SI Lead Story: Rich Rodriguez thriving at Arizona (writer talks some about Michigan)
Nothing new but thought others might find it of interest on a Thursday afternoon.
"Seemed like what was a Rodriguez problem in 2010 was actually a Michigan problem"
Quote by Rodriguez on Michigan "It's not like I dwell on it, but when people ask me about it, I say, yeah, it sitll bothres me. It still frustrates me because we'd like to hav eseen what we could do with another year or two."
Talks about how Arizona AD Greg Bryne who hired Dan Mullen at Mississippi State thought hiring Rich Rodriguez to Arizona was a no brainer.
October 30th, 2014 at 3:01 PM ^
Hm. Confirming what many of us knew all along. The problem wasn't Coach Rodriguez. The problem lay with the University's incompetent and uncaring adminstration, along with the athletic department infighting.
October 30th, 2014 at 3:07 PM ^
I like RichRod and think that he got a bad deal, but come on.
October 30th, 2014 at 3:10 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 3:17 PM ^
And we've seen the type of intelligent hires he made. From Borges down to Wellman, who has performed so lack-lusterly that Michigan athletes have been noticably deficient at the combine. Failures all around.
October 30th, 2014 at 3:19 PM ^
I'm not being snarky, I'm seriously wondering. Was there someone he wanted to hire but couldn't because Michigan didn't give him enough $$?? I don't remember that.
October 30th, 2014 at 3:24 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
Jeff Casteel who was very successful with RR at WVU. Instead, we got the 3 year shit show of Scott Shafer and Gerg. Having Casteel would have made a big difference IMO. Still, the big problem was recruiting. RR and his staff were killing Michigan for the future by recruiting too many at some positions, not nearly enough at others, abandoning the State and letting MSU get the best players, and taking marginal kids.
October 30th, 2014 at 4:26 PM ^
His classes were widely considered Top 10 or Top 15. Combined with LC's last recruiting class, that turned into a BCS team. Not bad.
And I love the state of Michigan, but this has not exactly been a talent rich state for football, especially compared to the regions where RR was recruiting. There's a reason why the B1G sucks: Less talent in the Midwest and the population shift down South and West sending more skilled and yes, faster, athletes to those parts. And I still think he would have recruited the state better if the former players would have supported him and helped push kids to UM, not away from it.
October 30th, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^
That was true until 2010. The 2010 class was not a good one. Its national ranking was propped up a bit by its then-thought-to-be-large size (27), but it was a fringe top 25 class by average recruit rating.
And it's not like the recruiting services were wrong to doubt that group. Here it is, in all of its glory:
Ash, Avery, Black, Christian, Dileo, Dorsey, Furman, Gardner, Hagerup, Hopkins, J. Jackson, C. Johnson, C. Jones, Kinard, R. Miller, Pace, Paskorz, J. Robinson, M. Robinson, D. Rogers, Ryan, Talbott, Talbott, Vinopal, A. White, Wilkins, Williamson
October 30th, 2014 at 8:53 PM ^
Devin Gardner was desired by everybody. Everybody called him Vince Young Jr. and he showed it in 2012. He was the jewel of the class. Who knows what happens if that class plays four years under the systems they were recruited for.
October 30th, 2014 at 5:58 PM ^
RR's recruting was fools gold. His classes rocked the star rankings, but they were filled with tweeners. 5'9 slot receivers, defensive players too big for linebacker but too small for defensive end. Hybrid safety linebackers. They recruited 4* players who didn't have positions in college football.
October 30th, 2014 at 6:11 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 6:22 PM ^
I didn't say players who were too small for the Big Ten. I said players too small or too big for their position like Ken Wilkins, Jordan Paskorz, Marvin Robinson, Josh Furman and many others that they tried to put in hybrid roles.
October 30th, 2014 at 7:12 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 8:01 PM ^
It's amazing that you mention Josh Furman who's having a breakout year at Oklahoma State. See http://newsok.com/osu-football-cowboys-josh-furman-making-his-case-for-…. He's another player who was misused by Hoke and his coaches.
October 31st, 2014 at 12:37 AM ^
"His classes rocked the star rankings"
I think you're thinking of Hoke. We called RichRod's recruits the 3 Star Mafia for a reason right?
(Per Scout)
RR (3 classes):
5* - 4
4* - 29
3* - 36
2* - 5
BH (4 classes):
5* - 6
4* - 40
3* - 40
2* - 1
I look at those and don't exactly think "RR's classes rocked the star rankings." Not bad, but his guys won a BCS game.
October 30th, 2014 at 11:51 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 6:23 PM ^
Scott Shafer was a good DC everywhere he went except Michigan. I don't think you can blame him for 2008.
RichRod couldn't get Casteel, but Shafer should have been as good - if not better - of a hire. He had been Harbaugh's DC at Stanford, which tells you something.
The problem was RichRod's fixation with the 3-3-5. Shafer couldn't run what he wanted and the result was a disaster.
October 30th, 2014 at 3:30 PM ^
and I assume that it's true. E.g.:
Casteel had been set to join Rodriguez at Michigan before the new Mountaineers coach, Bill Stewart, offered him $275,000 — $10,000 more than Michigan — and a multi-year contract.
(LINK)
October 30th, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^
I remember Casteel staying with WVU but I didn't know why. $10 G's doesn't seem like that much. Oh well, it's in the past now. Too bad our crappy performance has made us all re hash this and fight with each other. Hopefully next year RR and Hoke will both be long forgotten.
