Rich Rodriguez
Encyclopedia
Richard A. "Rich" Rodriguez (born May 24, 1963) is an American football
coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona
. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University (1988), Glenville State College
(1990–1996), West Virginia University
(2001–2007), and the University of Michigan
(2008–2010). His career college football
coaching record stands at 120–84–2. In 2011, Rodriguez worked as an analyst for CBS Sports
.
, Rodriguez graduated from North Marion High School
in 1981 where he played four sports and was an all-state football
and basketball
player. After high school, Rodriguez attended West Virginia University
. Playing as a defensive back
, Rodriguez recorded 54 career tackles over three seasons.
and graduated with a Physical Education degree. In 1986, he moved to what was then Salem College (now Salem International University
) where he served as special teams coordinator and secondary coach. In 1987, he became Salem’s defensive coordinator
and in 1988 took over as head coach
. At 25 years old, he was the youngest college head coach in the country. He was 2–8 in his first season as head coach, after which the college announced it was dropping its football program.
In 1989, he returned to West Virginia University as a volunteer assistant.
. During his stay from 1990 to 1996, the team earned three consecutive West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
championships and competed in the 1993 NAIA
national championship. His first season, 1990, he led the team to a 1–7-–record. In 1991, Glenville improved to 4–5–1. 1992 showed a 6–4 season; however in 1993, Rich Rodriguez led Glenville to a 10–3 record and the WVIAC Championship and NAIA
runner-up. The next two years, 1994 and 1995, Glenville finished as WVIAC Co-Champions. In Rodriguez's final season at Glenville, 1996, he led them to a Co-Championship once again. While at Glenville, Rodriguez compiled a record of 43–28–2 and was named WVIAC Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1994, NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1993, and West Virginia State College Coach of the Year in 1993 by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. Glenville State's four championships under Rodriguez were their first since 1959 while his players' set five national career records for Division II. He also coached three players who earned WVIAC Player of the Year honors.
Rodriguez left Glenville State at the end of the 1996 season to serve as assistant coach, offensive coordinator
, and quarterback
coach for Tulane University
from 1997 to 1998, under head coach Tommy Bowden
. Rodriguez was part of Tulane's success, including their 12–0 season in Rodriguez's last season at Tulane, mainly for his spread offense with quarterback Shaun King
. When Bowden was hired as the head coach at Clemson University
, he retained Rodriguez on his staff. Rodriguez served as the offensive coordinator and associate head coach until the end of the 2000 season, traveling to a Peach Bowl and Gator Bowl
.
. Rodriguez's first season at West Virginia, 2001, was a disappointing 3–8 season. However, Rodriguez's turn-around of the 2002 team is the greatest turn-around in Big East history with a 9–4 record, Big East runner-up finish, back-to-back road wins against ranked Virginia Tech and Pitt, and a Continental Tire Bowl berth, where they lost to ACC runner-up and border rival Virginia
. The Mountaineers finished second in the nation rushing with 283 yards per game and fourth in turnover margin. In 2003, the Mountaineers started the season 1–4, and after losing to #2 Miami
22–20, the Mountaineers posted a 6–1 Big East record and tied for the Big East championship with Miami, earning a Gator Bowl
berth. That season, the Mountaineers replaced 22 seniors, eleven of which were starters. In 2004, the Mountaineers posted a 8–4 record with a talented team of seniors and juniors, but were ranked as high as sixth during the regular season.
Following the 2002 season, Rodriguez was awarded the Big East Coach of the Year by Sporting News and state college coach of the year for all sports by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. He also received the 2003 Frank Loria Award
from the West Virginia chapter of the National Football Foundation
, and also earned Big East Coach of the Year that season. In 2005, he was offered to join the AFCA
Board of Directors, and that same season was again given Big East Coach of the Year honors. In 2005, Rodriguez and the Mountaineers won the Big East title with freshman tandem Steve Slaton
and Patrick White, thus claiming the conference's automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series
(BCS), where they defeated the Georgia Bulldogs
in the Nokia Sugar Bowl and a final Associated Press
ranking of fifth, tying the highest in school history (other in 1988).
Repeating off of their 2005 success, West Virginia posted another 11-win season, which was the first consecutive 10-win seasons in school history. The Mountaineers defeated Georgia Tech, 38-35, in the Gator Bowl
and finished 10th in the final polls. Rodriguez also had two consensus All-Americans, running back Steve Slaton
and center Dan Mozes
(who also won the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center).
On December 7, 2006, Rodriguez received an offer from the University of Alabama
to be the next Alabama Crimson Tide head coach. Despite reports that he had agreed in principle to coach at Alabama, which Rodriguez described as totally incorrect, on December 8, 2006, Rodriguez announced he would remain as head coach at West Virginia.
