Rich Rodriguez Being Fired is the Best Move for Michigan Football

As of this afternoon, Rich Rodriguez was relieved of his duties as head football coach at the University of Michigan. He is no longer a "Michigan Man" and frankly, never was.

In all honesty this is the best thing that could have happened to this team. The word "atrocious" doesn't even begin to describe the defense this season. It doesn't even describe his 6-18 record in Big Ten play. It can't even describe how, a team like Michigan, hasn't been able to pull in a great recruiting class in three years.

Now, next season is the biggest mystery for Michigan football. Would a pro-style offense do justice for a quarterback like Denard Robinson? Would Tate Forcier stay and run the offense? How would the defense improve after a disastrous season that made pee-wee football defenses look good compared to the Michigan defense?

Rich Rodriguez had his opportunities this season, to say the least. He had five games against ranked opponents and lost all five. In eight games against the Big Ten, he lost five.

Give him credit he made a bowl game shockingly after what seemed like a great start to the season. But, when you see 52-14 in the loss column for Michigan (which is the worst loss in Michigan football history since 1879) you can't fathom how he would return to Ann Arbor. I'm surprised he even made it onto the plane.

It began all sunshine and roses for the program. Landing a big name coach who just coached his team to a BCS bowl game. A tumultuous separation from West Virginia, a switch to a different offense and a completely revamped coaching staff later, Michigan was tearing apart at the seams. 

He made one bowl game in his career at Michigan and got blown out against an average SEC team (granted SEC teams are the top of the NCAA ranks), went 0-3 and got blown out in ALL of the games he coached against Ohio State and, oh yeah, he committed Michigan's first recruiting violation in 131 years of Michigan football.

Out of all the coaches Michigan has had in their 131 seasons of college football, Rich Rodriguez's .404 winning percentage was the worst of all 18 coaches. Also, out of the 14 coaches who have coached in Big Ten play, his .250 winning percentage is the worst of the great coaches of Michigan's past.

Whoever takes over has a lot of work to take on. A Michigan man is needed in Ann Arbor. A switch the pro-style offense could be the best but, could hamper the team's best player, Denard Robinson. But, after last season, it starts with the defense. Rodriguez hired Greg Robinson to coach his defense. He is to blame for the horrid defense. Until the Michigan defense is once again in its glorious position, he is to blame.

With Harbaugh being generally out of reach for Michigan, who takes over for this glorious program? Scratch that, who takes over to restore this glorious program?