Michigan Football: Rich Rodriguez Cries and Why Hiring Jim Harbaugh Is in Doubt

There has been plenty of speculation about the future of Michigan head football coach Rich Rodriguez following his third straight disappointing season at the helm in Ann Arbor.

When lured away from West Virginia following the 2007 season, Rodriguez signed a four-year contract to come to Michigan. But he went a combined 8-16 in his first two years, leading the Wolverines to their first consecutive losing campaigns since 1962-63. And despite a 7-5 record and his first postseason berth—the team will face Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day—many critics remain.

Michigan athletic director David Brandon has repeatedly said that he will wait until after the season to evaluate his coaching staff and make any decisions on its future.

But with Rodriguez and his squad preparing for the No. 21 team in the nation on Jan. 1, what's the deal with his job? Could a successor be lined up beforehand? Is highly touted Stanford coach—and former Michigan quarterback—Jim Harbaugh a serious candidate?

We'll take a look at those issues and more.

RichRod Uses...Josh Groban As Motivation?!?!

First off, it bears mentioning that Rodriguez was in the news late last week for his antics at the football team's annual banquet.

During a speech (you can listen to it here) on Thursday night, Rodriguez was brought to tears as he discussed what he and his players had been through.

“My name is Rich Rodriguez,” he said. “I’m honored to be the football coach at Michigan. I hope you realize I want to be a Michigan man.

“I came here three years ago, leaving my comfort zone, because I thought this was a great opportunity,” he said, "I knew after being on the job for a few months there were going to be some challenges. And more came out in front of us. We never ran away from it."

“It’s going to happen, and it’s going to happen in a big way,” he continued, “I wish it happened yesterday, last year, the first year. Believe me, my life would be a lot easier.”

Rodriguez then brought the crowd to its feet as he had Josh Groban's song "You Raise Me Up" played over a loudspeaker as he locked hands with his wife, Rita.

"I got into coaching so we could make a difference," Rodriguez went on to say, "The kids raise us up as coaches. There are times we are down, we're thinking about, 'Geez, is this worth it? Is this worth it for your family?'"

Cheesy much?

Josh Groban's Witty Retort

But it didn't appear to move Groban, who, via Twitter, playfully criticized Rodriguez's decision to play his hit cover of the song during the festivities.

"Coach Rodriguez," he wrote. "I'm very flattered but crying to You Raise Me Up is SO five years ago."

BUUUUUURRRRRRRNNNNN.

Maybe Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" would have been more fitting. And it's a bad sign when a football coach is stealing motivational tactics from a self-described "Professional Scribbler, Warbler and Ivory Tickler."

Michigan AD Responds

Courtesy of AnnArbor.com

Michigan athletic director David Brandon has said that he will wait until after the season to evaluate his coaching staff and make any decisions on its future.

But when he was asked on Saturday about Rodriguez's performance at the banquet, he supported his coach.

"It was an emotional night and it always is," Brandon told the Detroit News. "The emotions were high and the passion was high and that's Coach's way of communicating his passion and respect for the kids and the program."

"It was different," Brandon continued, "It was something he wanted to do and he did it. I'm sure he planned it—he had it cued up to play and he did it. He's a very passionate guy. People haven't seen that side of him and he showed it at the [banquet]."

Will He Stay Or Will He Go?

Courtesy of AnnArbor.com

Well, regardless of your take on his getting ripped by...[clears throat]...Josh Groban, RichRod's future at Michigan is anything but secure.

As Brandon continued on Saturday, "The attention that any athletic director wants—and any coach wants, and any player wants and any fan wants—is the attention around winning and being highly competitive. That's what we all want and what we need."

And neither the AD, nor the coach, nor the players nor the fans have gotten much attention for their winning since Rodriguez has been in Ann Arbor.

The focus, instead, has been on cutting ties with tradition, players jettisoned for not fitting in with the new offense, NCAA practice violations and more than a fair share of bad losses (including the 37-7 shellacking on Nov. 27 at the hands of rival Ohio State).

And it's for these reasons that many alumni, fans and members of the media are calling for Rodriguez's head.

Jim Harbaugh Off The Market?

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

PALO ALTO, CA - NOVEMBER 27: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Stanford Cardinal reacts after Delano Howell #26 of the Stanford Cardinal made an interception on a pass intended for Joe Halahuni #87 of the Oregon State Beavers at Stanford Stadium on November

And in the same breath as many fans are calling for Rodriguez's head, many are calling for Brandon to hire former Michigan QB Jim Harbaugh as his replacement.

But Harbaugh, the presumptive favorite for RichRod's job should he lose it, could be close to signing an extension to stay at Stanford, where the 46-year-old has turned the Cardinal from a 1-11 team to a BCS contender. On Sunday, Harbaugh and his 11-1 squad accepted a bid to play Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3, 2011.

"We have a proposal in front of Jim and he's indicated he plans to accept it," Stanford AD Bob Bowlsby said Sunday, "He's got this year and four more on his contract. I expect that he will be our coach in the foreseeable future.

"When you have high quality people [like Harbaugh] you're going to have others coming after him," Bowlsby said "Whether it's the NFL or another university, we have to be prepared to make preemptive offers and do the things it takes to put tools in place that make Jim or any other coach want to stay here. In the case of a football coach, those things tend to be a little more expensive than with some of our other coaches."

What Does The Future Hold?

Courtesy of the Associated Press

So what will become of RichRod?

Is Michigan going to have to turn to a lesser candidate than Harbaugh? Or might they stick with the incumbent for another year until a more exciting choice becomes available?

How will this debacle affect recruiting for next year and beyond?

Perhaps more importantly, how will this coaching chatter affect the team as it preps for its first Bowl game since Lloyd Carr was coach?

We'll find out soon.