The Mountaineers started the 2007 season ranked #3 in the AP Poll
and #6 in the Coaches' Poll. They were #5 in the nation, before losing to #18 South Florida for the second consecutive time. South Florida eventually moved to #2, before dropping out of the Top 25 after losses (though USF would end the regular season ranked at #21). West Virginia dropped to #12 and #13 in the AP and Coaches' poll, respectively, before rebounding with wins against Syracuse, Mississippi State, #25 Rutgers, Louisville
, and #21 Cincinnati
. The Mountaineers eventually defeated #20 Connecticut to clinch the Big East Championship and move to #2 in the BCS
standings and #1 in the Coaches' poll
, both the highest position ever for a Mountaineer football team. WVU's regular season ended at home with a crushing controversial loss in the Backyard Brawl
against Pittsburgh. After the departure of Rodriguez, the Mountaineers went on to defeat University of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl under interim head coach Bill Stewart.
as the University of Michigan
head football coach. Rodriguez's decision came on the heels of the controversial loss to the unranked Pittsburgh Panthers
, which eliminated WVU from national championship contention. Rodriguez's original resignation letter listed January 3, 2008 as his resignation date, but he subsequently made it clear that he would not be coaching WVU in its January 2 appearance in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl
versus Oklahoma
. On December 18, 2007, Rodriguez informed the university that his resignation would instead be effective at midnight that night and was replaced by his former assistant coach Bill Stewart
, who was selected as head coach after the Mountaineers won the Fiesta Bowl.
The announcement of his departure came just four months after Rodriguez last renegotiated his contract with West Virginia, and was made despite his stated long-term commitment to the Mountaineers. The contract included a $4 million buyout if he left WVU within one year of the August 2007 signing date. It has since been speculated that Rodriguez's departure was triggered by conflicts with the new president of WVU, Michael Garrison.
Some insight into the discontent between Rodriguez and WVU is evidenced in a compendium of emails that were released to the Associated Press
on January 23, 2008.
An Associated Press story indicated that Rodriguez's agent Mike Brown was threatening to take his client elsewhere early in the 2007 season.
On December 27, 2007, West Virginia University filed a motion for declaratory judgment
in Monongalia County
Circuit Court, asking the court to find that Rodriguez's contract with the University was valid, that WVU had not breached that contract, and that Rodriguez had breached it. Subsequently, on January 18, 2008, WVU added a count of breach of contract
after Rodriguez allegedly failed to pay the first installment of the $4 million liquidated damages
clause (often referred to as a "buyout clause" by the media) when due.
On July 9, 2008 Rodriguez and WVU agreed to settle the lawsuit. The terms of the settlement stated that the University of Michigan would pay $2.5 million of the settlement. Rodriguez is required to pay WVU the remaining $1.5 million in three installments of $500,000 each, spread over three years starting in January, 2010.
Rodriguez was introduced by Michigan
as its new coach at a news conference held on December 17, 2007 at the Junge Family Champions Center on the University of Michigan campus. After arriving at Michigan, Rodriguez installed an entirely new staff, bringing several members of his West Virginia staff with him, including Tony Gibson and offensive coordinator Calvin Magee
. Fred Jackson, the running backs coach, was the only coaching holdover from Lloyd Carr
's staff. Rodriguez also changed the strength and conditioning facilities, completed a top ten incoming recruiting class in 2008, which was recruited mainly by Carr and his staff, and installed his own recruiting to serve his spread offense. Equipment manager Jon Falk also stayed with the Michigan football program as another holdover from previous coaching staffs dating back to Bo Schembechler
.
Rodriguez began his Michigan coaching career on August 30, 2008 with a 25-23 loss to Utah
. His 2008 team
finished with a record of 3–9, the worst season in school history. Michigan's losing record also assured that the team would not play in a post-season bowl game
for the first time in 33 years, the longest such streak in college football up to that point. One of the few high points of the season came on September 27 when Michigan made the second-largest comeback in program history to defeat #9 Wisconsin
27-25 after trailing 19-0 late in the third quarter. That contest was also the 500th game played in Michigan Stadium
.
transferred from the program to rival Ohio State citing offensive behavior and a "lack of family values" from the coaching staff. Others have supported the assertion about a lack of family values, including Detroit Free Press
writer Michael Rosenberg, who stated "Rodriguez's staff uses some of the foulest, most degrading language imaginable. I know coaches curse, and I'm no prude, but this goes way beyond a few dirty words. He belittles his players. This is a big part of why offensive lineman Justin Boren left the team. He felt his dignity was at stake." Boren became first team all Big Ten at Ohio State University in the 2009 season. Former Michigan player Kurt Wermers claimed to not get along with coaches after transferring following the 2008 season.
that Rodriguez and his coaching staff had habitually violated NCAA rules. The alleged offenses included attending unofficial scrimmages and requiring players to work out more hours than NCAA rules permit for the off-season. Rodriguez denied the allegations. On October 27, 2009, the NCAA sent a Notice of Inquiry to the University of Michigan stating the NCAA found reasonably reliable information indicating NCAA rule violations. Following the Notice, the investigation into potential major violations continued. On November 16, 2009, the University of Michigan Auditors looking into the NCAA violations discovered that University of Michigan Athletic Department staff failed to file monthly logs that track how much players work out and practice.
