Michigan Still Right To Let RichRod Go, Despite Rodriguez's Latest Comments

It has been five weeks since Rich Rodriguez was let go by the University of Michigan, and the Wolverines are now on the eve of new head coach Brady Hoke’s first signing day with the program.

While Hoke’s first signing day brings hope of a new vision and future for people, such as athletic director Dave Brandon and many Michigan alumni, Rich Rodriguez is still focusing on the past and “what could have been.”

In an interview with the Associated Press, RichRod remained steadfast in his belief that the program was turning the corner and that better times were coming sooner rather than later.

"Heck, we had 24 starters coming back, and the player of the year in the league—he's a sophomore and still learning. Recruiting, we thought it was going really well even with all the drama. That's the frustrating part about it is we didn't get a chance to finish the job," he said.

With all due respect to Mr. Rodriguez, understanding and patience are two virtues that run in short supply amongst University of Michigan fans and alumni. Michigan football operates under the same basic ground rules that programs such as Florida, Texas, Ohio State and Notre Dame follow.

These ground rules call for coaches to win early and often and to consistently be competing for Conference Championships and National Titles.

In the movie “Wall Street,” Gordon Gekko responds to his protégé Bud Fox’s news of a setback by telling Fox, “I don’t like losses, sport. Nothing ruins my day more than losses. Now you do good, you get perks, lots and lots of perks.”

I can imagine Dave Brandon having a similar conversation with Rich Rodriguez when describing the possible rewards and potential pitfalls involved with leading the larger-than-life Wolverine football program.

The world of elite Division I college football programs works much the same way Gekko’s office does, in that results and successes take precedence over ideals and leniency.

While RichRod may have thought that the program was just about to hit its stride, it ultimately turned out that 22 losses in three seasons at the storied program was too much for the “power brokers” in Ann Arbor to stomach. Fans can only judge a coach by what they see, and going 6-18 in the Big Ten during three seasons at the school isn’t an easy sight for supporters of the storied Wolverine’s program to stomach.

While we are the on subject, what is the best way to gain the favor of a fanbase?

People often ask the question, how does a coach identify with and become a popular figure amongst members of his fanbase and alumni? I hear answers ranging from it’s the responsibility of the marketing department to he needs to carry himself well at alumni benefits and fundraisers. All those answers may hold some merit in theory, but the true barometer of a coach’s relationship with the fanbase will ultimately be his winning percentage and recent success.

In his interview with the Associated Press, Rodriguez also commented on his theory behind why the Michigan fanbase seemed divided.

"Everybody's got their own theory of it. My personal theory—and this is talking to people that were there before I got there—is that when Bo Schembechler passed away that driving force to get everybody pulling in the same direction may have gone with him. I think there were some battles that were being fought even before I took the job," he said.

A 52-14 loss against Mississippi State in the Progressive Gator Bowl, and a humiliating 37-7 defeat to arch rival Ohio State won’t win you any points with Wolverine’s supporters, and ultimately it was losses such as these that caused a rift in the base rather than the passing of Coach Schembechler.

While the talk of a need for more time and divisive fans is interesting, the fact remains that there are expectations at Michigan and those expectations certainly were not being met. The only way to survive as the head coach at Michigan is to win and to win often. Going 16-22 won’t get you any popularity points amongst the maize and blue faithful, and ultimately it didn’t get Rich Rodriguez a fourth season in Ann Arbor.