OT: (UPDATED) Rich Rodriguez Out At Arizona
Intresting development. https://amp.usatoday.com/amp/996856001?__twitter_impression=true
MOD EDIT - apologies to BoFan, who did post additional information (did not realize that the paranthetical comment was not showing on the mobile app, so readers there apparently didn't see that the thread here had been updated). Feel free to post that here, regarding his being fired without cause as the allegations apparently could not be substantiated. - LSA
January 3rd, 2018 at 1:36 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:13 PM ^
January 3rd, 2018 at 8:45 AM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:14 PM ^
Aren't there some weird real estate/booster entanglements that make firing RR prohibitively expensive?
January 3rd, 2018 at 9:30 AM ^
The school wouldn't be paying for that. Not directly. But I imagine that firing RR now, rather than waiting for the results of another investigation helps them out with boosters.
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:19 PM ^
Next in line for the Arizona job: Brady Hoke
January 3rd, 2018 at 9:33 AM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:23 PM ^
At this point, he isn't an elite coach. He can't coach defense to save his life but you're Arizona so firing him doesn't do you any good. You don't want another Herm Edwards.
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:25 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:26 PM ^
Next in line for the Arizona job: Brady Hoke
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:29 PM ^
Arizona confirms it has fired him:
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:31 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:33 PM ^
He should take the year off...collect his check. Replace Lane Kiffin at FAU when he leaves after next season.
I've always said if Rich Rod and his staff can get to the state of Florida, they would be a machine (relatively speaking). He'd keep that thing rolling in Boca, no question. Enough to be there 2-3 years and be back in the power 5.
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:39 PM ^
If he's been fired for sexual harassment (as has been hinted), I don't think he's getting another job anytime soon.
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:40 PM ^
and they cleared Rich Rod of wrongdoings.
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:46 PM ^
From the article linked earlier in the thread, he's apparently on the verge of being sued, so evidently there is more to that story (or this is a new one?).
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:49 PM ^
Apparently, it's standard proceedings in the state of Arizona but that gives them a convivent excuse to fire him without cause citing that it will be problem in recruiting.
January 2nd, 2018 at 11:36 PM ^
Here's the statement from Arizona (at the end of the article). The final paragraph:
>The investigation, which concluded on December 28, 2017, found that the original specific harassment allegations against Mr. Rodriguez could not be substantiated based on the evidence and witnesses available to it. However, Arizona Athletics did become aware of information, both before and during the investigation, which caused it to be concerned with the direction and climate of the football program.
It sounds like the accusations couldn't be proven in a court of law (and thus give them official cause to avoid the buyout) but there was enough smoke to make them uncomfortable.
January 3rd, 2018 at 2:38 PM ^
The culture of the program was terrible and it was due to RR's leadership. It's going to be very hard for them to defend RR in public for that even if the accusations are completely unfounded. And they would pretty much have to if they were to keep him.
January 3rd, 2018 at 2:59 PM ^
The immediately prior paragraph says the complaining witness chose to pursue her allegations in a court of law instead of turning over her evidence to the university.
Unless it;s settled, we're going to find out if they could be proven in a court of law. What the school couldn't do is prove them in their own investigation without the cooperation of the complainant.
January 3rd, 2018 at 7:57 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:34 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:39 PM ^
they're paying the full buyout.
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:43 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:51 PM ^
https://twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/948398275211620352
Without cause, meaning they'll pay the full buyout.
EDIT: Also another source: https://twitter.com/JasonScheer/status/948394459531587584
If that was for lawsuit, they had a reason to fire him with cause but since they're not, they're paying him the whole buyout.
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:57 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 11:05 PM ^
when it seems like Arizona has a case of firing him for cause but since they're not, it seems weird that they're paying him the full buyout. My question is why now? Why not do it before early signing day? Did they want to wait until after the signing day to fire him so they can keep the recruits committed to Arizona. If so, that is unfair to the recruits.
January 4th, 2018 at 9:36 AM ^
And received by the AG that afternoon. He presumably notified the University that day, which was last Thursday.
Since they, and the outside firm they hired, weren't able to interview her during their investigation, they probably wouldn't have known about the various University employees who allegedly contacted her after she left to offer condolences on how she was treated. It also would have been their first glimpse at the texts she'd received and probably still had in her possession. My guess is they would have spent some time Friday checking those stories out, finding out what might have been missed. And then consulting with counsel on how to proceed.
Then came the weekend, and Monday was a holiday. On Tuesday they pulled the trigger.
They got it done in one full workday; I don't see anything suspicious about the timing.
Or hers. She says more than once in the letter that she has been trying to limit the damage that would be done to innocent people, including her daughter whose position as an equipment manager for the team might be at risk. Arizona played their bowl game on Wednesday; the letter was delivered the next day.
January 3rd, 2018 at 9:35 AM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:55 PM ^
January 3rd, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:41 PM ^
I seriously hope they find someone whose able to provide stellar press conferences like Herm Edwards.
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:43 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:43 PM ^
He gone
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:46 PM ^
who's got two thumbs and very reasonable contract demands pic.twitter.com/wH2KHkEHS8
— Ace Anbender (@AceAnbender) November 27, 2017
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:48 PM ^
Interesting fact: Rich Rod has one of 3 10-win seasons in Arizona football history; the other two were by Dick Tomey.
I hope Arizona has a plan here in getting rid of him, because looking at their history I don't see how they can expect to do any better than what RR has produced for them during his 6 years there.
Edit: Nevermind, I just read about the allegations. You have to fire a guy if you even have an inkling those are real.
January 2nd, 2018 at 11:04 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 11:56 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 11:14 PM ^
Also an interesting fact, he was 43-35 at Arizona (24-30 in conference). He finished 7-6 this year, with a loss to Purdue in the Bowl. Since leaving WV, he's 58-57 overall, with a 30-48 record in conference. That's .... not good.
January 2nd, 2018 at 11:57 PM ^
January 3rd, 2018 at 12:53 PM ^
Not sure what Michigan has to do with this, but Michigan is 28-11 under Harbaugh. Zona is 17-21 during that same span. So not exactly similar.
The last coach b4 Rodrigues was Mike Stoops. Stoops went 8-5, 8-5 then 7-6 before being fired after starting 1-5 his last season. RR went 7-6, 3-9 and 7-6 his last 3 seasons. So not sure why you think he was better than other UofA coaches. Looks like he was even worse than Stoops.
He had 1 good season out of 6 in Arizona. He never loss less than 4 games in a season. He struggled against ASU. His defenses were consistently terrible. Not sure what there is to defend here.
January 3rd, 2018 at 1:11 PM ^
...but that's largely thanks to the AD changing their nonconference scheduling. They used to make point of playing the toughest week 1 or week 2 opponent they could find: LSU a couple of times, Ohio St., Wisconsin, Iowa. They've replaced those games with Northern Arizona and UTSA or UTEP.
January 4th, 2018 at 1:02 AM ^
I would guess that at least 90% of the 10-win seasons in college football history have happened in the last 30 years. Maybe more than 95%. It was very hard to win ten games back when the season was only nine games long.
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:48 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:51 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:51 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 10:54 PM ^
January 2nd, 2018 at 11:19 PM ^
That's a lot of maybes and MAYBE some bullshit ones at that.