Then on February 22, 2010, the NCAA formally accused Michigan of five "major rules violations" after finding that the team and its coaching staff failed to comply with practice time rules under coach Rich Rodriguez, and used several graduate assistants in coaching position in contravention of NCAA regulations on the limits of the number of coaches. This marked the first time that major violations have been alleged against the Michigan football program. All of the violations dated from January 2008 forward, which coincided with Rodriguez's arrival at Michigan. The University of Michigan has acknowledged that it committed four major violations in its football program. This resulted in U-M self-imposing sanctions which including cutting practice time and either disciplining or terminating staff, as well as two years probation. The final NCAA report downgraded the list of violations originally investigated, agreed with Michigan's self-imposed sanctions, but added an extra year of probation.
which was ranked eighth nationally by Rivals.com. Tom Dienhart, writing for Sports Illustrated
, named Rodriguez the second best football coach in the Big Ten Conference
behind only Iowa
's Kirk Ferentz
and ahead of more tenured coaches such as Penn State
's Joe Paterno
and Ohio State
's Jim Tressel
.
Under Rodriguez, the Wolverines opened the 2009 season with a 31–7 win against Western Michigan
followed by wins over rival Notre Dame
and Eastern Michigan
. Following these three victories, two over weak mid-major opponents, Michigan opened its Big Ten schedule with a controversial 36-33 win against Indiana
. Michigan finished the season with a 5–7 (1–7 in the Big Ten) record after road losses to Michigan State
, and the Iowa Hawkeyes
and a 25 point home loss to Penn State
followed by a 25 point loss to the University of Illinois and a 38–36 loss at home to Purdue. Rodriguez ended the 2009 season with a 21–10 loss to rival Ohio State
. This loss eliminated the Wolverines from bowl competition for the second time in two years.
The 2010 season got off to a similar start as the 2009 campaign, with the Wolverines recording victories through their first five games to begin the season, one more consecutive victory than the previous year. The Wolverines started the season off by notching a win over Connecticut
, who eventually won a share of the Big East title and went on to represent the conference in a BCS bowl. By week three, the team earned a spot in the AP Top 25 at #20 and USA Today Poll at #22. Their highest AP ranking, #18, came before recording their first loss of the season against 17-ranked in-state foe and eventual Big Ten champion Michigan State
(part of a three-way tie). The team finished Big Ten play with a 3-5 record, losing the last regular season game against arch rival Ohio State
, 37-7, and putting further criticism on Rodriguez for failing to restore competitiveness to one of college football's greatest rivalries. Still, Rodriguez and Michigan had done enough to earn a 7-5 record and for the first time since joining Michigan, were bowl eligible. This season included such highlights as a spectacular 67-65 comeback win over Illinois in triple overtime on Nov. 6 and a special talent in sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson
who in 12 games passed for 2,316 yards and rushed for 1,643 yards while accounting for 30 rushing and passing touchdowns. Rodriguez, in his third season, led Michigan to its first New Year's Day bowl since the 2007 season when Michigan accepted a bid to play in the Gator Bowl
. Michigan's 38-point loss to Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl was the worst bowl loss in school history.
Due to the team's second season in a row which started off with promising results, and another defeat to Ohio State, Rodriguez finished the regular season campaign amidst speculation he may not keep his head coaching position at Michigan. Rumors about Rodriguez's ousting heated up again after the season, when Stanford Cardinal
head coach and former Michigan quarterback, Jim Harbaugh
, did not attend an anniversary dinner recognizing the 1985 Michigan team. Harbaugh had been rumored to replace Rodriguez in seasons past.
At Michigan, Rodriguez has suffered a 20 point home loss to a Big Ten opponent in all three seasons he has coached (most recently against Wisconsin
, a 48–28 loss). In those two years, Rodriguez had no wins in October against Football Bowl Subdivision teams and did not record a win against such an opponent until the 2010 season, recording a road victory over Indiana. Through the 2010 season, Rodriguez has a 2–7 record against the Wolverines' three regular season rivals: Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Michigan State, recording victories against Notre Dame in the 2009 and 2010 campaigns.
Rodriguez was rumored to be let go as Michigan coach on January 4, 2011. The University of Michigan initially denied this, but the following day, athletic director David Brandon
announced that Rodriguez had been dismissed. Rodriguez has the lowest winning percentage (.405) of any coach in Michigan football's history and never beat Michigan's two chief rivals, Ohio State University and Michigan State University.
Rodriguez worked as an analyst for CBS Sports
for most of the 2011 season before being hired to coach at Arizona. He had previously participated in CBS's 2011 Signing Day Coverage. When asked if he would ever return to coaching, Rodriguez said, "I'm open to another opportunity, but we'll see. Here, that window looks like it's closed, but if something comes open after this season, and it seems like it may be a good opportunity for me and someone is interested, I'm sure I'll look into it."
In June of 2011, Rodriguez put the family home in York Township, Michigan up for sale for an asking price of $1.9 million.
on Twitter
while a press conference officially announcing him as the head coach was held a day later at McKale Center
in Tucson
. Rodriguez' hiring ended a 41-day search for a head coach which started after Mike Stoops
was dismissed after eight seasons as Wildcat head coach. Former University of Florida
head coach Urban Meyer
and former Texas Tech
head coach Mike Leach
were reportedly also considered for the position.
