GoBlue1530

December 21st, 2022 at 2:23 PM ^

Going 1-4 in the tournament in the last five non covid years and missing the tournament this year is a rough stretch. Especially when only one of the opening round games was a loss you couldn't fault them for (#5 Texas in 2018). It'd be different if it was more like softball when the north is tilted against with regional talent, volleyball that is hardly the case. 

Chuck Norris

December 21st, 2022 at 2:38 PM ^

Nah. Leaders and best my ass. We never once actually competed for a B1G title with him as head coach. Our BEST FINISH was tied for 4th, and that was 12 years ago. There's a reason the his section on the Michigan volleyball Wikipedia hasn't been updated in a decade: He hasn't accomplished jack shit since then.

Michigan athletics has more money that God, and should be trying to compete for national titles in every sport. Rosen elevated the program from "bad" to "okay", but was never going to take the next step.

Bando Calrissian

December 21st, 2022 at 4:04 PM ^

I remember at least one player leaving the program with some very, very negative things to say about Rosen and his wife (who was one of the assistants), and not necessarily playing time stuff. I was surprised nothing really ever came of it.

With that said, I think it's a little crass to dump on the guy across the board. In the end, he got this program to a certain level of success. The B1G is not an easy conference in terms of punching through for WVB championships when you've got programs like PSU, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. Pumping one's chest and saying "Michigan should win championships!" is entitled fan talk. Really doing it is another thing.

Chuck Norris

December 21st, 2022 at 4:13 PM ^

Pumping one's chest and saying "Michigan should win championships!" is entitled fan talk. Really doing it is another thing.

Yeah, and it was clear that Rosen wasn't going to do it. He peaked 12 years ago as a "decent Big Ten program." The expectation here should be higher. Other than something like baseball where there's weather deficiencies Michigan should be trying to be competing for championships in every sport, and you can't convince me otherwise. They have the money to do it.

oriental andrew

December 21st, 2022 at 4:27 PM ^

He never could get Michigan over the hump and I feel like a lot of our recent talent (Paige Jones, May Pertofsky, Jess Robinson, Jess Mruzek, etc.) has been a bit wasted. I feel we really should have had a better result this season, but we fell apart at bad times (losing to IU at the end of the season was brutal and inexcusable) and could never compete with the big dogs of the league (random straight set win in Happy Valley notwithstanding). 

OSU built a national title contender in a few years. There is no reason Michigan can't do the same. 

The Big Ten is easily the best conference in the country, top to bottom, with Wisconsin, Nebraska, Penn State, Minnesota, Purdue, and Ohio State being really strong, but falling to 9th is just not where we should be. Even a solid 7th place finish would've landed us in the NCAA tournament. 

After seeing Michigan be so inconsistent this season, make so many unforced errors, and change up their whole scheme mid-season, it now becomes clear that Rosen knew he was fighting for his job and that this was a last-ditch effort by going to a 6-2. Not sure Michigan had the personnel for it or the familiarity with it to really be successful. 

Thankful that he shepherded the team for the last 24 years, but it's time for a change. 

East German Judge

December 21st, 2022 at 8:21 PM ^

While I agree with most all the comments above, this reminds me of the men's basketball program a few years ago before they made the major updates and upgrades to the Crisler center.  We were a middling program and Beilen got it going, but those facility upgrades made us look much more presentable and professional and that we CARED about the direction of the program.  

Unfortunately the same cannot be said about the state of the Women's volleyball program and Cliff keen arena.  It looks like a DUMP!   Having had season tickets the last 10+ years, I look forward to the games at Crisler.  How do you bring in top 50 recruits and say we are behind this program, you can't.  Harper Murray, #1 high school recruit in the country from Ann Arbor Skyline, passed on playing with her sister at Michigan and chose Nebraska. 

Thanks Coach Rosen for all you have done.  

ma5678tt

December 21st, 2022 at 5:23 PM ^

I say go after Lloy Ball.  He's a former Olympic Gold Medalist living about 100 miles from Ann Arbor. He runs a volleyball clinic in northern Indiana for the better players in the area.  He's got Midwest roots growing up in Indiana and attended IPFW, now PFW, who used to be good at volleyball back in the day.  His dad was the coach at IPFW when he was there.  I'm sure he has picked up a few things over the years from him.

Team 101

December 21st, 2022 at 3:27 PM ^

Michigan was in the final 4 of the NCAA tournament but that was 10 years ago.  The B1G keeps getting more competitive and we are at best somewhere in the middle.

I think a large part of our problem is that the facilities at Cliff Keen are antiquated - the building was converted from a swimming pool and there are other schools where volleyball has a following closer to the basketball team.

I don't think the change in coaching staff will hurt us and perhaps the new energy will help but it will probably take more than a new coaching staff to reach championship levels.

GoBlue1530

December 21st, 2022 at 4:08 PM ^

Was quite the miraculous run too, beating #10, getting a break with MSU in the sweet 16, and then beating #2 Stanford at their home. Only needed a fifth set in the opening round too. Really good run for a team outside the top 16, especially when top seeds typically do a good job holding serve. 

VCavman24

December 21st, 2022 at 6:17 PM ^

Lost to Texas in 5 sets in the semis also.  Texas went on to dominate in the championship.  Michigan was on fire that tournament and truly came close to winning it all, but there's been no success since then.  What about the Kentucky coach?  They won it all a couple years ago.  I would have to imagine Michigan could top whatever their paying.

Satansnutsack

December 21st, 2022 at 3:27 PM ^

Good.  Olympic sport coaches need to be held accountable as well.   Who else might be on the hot seat? 

GoBlueGoWings

December 21st, 2022 at 6:06 PM ^

It was time. 

Michigan never improved. When was the last time they were in the hunt for a B1G championship?

 Michigan has 3 sports inside Cliff Keen, it's time to upgrade. As bad a Dave Brandon was, he wanted to upgrade it, but it never happened.

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And I don't want all the games played at Crisler.