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 12:15 PM ^
January 3rd, 2018 at 12:26 PM ^
"Tight knit group of coaches who have been with Rich Rod for years and followed him to every job" thing that used to seem noble and loyal now seems like an ominous sign that was missed.
"Cleared because the accuser decided to file a lawsuit instead of cooperating with an internal investigation" is not exactly the ringing endorsement of his character Rich wants to make it out to be in his open letter. If it's true, it's a pathetic end to a career full of "what ifs" and "almosts." I thought Rich was going to end up being the Emory Bellard (father of the wishbone, never had great success as a HC and watched his offense make Royal, Switzer and Holtz famous instead). Now it seems he'll be lucky to be remembered that well.
January 3rd, 2018 at 4:04 PM ^
which was her not cooperating with the investigation destroyed her credibility in my eyes and validated him
January 4th, 2018 at 1:13 AM ^
Two months after she finally quits, they ask her for an interview and want to see the kissy-face emoji texts she was sent by the boss that used to stand around in his underwear fondling his dick while he talked to her?
"Talk to my attorney" is the very nicest thing they could have expected her to say. I have no idea why you would think it validates Rodriguez.
January 3rd, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
So...in an effort to keep things from getting out they
- Wrote them down
- Called the book the "hideaway book"
- Declared themselves a secrets club
- Invited a victim of harassment in the secrets club or harassed someone who was already privy to the secrets
Not trying to minimize the offense itself but the cover-up side is something out of a Fargo plot.
January 3rd, 2018 at 12:58 PM ^
It's been too long and I can't even seem to remember the details enough to land one of the posts on a google search...but wasn't there a guy that used to comment here about watching RR and his assistants hitting on the help at some Saline establishment or other?
It's the first thing I thought of when I saw this story.
Maybe somebody who's been around here a while will know what I'm talking about. I obviously don't.
January 3rd, 2018 at 1:16 PM ^
January 3rd, 2018 at 1:59 PM ^
It feels like you could translate it as "The investigation didn't find enough to warrant disciplinary action, but then again, this lawsuit could be pretty bad PR and it's not like we won 10 games this year, so see ya."
January 3rd, 2018 at 2:47 PM ^
Quoting the University's statement:
After her initial report to the University in October, the former employee retained counsel and declined multiple requests from the University to participate in the investigation into her allegations. In addition, she was unwilling to turn over communications that she alleged provided support for her allegations and recently filed a notice of a financial claim against Mr. Rodriguez.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.
That's not an investigation clearing him--that's an investigation that couldn't get off the ground because the witness decided to go through the legal system instead of the University's internal process.
January 3rd, 2018 at 3:09 PM ^
or just a payoff? If it's just a payoff, I get a bit skeptical.
January 3rd, 2018 at 3:22 PM ^
Maintaining a hostile work environment isn't a criminal act; civil court's the only venue.
January 3rd, 2018 at 3:05 PM ^
— Danny Embick (@DEmbick5) January 3, 2018
January 3rd, 2018 at 3:05 PM ^
Rich Rod wasn't a fit at Michigan. He had to go. But he did what he said he was going to do, bring a spread offense to the Big Ten. It was better to end the experiment when we did. I hoped things would work out for him at Zona.
Of course though I have no idea on the allegations. As far as I know there is only one accuser, it's always hard to say on a he-said she-said without proof either way
January 3rd, 2018 at 3:17 PM ^
...I've found a copy of the Notice of Claims.
https://drive.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://archive.azcentral.c…
January 3rd, 2018 at 4:14 PM ^
January 3rd, 2018 at 4:41 PM ^
1. He's not been accused of a crime.
2. He's not being sued for covering up an affair--he's being sued for things like standing in his underwear holding his dick while he talks with his (female) assistant. (Who, for people having trouble following the story, was NOT the girlfriend.)
Read her letter. If you still can't understand why he might have been fired, if you think you could behave that way and keep your own job, I don't know what to say.
January 3rd, 2018 at 11:05 PM ^
January 3rd, 2018 at 8:33 PM ^
January 5th, 2018 at 12:18 PM ^
"The former assistant who filed a $7.5 million sexual harassment complaint against Rodriguez claims the 54-year-old coach victimized her for years, including "ogling her," having parents send pictures of their gentials to her and asking her to lie to his wife to cover up his infidelity."