, run-oriented version of the spread offense, although a pass-first version was already being implemented by others. He first developed this offensive approach at Glenville State
and refined it during his stops at Tulane
with Shaun King
, at Clemson
with Woodrow Dantzler
, and at West Virginia
most notably with dual-threat quarterback Pat White. This strategy features frequent use of the shotgun formation
. Rodriguez is also credited for inventing the zone read play run out of the shotgun formation.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. Rodriguez previously served as the head football coach at Salem University (1988), Glenville State College
Glenville State College
Glenville State College is a public four-year college located in Glenville, a town in the rural north-central part of the U.S. state of West Virginia.-History:...
(1990–1996), West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
(2001–2007), and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(2008–2010). His career college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coaching record stands at 120–84–2. In 2011, Rodriguez worked as an analyst for CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
.
Playing career
A native of Grant Town, West VirginiaGrant Town, West Virginia
Grant Town is a town in Marion County, West Virginia, in the eastern United States. The population was 657 at the 2000 census.The town was formed in 1901 with the opening of the Federal Coal and Coke Company bituminous coal mine, and was named for Robert Grant, vice president of the coal company. ...
, Rodriguez graduated from North Marion High School
North Marion High School (West Virginia)
North Marion High School is a public Triple A high school in West Virginia, with a current enrollment of 905 students.North Marion High School is located approximately 4 miles from Farmington, West Virginia on US Route 250 north...
in 1981 where he played four sports and was an all-state football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. After high school, Rodriguez attended West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
. Playing as a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, Rodriguez recorded 54 career tackles over three seasons.
WVU and Salem
During the 1985–1986 season, Rodriguez served as a student assistant under head coach Don NehlenDon Nehlen
Don Nehlen is a former American football player and coach. He was head football coach at Bowling Green State University and at West Virginia University . Nehlen retired from coaching college football in 2001 with a career record of 202–128–8 and as the 17th winningest coach in...
and graduated with a Physical Education degree. In 1986, he moved to what was then Salem College (now Salem International University
Salem International University
Salem International University is an American private university located in Salem, West Virginia, in the United States...
) where he served as special teams coordinator and secondary coach. In 1987, he became Salem’s defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and in 1988 took over as head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
. At 25 years old, he was the youngest college head coach in the country. He was 2–8 in his first season as head coach, after which the college announced it was dropping its football program.
In 1989, he returned to West Virginia University as a volunteer assistant.
Glenville State, Tulane, and Clemson
After Rodriguez's return to WVU as a volunteer coach with the outside linebackers for the 1989 football season, he left again to take over as head coach at Glenville State CollegeGlenville State College
Glenville State College is a public four-year college located in Glenville, a town in the rural north-central part of the U.S. state of West Virginia.-History:...
. During his stay from 1990 to 1996, the team earned three consecutive West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but has now expanded into Pennsylvania...
championships and competed in the 1993 NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
national championship. His first season, 1990, he led the team to a 1–7-–record. In 1991, Glenville improved to 4–5–1. 1992 showed a 6–4 season; however in 1993, Rich Rodriguez led Glenville to a 10–3 record and the WVIAC Championship and NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
runner-up. The next two years, 1994 and 1995, Glenville finished as WVIAC Co-Champions. In Rodriguez's final season at Glenville, 1996, he led them to a Co-Championship once again. While at Glenville, Rodriguez compiled a record of 43–28–2 and was named WVIAC Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1994, NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1993, and West Virginia State College Coach of the Year in 1993 by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. Glenville State's four championships under Rodriguez were their first since 1959 while his players' set five national career records for Division II. He also coached three players who earned WVIAC Player of the Year honors.
Rodriguez left Glenville State at the end of the 1996 season to serve as assistant coach, offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
, and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
coach for Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
from 1997 to 1998, under head coach Tommy Bowden
Tommy Bowden
Tommy Bowden is an American football coach who served as the head coach at Clemson University from 1999 until October 13, 2008...
. Rodriguez was part of Tulane's success, including their 12–0 season in Rodriguez's last season at Tulane, mainly for his spread offense with quarterback Shaun King
Shaun King
Shaun Earl King is a former Tulane University and National Football League quarterback.-High School:King is a 1995 graduate of Gibbs High School .-College:...
. When Bowden was hired as the head coach at Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
, he retained Rodriguez on his staff. Rodriguez served as the offensive coordinator and associate head coach until the end of the 2000 season, traveling to a Peach Bowl and Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
.
West Virginia
On November 26, 2000, WVU's athletic department announced that Rodriguez would again return to West Virginia, this time as head coach to replace the retiring legend Don NehlenDon Nehlen
Don Nehlen is a former American football player and coach. He was head football coach at Bowling Green State University and at West Virginia University . Nehlen retired from coaching college football in 2001 with a career record of 202–128–8 and as the 17th winningest coach in...
. Rodriguez's first season at West Virginia, 2001, was a disappointing 3–8 season. However, Rodriguez's turn-around of the 2002 team is the greatest turn-around in Big East history with a 9–4 record, Big East runner-up finish, back-to-back road wins against ranked Virginia Tech and Pitt, and a Continental Tire Bowl berth, where they lost to ACC runner-up and border rival Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers
The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams officially representing the University of Virginia in college sports. The Cavaliers compete in 25 NCAA Division I varsity sports and are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. The Mountaineers finished second in the nation rushing with 283 yards per game and fourth in turnover margin. In 2003, the Mountaineers started the season 1–4, and after losing to #2 Miami
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
22–20, the Mountaineers posted a 6–1 Big East record and tied for the Big East championship with Miami, earning a Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
berth. That season, the Mountaineers replaced 22 seniors, eleven of which were starters. In 2004, the Mountaineers posted a 8–4 record with a talented team of seniors and juniors, but were ranked as high as sixth during the regular season.