October 30th, 2014 at 4:12 PM ^
To think how different things would have been had Casteel been here with RR.....
The difference that 10 grand has made over re long haul is exponential.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 30th, 2014 at 6:41 PM ^
How about the fact that Mattison makes close to a million? Like 850-900k. And we wouldn't pony up less than $300k? My God.
October 30th, 2014 at 4:15 PM ^
As I recall, it was more than just the money though. Casteel had put down roots in WV, and there was even some talk of his becoming the HC at some point in the future, so it's not clear money was even the biggest issue that kept him away from Michigan.
October 30th, 2014 at 4:26 PM ^
This is what I remember as well. All of his other assistants followed him despite the pay, but Casteel stayed because he thought he had a shot at the HC job. He should have left, because if he went with RR to Michigan and would have won, he'd be making twice what he's making now at Arizona.
October 30th, 2014 at 3:31 PM ^
I think it's been pretty well known that that they wouldn't dish out the $$ for Casteel. But really none of his other D position coaches were very inspiring, so who knows if it would've made a difference in the end. Just bad juju all around from all parties. Sucks.
October 30th, 2014 at 3:30 PM ^
Jeff Casteel. Casteel was RR's DC at WVU from 2002-end and RR tried to get him to come to Michigan with him. Incredibly bright mind, prominent innovator of the 3-3-5. Stayed at WVU during Michigan years, re-hired by RR at AZ in 2013. Results speak for themselves. It isn't certain Casteel would have left Morgantown, but offering him $1 million/year would have been a pretty damn good start instead of the ~$300,000 we ended up paying Shafer (who was then dumped for GERG).
October 30th, 2014 at 4:35 PM ^
People can bitch all they want about Jeff Casteel not being offered enough money, but out of all the potential DC's in the world, it was RichRod that hired Scott Shafer and GERG. If they didn't work out, the buck stops with RichRod.
October 30th, 2014 at 5:40 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 6:14 PM ^
and GERG was foisted upon RR by a lack of budget and the AD
October 30th, 2014 at 5:13 PM ^
I believe according to John Bacon in "Three and Out," WVU offered Casteel about $15k more and a multi-year contract, terms Michigan wouldn't match. (Casteel who is now with him in Arizona, btw.) So the answer is "yeah," there WAS someone RR wanted to hire and Michigan wouldn't pony up the dough. Penny wise, pound foolish.
October 30th, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 4:12 PM ^
at UF? Bringing Casteel with him like he wanted in the first place? Simply saying that "RR was bad" is. . . dunderheaded.
October 30th, 2014 at 4:30 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 7:03 PM ^
October 31st, 2014 at 12:20 AM ^
If I was good enough, had the drive, and caught a few breaks my way... Yeah I think I would succeed.
Adversity is nothing new and it isn't going away. Still have to step up and deliver.
October 30th, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^
I agree that bringing Casteel would have helped the defense. But our offense sucked too, remember? Everyone remembers the RR offense at Michigan being so great, but against good teams it was atrocious. Even in the third year with Denard and Odoms and Gallon and good pieces, we couldn't do anything against the good teams on our schedule.
October 30th, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 4:32 PM ^
RR never even had a QB at Michigan for 2 straight years. First year was Threet/Sheridan, second year was Tate and third year was Denard. If he had ever had a chance to work with a QB who had a little experience, maybe he would have been able to score against the better defenses just like he always did at WVU and has at Arizona (49 against Cal, 31 against Oregon and 26 against USC so far this year and with another freshman QB, at that). My guess is that he would have gotten more out of Denard in 2011 than Borges/Hoke managed, but he never got the chance.
FWIW, he played defense in college.
October 30th, 2014 at 4:39 PM ^
He had two years with denard, just because he started tate over him didn't make denard vanish or not get to practice. Not to mention everyone is mentioning how he is proving how great he is by winnng with a first year starter this year. Can't have it both ways.
October 30th, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^
If you remember correctly Terelle Pryor was supposed to commit to WVU, but swapped to OSU when RR was hired at Michigan. He was the #1 commit in the country and was gonna commit to WVU, but RR couldn't bring him to Michigan with him... idk if that is cuz of academics or Tressel snake oiling methods... EIther way that screwed over a lot of stuff regarding QBs along with the transfers that followed.
October 30th, 2014 at 6:54 PM ^
the decision between OSU and UM was a toss-up for quite a while. In hindsight, glad TP didn't make the trip to AA.
October 30th, 2014 at 4:53 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 5:32 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 7:18 PM ^
I do not know why people don't recall all of the issues Mallet had his freshman year. By several accounts, he threatened to transfer on several occasions, to the point that Carr threw transfer papers at him and said "go ahead."
By the end of the season he was alienated from Carr's staff and was disliked by his teammates.
Vince Lombardi walking through the door was not going to keep Mallet in Ann Arbor. In December, EVERYONE knew he was gone.
October 30th, 2014 at 5:50 PM ^
Threet was terrible....the system set him up MULTIPLE times with wide open receivers and he overthrew every single time. He could not hit the broad side of a barn and was a ouble (or triple) transferee....he would not have thrived in a pro set offense or any offense for that matter.
October 30th, 2014 at 6:16 PM ^
October 30th, 2014 at 9:24 PM ^