Seconds after Purdue came back to win, Michigan alumni and fans began to shout from the rooftops that head coach Rich Rodriguez needs to go.
If they had their way, they would run him out of town before the season is over.
This would be one of the biggest mistakes they could make.
Yes, Rodriguez does have a losing record of 8-13 since taking over as head coach for Michigan. At their current pace, Michigan is going to finish last in the Big Ten with one win, something that has not happened since 1958.
Michigan fans should have expected a losing record during the first few years of Rodriguez’s tenure. He took over a program where he completely gutted the offensive playbook, switching from a pro style offense to a spread offense.
He also needed to recruit the players to fit his system. Instead of looking for the strongest and biggest players in the Midwest, Rodriguez needed athletic players and wanted speed on both sides of the ball.
Don’t forget about the yearly change at the defensive coordinator position. Perhaps the lack of stability is the reason why this porous defense has not looked impressive this year.
But wait, Michigan faithful say. He is not a Michigan man and he is ruining one of the storied college football programs that has more victories than any other team in college football.
Some are saying that if Lloyd Carr stayed after the 2007 season, Michigan would have won at least 8 games in both seasons while earning trips to a bowl game.
These are the same fans who were calling for Carr’s head. They said his pro style offense was too vanilla and they needed something more. They were annoyed that Carr had a losing record against their rival Ohio State.
Gone are the days where the bruising style of Big Ten play is good enough to earn a shot at the BCS national championship game on a yearly basis. Something that has been especially evident when Ohio State has taken center stage.
Michigan fans need to be patient.
When Rodriguez went to West Virginia, it took three years before they were able to clinch the Big East title. A major change like this needs time for all of the pieces to line up.
Replacing him now will only push the program back another couple of years. Ride out the remainder of this year and 2010. If he does not make a drastic improvement next year, then it is time to consider making a change.
[...] Michigan Fans Need to Give Rich Rodriguez a Break [...]