Following the 2002 season, Rodriguez was awarded the Big East Coach of the Year by Sporting News and state college coach of the year for all sports by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. He also received the 2003 Frank Loria Award
Frank Loria
Frank Loria was an American football defensive back. He was born in the town of Clarksburg, West Virginia in Harrison County and was a three sport athlete at Notre Dame Catholic High School....
from the West Virginia chapter of the National Football Foundation
National Football Foundation
The National Football Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947 by General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army Black Knights football coach Earl "Red" Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice...
, and also earned Big East Coach of the Year that season. In 2005, he was offered to join the AFCA
AFCA
AFCA can refer to:* AFC Ajax* A.F.C. Aldermaston* Air Force Communications Agency* American Football Coaches Association* American Foundation for Children with AIDS* Antique Fan Collectors Association* Australian Film Critics Association...
Board of Directors, and that same season was again given Big East Coach of the Year honors. In 2005, Rodriguez and the Mountaineers won the Big East title with freshman tandem Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and Patrick White, thus claiming the conference's automatic berth in the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
(BCS), where they defeated the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...
in the Nokia Sugar Bowl and a final Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
ranking of fifth, tying the highest in school history (other in 1988).
Repeating off of their 2005 success, West Virginia posted another 11-win season, which was the first consecutive 10-win seasons in school history. The Mountaineers defeated Georgia Tech, 38-35, in the Gator Bowl
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...
and finished 10th in the final polls. Rodriguez also had two consensus All-Americans, running back Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and center Dan Mozes
Dan Mozes
Daniel Mozes is an American football Center who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was unselected in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
(who also won the Rimington Trophy as the nation's best center).
On December 7, 2006, Rodriguez received an offer from the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
to be the next Alabama Crimson Tide head coach. Despite reports that he had agreed in principle to coach at Alabama, which Rodriguez described as totally incorrect, on December 8, 2006, Rodriguez announced he would remain as head coach at West Virginia.
The Mountaineers started the 2007 season ranked #3 in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
and #6 in the Coaches' Poll. They were #5 in the nation, before losing to #18 South Florida for the second consecutive time. South Florida eventually moved to #2, before dropping out of the Top 25 after losses (though USF would end the regular season ranked at #21). West Virginia dropped to #12 and #13 in the AP and Coaches' poll, respectively, before rebounding with wins against Syracuse, Mississippi State, #25 Rutgers, Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
, and #21 Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
. The Mountaineers eventually defeated #20 Connecticut to clinch the Big East Championship and move to #2 in the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
standings and #1 in the Coaches' poll
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, both the highest position ever for a Mountaineer football team. WVU's regular season ended at home with a crushing controversial loss in the Backyard Brawl
Backyard Brawl
The Backyard Brawl is an annual football game between the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the West Virginia University Mountaineers. The term "Backyard Brawl" has also been used to refer to college basketball games played annually or semi-iannually and may also be used to refer to other...
against Pittsburgh. After the departure of Rodriguez, the Mountaineers went on to defeat University of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl under interim head coach Bill Stewart.
Controversial departure from West Virginia
On December 16, 2007, Rodriguez informed players at West Virginia that he was leaving to succeed Lloyd CarrLloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
as the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
head football coach. Rodriguez's decision came on the heels of the controversial loss to the unranked Pittsburgh Panthers
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
, which eliminated WVU from national championship contention. Rodriguez's original resignation letter listed January 3, 2008 as his resignation date, but he subsequently made it clear that he would not be coaching WVU in its January 2 appearance in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl
2008 Fiesta Bowl
The 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game sponsored by Tostitos. It was part of the 2007–2008 Bowl Championship Series of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Played annually since 1971, first at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe,...
versus Oklahoma
2007 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2007 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2007-2008, winning the Big 12 Conference Championship for the fifth time in eight years. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops...
. On December 18, 2007, Rodriguez informed the university that his resignation would instead be effective at midnight that night and was replaced by his former assistant coach Bill Stewart
Bill Stewart (football coach)
Bill "Stew" Stewart is an American football coach. He was named interim head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan in December 2007. After leading the Mountaineers to a 48–28 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl, he was formally...
, who was selected as head coach after the Mountaineers won the Fiesta Bowl.
The announcement of his departure came just four months after Rodriguez last renegotiated his contract with West Virginia, and was made despite his stated long-term commitment to the Mountaineers. The contract included a $4 million buyout if he left WVU within one year of the August 2007 signing date. It has since been speculated that Rodriguez's departure was triggered by conflicts with the new president of WVU, Michael Garrison.
Some insight into the discontent between Rodriguez and WVU is evidenced in a compendium of emails that were released to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
on January 23, 2008.
An Associated Press story indicated that Rodriguez's agent Mike Brown was threatening to take his client elsewhere early in the 2007 season.
