Rich Rodriguez Fired: Michigan Can Forget Jim Harbaugh, So Who's the Top Target?

Rich Rodriguez is done at Michigan.

His meeting with Wolverine athletic director Dave Brandon Tuesday informed him that he's been terminated as head football coach, the Rich Rod era at Big Blue is over.

Rodriguez found out the hard way what happens when you lose a 52-14 bowl blowout to Mississippi State, one of the SEC's lesser children.

If the report is true, Michigan will spend $2.5 million to buy out the remaining three years of Rodriguez' contract.

It ends a three-year episode marked by discontent and factions unhappy with the hiring of Rodriguez at the start. He was basically doomed from the beginning. One ingredient for full success at a school like Michigan is total, unwavering support, and Rodriguez never had that.

So what's next for the Wolverines? Where do they go from here?

If there's a pipe dream that Jim Harbaugh will leave Stanford in his rear view mirror to return to his alma mater, that's exactly what it is—an unrealistic pipe dream. Harbaugh wasn't good enough for Michigan the last go-round, and, like most humans, Harbaugh has a memory and that's what he'll recall.

Perhaps Michigan hopes to play the "Your alma mater desperately needs you, Jimmy" card, but that won't work.

Harbaugh has bigger fish to fry, and the NFL has teams standing in line for him with money and opportunity. John Elway was already whispering in his ear after Stanford bopped Virginia Tech Monday night. Although Harbaugh has said it isn't the money that will attract him, if he wants a college job it won't be in Ann Arbor; it would be right where he is now—Stanford.

"Disappointed and frustrated but not discouraged," is how Rodriguez expressed his feelings after the humiliation by Mississippi State.

"Desperate" is how you might describe the situation at Michigan as the new year begins.

Rich Rod will be fine. The University of Pittsburgh might come calling immediately; back to the Big East isn't out of the picture.

Michigan can take its cue from the University of Miami and give Jon Gruden a call. Gruden's out there and wants to coach again, and the Big House can certainly give him the kind of audience he wants.

Eric Mangini's available, and maybe it isn't a stretch for the Wolverines to grab a disenchanted former NFL coach.

Whatever Michigan decides to do, it needs to get its house in order and figure out the candidate who will excite EVERYONE that loves the Blue and Maize.

Urban Meyer's on sabbatical. You can give him a call in a couple of years.

Whatever Michigan decides to do, Rich Rod won't be a tough act to follow. He was 6-18 in Big Ten games and got skunked against Ohio State and Michigan State—a combined 0-6.

Dave Brandon needs to have himself a good list—no, make that a great list—of candidates.

And he can scratch Jim Harbaugh from the top of that list. It won't happen.

Where does Brandon turn his search?

If he wants to try going back to West Virginia, Bill Stewart's available.

Just kidding.