Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
Rich Rodriguez did it again Monday, referring to the state of the program he inherited when he arrived at Michigan in December 2007.
When asked at his weekly news conference if he expected the team to be further along by this point, 21 games into his tenure, Rodriguez said, "Not after I got here."
Rodriguez didn't dwell on the topic, telling local reporters that he would sit down with them after the season and elaborate. But he doesn't need to. He has already addressed this issue multiple times.
Here are two quotes from our conversation in November 2008:
But the way Rodriguez describes the program he took over, you'd think he made a wrong turn and ended up in Ypsilanti rather than Ann Arbor.
Other coaches have inherited a lot worse than what Rodriguez did at Michigan, which always recruits at a high level.
I like what Rodriguez has said about eliminating a sense of entitlement for the Maize and Blue. The winged helmet no longer equals 14 points on the scoreboard before kickoff, and players shouldn't think it does.
But by this point, Michigan should be playing better. The 4-0 start was a lot of smoke and mirrors -- quarterback Tate Forcier freelancing to make plays, the defense doing just enough to cover up for major flaws, the breaks falling Michigan's way.
The issues with youth and depth were still there, but the Wolverines were winning and, more importantly, giving themselves a chance to get better as the season went along. Instead, they've regressed in every area.
Michigan on Saturday lost by 25 points to an Illinois team that hadn't managed to stay within 10 points of any of its six previous FBS opponents. The Wolverines surrendered 500 total yards and 377 on the ground. They committed three turnovers and failed to notch a takeaway for the third straight game. Rodriguez admitted Monday that his players are playing tight and too conscious of their mistakes.
"Some of our issues did not occur overnight and will not be solved overnight," he said. "Sometimes it takes a little longer than I would like or any of you like. I am less patient than any of you or any fans that we have. And we have great fans. I promise you. Progress is being made. How fast and to what degree, I wish it was faster. It's not going as fast as I would like, trust me."
Patience is wearing thin as Michigan enters November needing at least one more win to reach a bowl game. These players and these coaches have to make progress this month.
If they don't, Rodriguez will sit down with reporters and explain all the issues he inherited.
And no one will want to hear it.
Rich Rodriguez did it again Monday, referring to the state of the program he inherited when he arrived at Michigan in December 2007.
When asked at his weekly news conference if he expected the team to be further along by this point, 21 games into his tenure, Rodriguez said, "Not after I got here."
Rodriguez didn't dwell on the topic, telling local reporters that he would sit down with them after the season and elaborate. But he doesn't need to. He has already addressed this issue multiple times.
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| Andrew Weber/US Presswire | |
| After starting the season 4-0, Rich Rodriguez and the Wolverines are 5-4. |
Here are two quotes from our conversation in November 2008:
- "We've had good players, but some of the problems that we, that Michigan has had in the past several years, whether it's offense or defense, came up to bite us a little bit more this year. We've got to get those solved."
- "There have been games where if a guy or two was hurt, it really affected the performance from an athletic standpoint. We probably have not been as athletic the last couple of years as maybe we were in the past here."
Did you expect it to be more ready-made here?
Rodriguez: I didn't look at the depth chart. I didn't see that there were eight or nine starters leaving on offense and the recruits, what was coming in, what was committed or what was on defense. Or looked at game film to see what the struggles were in the games that they won. I saw the [Capital One Bowl] where they played great against Florida, but the Appalachian State game, the Oregon game, I didn't see those games. It didn't really matter. I figured, 'Once we get there, we'll figure out what we have and go from there.' Were there more issues than I thought? Sure. But I think every new coach coming in would tell you the same thing, at any program.
Coaching change is very difficult; I get that. The transition it brings tests any program, even ones filled with tradition and resources like Michigan. And Michigan's transition from Lloyd Carr to Rodriguez certainly was more significant than most.But the way Rodriguez describes the program he took over, you'd think he made a wrong turn and ended up in Ypsilanti rather than Ann Arbor.
Other coaches have inherited a lot worse than what Rodriguez did at Michigan, which always recruits at a high level.
I like what Rodriguez has said about eliminating a sense of entitlement for the Maize and Blue. The winged helmet no longer equals 14 points on the scoreboard before kickoff, and players shouldn't think it does.
But by this point, Michigan should be playing better. The 4-0 start was a lot of smoke and mirrors -- quarterback Tate Forcier freelancing to make plays, the defense doing just enough to cover up for major flaws, the breaks falling Michigan's way.
The issues with youth and depth were still there, but the Wolverines were winning and, more importantly, giving themselves a chance to get better as the season went along. Instead, they've regressed in every area.
Michigan on Saturday lost by 25 points to an Illinois team that hadn't managed to stay within 10 points of any of its six previous FBS opponents. The Wolverines surrendered 500 total yards and 377 on the ground. They committed three turnovers and failed to notch a takeaway for the third straight game. Rodriguez admitted Monday that his players are playing tight and too conscious of their mistakes.
"Some of our issues did not occur overnight and will not be solved overnight," he said. "Sometimes it takes a little longer than I would like or any of you like. I am less patient than any of you or any fans that we have. And we have great fans. I promise you. Progress is being made. How fast and to what degree, I wish it was faster. It's not going as fast as I would like, trust me."
Patience is wearing thin as Michigan enters November needing at least one more win to reach a bowl game. These players and these coaches have to make progress this month.
If they don't, Rodriguez will sit down with reporters and explain all the issues he inherited.
And no one will want to hear it.
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