On December 27, 2007, West Virginia University filed a motion for declaratory judgment
Declaratory judgment
A declaratory judgment is a judgment of a court in a civil case which declares the rights, duties, or obligations of one or more parties in a dispute. A declaratory judgment is legally binding, but it does not order any action by a party. In this way, the declaratory judgment is like an action to...
in Monongalia County
Monongalia County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 81,866 people, 33,446 households, and 18,495 families residing in the county. The population density was 227 people per square mile . There were 36,695 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile...
Circuit Court, asking the court to find that Rodriguez's contract with the University was valid, that WVU had not breached that contract, and that Rodriguez had breached it. Subsequently, on January 18, 2008, WVU added a count of breach of contract
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
after Rodriguez allegedly failed to pay the first installment of the $4 million liquidated damages
Liquidated damages
Liquidated damages are damages whose amount the parties designate during the formation of a contract for the injured party to collect as compensation upon a specific breach ....
clause (often referred to as a "buyout clause" by the media) when due.
On July 9, 2008 Rodriguez and WVU agreed to settle the lawsuit. The terms of the settlement stated that the University of Michigan would pay $2.5 million of the settlement. Rodriguez is required to pay WVU the remaining $1.5 million in three installments of $500,000 each, spread over three years starting in January, 2010.
Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
as its new coach at a news conference held on December 17, 2007 at the Junge Family Champions Center on the University of Michigan campus. After arriving at Michigan, Rodriguez installed an entirely new staff, bringing several members of his West Virginia staff with him, including Tony Gibson and offensive coordinator Calvin Magee
Calvin Magee
Calvin Magee is a former professional American football player who played tight end for four seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1985 to 1988...
. Fred Jackson, the running backs coach, was the only coaching holdover from Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
's staff. Rodriguez also changed the strength and conditioning facilities, completed a top ten incoming recruiting class in 2008, which was recruited mainly by Carr and his staff, and installed his own recruiting to serve his spread offense. Equipment manager Jon Falk also stayed with the Michigan football program as another holdover from previous coaching staffs dating back to Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
.
Rodriguez began his Michigan coaching career on August 30, 2008 with a 25-23 loss to Utah
2008 Utah Utes football team
The 2008 Utah Utes football team represented the University of Utah in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team, coached by 4th year head football coach Kyle Whittingham, plays its home games in Rice–Eccles Stadium...
. His 2008 team
2008 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2008 college football season. The team's head football coach was Rich Rodriguez. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan...
finished with a record of 3–9, the worst season in school history. Michigan's losing record also assured that the team would not play in a post-season bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
for the first time in 33 years, the longest such streak in college football up to that point. One of the few high points of the season came on September 27 when Michigan made the second-largest comeback in program history to defeat #9 Wisconsin
2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were coached by Bret Bielema and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin....
27-25 after trailing 19-0 late in the third quarter. That contest was also the 500th game played in Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
.
Players leaving and criticism
Several Michigan players have transferred and subsequently criticized Rodriguez. Justin BorenJustin Boren
Justin Matthew Boren is an American football offensive guard for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He has played guard and center during his high school and college football career...
transferred from the program to rival Ohio State citing offensive behavior and a "lack of family values" from the coaching staff. Others have supported the assertion about a lack of family values, including Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
writer Michael Rosenberg, who stated "Rodriguez's staff uses some of the foulest, most degrading language imaginable. I know coaches curse, and I'm no prude, but this goes way beyond a few dirty words. He belittles his players. This is a big part of why offensive lineman Justin Boren left the team. He felt his dignity was at stake." Boren became first team all Big Ten at Ohio State University in the 2009 season. Former Michigan player Kurt Wermers claimed to not get along with coaches after transferring following the 2008 season.
NCAA rule violations
Prior to the 2009 season several anonymous players told journalists at the Detroit Free PressDetroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
that Rodriguez and his coaching staff had habitually violated NCAA rules. The alleged offenses included attending unofficial scrimmages and requiring players to work out more hours than NCAA rules permit for the off-season. Rodriguez denied the allegations. On October 27, 2009, the NCAA sent a Notice of Inquiry to the University of Michigan stating the NCAA found reasonably reliable information indicating NCAA rule violations. Following the Notice, the investigation into potential major violations continued. On November 16, 2009, the University of Michigan Auditors looking into the NCAA violations discovered that University of Michigan Athletic Department staff failed to file monthly logs that track how much players work out and practice.
Then on February 22, 2010, the NCAA formally accused Michigan of five "major rules violations" after finding that the team and its coaching staff failed to comply with practice time rules under coach Rich Rodriguez, and used several graduate assistants in coaching position in contravention of NCAA regulations on the limits of the number of coaches. This marked the first time that major violations have been alleged against the Michigan football program. All of the violations dated from January 2008 forward, which coincided with Rodriguez's arrival at Michigan. The University of Michigan has acknowledged that it committed four major violations in its football program. This resulted in U-M self-imposing sanctions which including cutting practice time and either disciplining or terminating staff, as well as two years probation. The final NCAA report downgraded the list of violations originally investigated, agreed with Michigan's self-imposed sanctions, but added an extra year of probation.
