Rich Rodriguez: 10 Possible Moves for Michigan's Embattled Head Coach
Rich Rodriguez: 10 Possible Moves for Michigan's Embattled Head Coach
Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez has seemed to be fighting for his job ever since he was hired by the traditional Big Ten power. After he had such a messy divorce from West Virginia it appeared that his image took a big hit.
So far, his career at Michigan hasn't been even close to being considered a success. He has a record of 15-22 as the coach of the Wolverines in three season.
What does Rodriguez need to do to improve his image? Does it involve staying at Michigan or leaving? Stick here to find out and let us know what you think.
Should Rich Rod be fired? Should he stay? Let us know.
10. Make Michigan About Denard Robinson
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Up until this point, when people think of Michigan football, they think of Rich Rodriguez.
Rich Rod needs to make quarterback Dernard Robinson the only thing people talk about when they mention Michigan. He will be one of the Heisman favorites when next season starts and Rodriguez needs to hitch his wagon to Robinson's career if he has a hope of fixing his image.
9. Convince Tate Forcier to Transfer
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Tate Forcier was the jewel of the Michigan's recuiting class a few years ago. However, in the same class Rich Rodriguez also signed Denard Robinson. So far it is clear that Robinson is the future of Michigan football and Forcier is not.
Not only that, but the relationship between Forcier and Rodriguez seems very strained ever sense Forcier was benched as a freshman.
If Forcier is convinced to transfer that is one story line that won't crop up during Michigan football games.
8. Find a Cause
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One thing Rich Rodriguez could do to to help his image is to find a good cause. Some teams find sick children to rally around. Other coaches do work for disease prevention. Whatever it is, things like that suck people in and get them to root for you.
If Rodriguez had a cause that he could bring attention to, a lot of people would be less focused on his image.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
7. Find a Scapegoat
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Some of the best coaches in college football are able to take credit for others' successes and find blame for others' failures.
Rich Rod needs to find someone on his staff that he can force out as a scapegoat for the team's struggles. While it might not be the most useful way to repair his image, it will show that he is willing to change.
6. Hire an All-Star Coaching Staff
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If Rich Rod makes some changes to his staff there would be plenty of quality assistant coaches that Michigan could hire that would not only make his team better but it will also show that he is trying to make the Wolverines as good as possible.
Randy Shannon is available and he would be a great defensive coordinator for Michigan, which has struggled on defense during Rodriguez's tenure.
5. Change Offensive Schemes
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When Rich Rod was at West Virginia he made waves with his offensive scheme. So far at Michigan, the same scheme has failed to yield the same results.
It might be time for Rodriguez to start looking into implementing a new offense. That might help show that he is willing to adapt to teams that have adapted to him.
4. Lessen His Publicity
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During his tenure at Michigan, Rich Rodriguez has been in the media a lot. Almost too much.
Public figures have a tendency to start receiving backlash for their publicity.
If Rodriguez were to try to lower his public image there would be less backlash coming his way.
3. Offer to Donate His Salray If They Don't Win
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If Rich Rodriguez doesn't lower his public persona, a good way to make good publicity would be to offer to donate his salary if he doesn't win games.
Just look at Ron Artest as an example. His image was as bad as an image can be, however now he is almost a beloved figure now.
Artest is donating all of his salary this year to a charities that help raise mental health awareness.
If Rodriguez were to make a similar donation based on job performance, a lot of people would think differently of him.
2. Win Big Games
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During his three season at Michigan, Rich Rodriguez has not only never beat bitter rival Ohio State, but he has also lost against most of the traditional rivals and big games his team has played in.
The Wolverines have been outscored 143-86 in the six games against rivals Ohio State and Michigan State. They are also 0-6 in those games.
This year Michigan made its first bowl game, however, that was another big game where Michigan laid an egg. They lost 52-14 to Mississippi State.
1. Save His Job
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The best thing Rich Rod can do to salvage his shaky image is to save his job. Obviously the best way to do that is to win football games.
However, saving his job won't be easy. The Wolverines are down right now and unless they can suddenly learn how to stop teams on defense, it looks like Rodriguez is on his way out.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
