI poll. Nevertheless, AD Canham wanted to make a change as he wanted to remain competitive with the rival school to the south (i.e., Ohio State).

It did not take long for AD Don Canham to take action. (It never did). Michigan's humiliating 50-14 loss to Ohio State occurred on November 23, 1968. By December, AD Canham had offered Michigan's head coaching position to a 39-year old rising star in the field- Bo Schembechler. Coach Schembechler was the Head Coach at Miami (Ohio) University where he compiled a 40-17-3 record during the previous six (6) seasons. Bo drove up to Ann Arbor to meet with AD Don Canham and accepted the Michigan Head Coaching position on December 27, 1968. Legend has it that the deal was sealed with nothing more than a handshake.

AD Don Canham wanted Coach Schembechler to keep Michigan Men on his coaching staff. However, Bo was insistent that he was going to bring in his own people. In later years, Asst. Coach Jerry Hanlon would refer to this group as the "Miami Mafia". Bo brought six assistants from Miami University: Jerry Hanlon, Gary Moeller, Jim Young, Chuck Stobart, Dick Hunter and Larry Smith. Coach Schembechler did retain George Mans and Frank Maloney from the previous year's staff. As legend has it, in late-January of 1968, AD Don Canham invited the six assistant coaches from Miami to Colonial Lanes for a drink. (1) Colonial Lanes has a tavern called the Pin Room where Canham allegedly liked to conduct business. On this day, Canham informed the six assistants matter-of-factly that he had not wanted to hire them but Bo had forced his hand and that they would be fired immediately if they did not win. The rest, of course, is history.

The next coaching change was smooth because Bo was in a position to control all aspects of it. At the time he decided to step down he was serving in the dual capacity of Head Football Coach and Athletic Director. That meant he got to handpick his successor. His choice was his longtime protegee and friend Gary Moeller. Moeller had played for Bo at Ohio State back when Bo was an assistant coach there under Woody Hayes. Later, Moeller served as an assistant under Bo at Miami University and served as Bo's Offensive and Defensive Coordinator over the years at Michigan. Moeller had been on the Michigan staff with Bo for the entire time Bo was Head Coach at Michigan except for the three years (1977-1979) that Moeller was the Head Coach at the University of Illinois. Moeller was the perfect choice to succeed Bo. Bo wanted a seamless transition where the only person leaving the program would be himself. In fact, the assistant coaching staff stayed almost entirely intact for the transition.

Moeller coached the Wolverines for five (5) years and probably could have gone on for as long as he wanted were it not for an unfortunate incident at a restaurant. As a result, Moeller ended up on the cover of Sports Illustrated and he ultimately tendered his resignation. His tenure (1990-1994) had been quite successful as the Wolverines won four bowl games in his five seasons at the helm. As a consequence of his sudden departure, the Wolverines were suddenly in need of a new Head Coach. Michigan elevated Defensive Coordinator Lloyd Carr on an interim basis on May 16, 1995.

Coach Carr had been on the Michigan coaching staff since 1980 when he joined the team to coach the defensive backs. Some people did not want him to get the permanent job as they preferred that Michigan conduct a national search following the 1995 season. However, on November 13, 1995 (with the Wolverines at 8-2 and ranked #12 in the nation with 2 regular season games and a bowl remaining) A.D. Joe Roberson removed the interim from Lloyd's title and named Coach Carr as the 17th Head Football Coach in Michigan history.

Coach Carr led the Wolverines to a National Championship in 1997 and to a bowl game in each of his thirteen seasons as Head Coach including this year. Coach Carr, however, has come under criticism in recent years as his teams are 1-6 against OSU in the last seven games (with four consecutive losses) and are 1-5 in their last six (6) bowl games with four consecutive losses. It has been widely publicized that Coach Carr's contract calls for him to "move up" to an Associate Athletic Director position upon his retirement from coaching. Much like when Bump Elliott was moved by Canham into the administrative ranks because Michigan was no longer competetive with OSU, some critics (not me) would like to see Carr move into the Associate A.D. position and vacate the head coaching job to make way for a more innovative coach who can challenge Jim Tressel and the OSU Buckeyes.

The question is whether Michigan should look outside to a young up-and-coming coach (as it did with a 39-year old Bo Schembechler in 1969) or should it stay inside with the hire as it has done the past two times. I believe that it may be time to allow someone to come in from the outside (like Brian Kelly of Univ. of Cinc.) to reinvigorate the program like Bo did in 1969 even if it means he brings in his own people like Bo did at that time. Go Blue!

(1) Tales from Michigan Stadium, p. 172-173, by Jim Brandstatter, published by Sports Publishing L.L.C. in 2002.

*Note: Photo of Press Conference in 1969 announcing Bo Shembechler as new Michigan Head Football Coach with Coach Schembechler (left), Don Canham (center), and Bump Elliott (right) from Bentley Historical Library, U-M.

*Note 2: Sports Illustrated cover of May 15, 1995 with photos of Bobby Cox (AP), Gary Moeller (Jonathan Daniel/Allsport), Dennis Erickson (AP).