Eventual departure
Despite the setbacks of his inaugural season, Rodriguez compiled a recruiting class for the 2009 season2009 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2009 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2009 college football season. They played their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference...
which was ranked eighth nationally by Rivals.com. Tom Dienhart, writing for Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, named Rodriguez the second best football coach in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
behind only Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
's Kirk Ferentz
Kirk Ferentz
Kirk James Ferentz is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since 1999. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the University of Maine. He has also served as an assistant coach...
and ahead of more tenured coaches such as Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
's Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
and Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
's Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel is a gameday consultant for the Indianapolis Colts, and former collegiate football head coach at both The Ohio State University from 2001 to 2011 and at Youngstown State University from 1986 to 2000. Tressel is most notable for his time at Ohio State. He was hired by the...
.
Under Rodriguez, the Wolverines opened the 2009 season with a 31–7 win against Western Michigan
2009 Western Michigan Broncos football team
The 2009 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University in the 2009 NCAA football season. The WMU football team was coached by Bill Cubit and played their homes game in Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan...
followed by wins over rival Notre Dame
2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2009 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame in the 2009 college football season. Charlie Weis entered his fifth season as head coach with the expectation from the Notre Dame administration that his team would be in position to compete for a BCS Bowl berth...
and Eastern Michigan
2009 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team
The 2009 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team represented Eastern Michigan University in the college football season of 2009. They competed in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the football season...
. Following these three victories, two over weak mid-major opponents, Michigan opened its Big Ten schedule with a controversial 36-33 win against Indiana
2009 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 2009 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented Indiana University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Hoosiers were coached by Bill Lynch, who was in his third season season as head coach for the team. The Hoosiers played their home games in Memorial Stadium in...
. Michigan finished the season with a 5–7 (1–7 in the Big Ten) record after road losses to Michigan State
2009 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2009 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of the Michigan State University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Spartans were coached by Mark Dantonio, who was in his third season with the Spartans...
, and the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...
and a 25 point home loss to Penn State
2009 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2009 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the 2009 college football season. The team is coached by Joe Paterno and plays its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State had the highest graduation rate among all of...
followed by a 25 point loss to the University of Illinois and a 38–36 loss at home to Purdue. Rodriguez ended the 2009 season with a 21–10 loss to rival Ohio State
2009 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2009 Ohio State Buckeyes football team competed in football on behalf of The Ohio State University for the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. They finished with a record of 11–2 and...
. This loss eliminated the Wolverines from bowl competition for the second time in two years.
The 2010 season got off to a similar start as the 2009 campaign, with the Wolverines recording victories through their first five games to begin the season, one more consecutive victory than the previous year. The Wolverines started the season off by notching a win over Connecticut
2010 Connecticut Huskies football team
The 2010 Connecticut Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big East Conference. The team was coached by Randy Edsall and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut...
, who eventually won a share of the Big East title and went on to represent the conference in a BCS bowl. By week three, the team earned a spot in the AP Top 25 at #20 and USA Today Poll at #22. Their highest AP ranking, #18, came before recording their first loss of the season against 17-ranked in-state foe and eventual Big Ten champion Michigan State
2010 Michigan State Spartans football team
The 2010 Michigan State Spartans football team competed on behalf of Michigan State University in the Big Ten Conference during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Head coach Mark Dantonio was in his fourth season with the Spartans...
(part of a three-way tie). The team finished Big Ten play with a 3-5 record, losing the last regular season game against arch rival Ohio State
2010 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2010 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented The Ohio State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Buckeyes were coached by Jim Tressel and played their home games in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. They were members of the Big Ten Conference...
, 37-7, and putting further criticism on Rodriguez for failing to restore competitiveness to one of college football's greatest rivalries. Still, Rodriguez and Michigan had done enough to earn a 7-5 record and for the first time since joining Michigan, were bowl eligible. This season included such highlights as a spectacular 67-65 comeback win over Illinois in triple overtime on Nov. 6 and a special talent in sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson
Denard Robinson
Denard Xavier Robinson , nicknamed Shoelace, is an American football player who is playing his junior season for the 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team. He started at quarterback in all 13 games for the Michigan Wolverines football team in 2010...
who in 12 games passed for 2,316 yards and rushed for 1,643 yards while accounting for 30 rushing and passing touchdowns. Rodriguez, in his third season, led Michigan to its first New Year's Day bowl since the 2007 season when Michigan accepted a bid to play in the Gator Bowl
2011 Gator Bowl
The 2011 Gator Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten and Mississippi State Bulldogs of the SEC, and was played on January 1, 2011 , at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the sixty sixth edition of the bowl game and was...
. Michigan's 38-point loss to Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl was the worst bowl loss in school history.
Due to the team's second season in a row which started off with promising results, and another defeat to Ohio State, Rodriguez finished the regular season campaign amidst speculation he may not keep his head coaching position at Michigan. Rumors about Rodriguez's ousting heated up again after the season, when Stanford Cardinal
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
head coach and former Michigan quarterback, Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
, did not attend an anniversary dinner recognizing the 1985 Michigan team. Harbaugh had been rumored to replace Rodriguez in seasons past.
At Michigan, Rodriguez has suffered a 20 point home loss to a Big Ten opponent in all three seasons he has coached (most recently against Wisconsin
2010 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 2010 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers, led by fifth-year head coach Bret Bielema, were members of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium...
, a 48–28 loss). In those two years, Rodriguez had no wins in October against Football Bowl Subdivision teams and did not record a win against such an opponent until the 2010 season, recording a road victory over Indiana. Through the 2010 season, Rodriguez has a 2–7 record against the Wolverines' three regular season rivals: Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Michigan State, recording victories against Notre Dame in the 2009 and 2010 campaigns.
Rodriguez was rumored to be let go as Michigan coach on January 4, 2011. The University of Michigan initially denied this, but the following day, athletic director David Brandon
David Brandon
David A. Brandon is the director of intercollegiate athletics for the University of Michigan. He was formerly chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and manager of Domino's Pizza. He is also a former regent of the University of Michigan. Brandon took over Domino's in March 1999 when...
announced that Rodriguez had been dismissed. Rodriguez has the lowest winning percentage (.405) of any coach in Michigan football's history and never beat Michigan's two chief rivals, Ohio State University and Michigan State University.
Rodriguez worked as an analyst for CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
for most of the 2011 season before being hired to coach at Arizona. He had previously participated in CBS's 2011 Signing Day Coverage. When asked if he would ever return to coaching, Rodriguez said, "I'm open to another opportunity, but we'll see. Here, that window looks like it's closed, but if something comes open after this season, and it seems like it may be a good opportunity for me and someone is interested, I'm sure I'll look into it."
In June of 2011, Rodriguez put the family home in York Township, Michigan up for sale for an asking price of $1.9 million.
Arizona
Following Rodriguez' tenure at CBS, he was hired as the 30th head coach of the Arizona football program on November 21, 2011. His hiring was first announced by University of Arizona athletic director Greg ByrneGregory Byrne
Greg Byrne is the athletic director at the University of Arizona. Prior to this appointment, Byrne was the athletic director at Mississippi State University from 2008-2010 after serving as associate athletic director for the preceding two years...
on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
while a press conference officially announcing him as the head coach was held a day later at McKale Center
McKale Center
McKale Memorial Center is an athletic arena located at 1756 E University Blvd on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. It is primarily used for basketball, but also features state-of-the-art physical training and therapy facilities. Its construction is marked with a large...
in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. Rodriguez' hiring ended a 41-day search for a head coach which started after Mike Stoops
Mike Stoops
Michael J. Stoops is a former American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at the University of Arizona, a position he held from 2003 until his firing in 2011. Stoops previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa, Kansas State University, and the...
was dismissed after eight seasons as Wildcat head coach. Former University of Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
head coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
and former Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
head coach Mike Leach
Mike Leach
Michael C. "Mike" Leach is head coach of the Washington State Cougars football team. For 10 years he was head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team. Leach had a winning season every year during his tenure at Texas Tech....
were reportedly also considered for the position.
Spread option
Rodriguez is considered a pioneer of a no huddleHurry-up offense
The hurry-up offense is an American football offensive style which has two different but related forms in which the offensive team avoids delays between plays. The no-huddle offense refers to avoiding or shortening the huddle to limit or disrupt defensive strategies and flexibility...
, run-oriented version of the spread offense, although a pass-first version was already being implemented by others. He first developed this offensive approach at Glenville State
Glenville State College
Glenville State College is a public four-year college located in Glenville, a town in the rural north-central part of the U.S. state of West Virginia.-History:...
and refined it during his stops at Tulane
Tulane Green Wave football
The Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. The team is a member of Conference USA and is led by interim head coach Mark Hutson, who took over on October 18, 2011, when fifth-year head coach Bob Toledo resigned...
with Shaun King
Shaun King
Shaun Earl King is a former Tulane University and National Football League quarterback.-High School:King is a 1995 graduate of Gibbs High School .-College:...
, at Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
with Woodrow Dantzler
Woodrow Dantzler
Woodrow "Woody" Dantzler III is an American Football player who is currently a free agent. He attended Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School, in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Dantzler played College Football at Clemson University, where he played Quarterback...
, and at West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
most notably with dual-threat quarterback Pat White. This strategy features frequent use of the shotgun formation
Shotgun formation
The shotgun formation is a formation used by the offensive team in American and Canadian football. This formation is used mainly for passing plays, although some teams use it as their base formation. In the shotgun, instead of the quarterback receiving the snap from center at the line of scrimmage,...
. Rodriguez is also credited for inventing the zone read play run out of the shotgun formation.
West Virginia
- 2001: 355 passes vs. 474 runs (57% run)
- 2002: 279 passes vs. 714 runs (72% run)
- 2003: 252 passes vs. 600 runs (70% run)
- 2004: 259 passes vs. 589 runs (69% run)
- 2005: 193 passes vs. 625 runs (76% run)
- 2006: 233 passes vs. 590 runs (72% run)
- 2007: 265 passes vs. 628 runs (70% run)
Michigan
- 2008: 338 passes vs. 453 runs (57% run)
- 2009: 329 passes vs. 494 runs (60% run)
- 2010: 243 passes vs. 556 runs (70% run)