9

2E - Tuesday, September 8, 2009

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Rich Rod's miscues repeated in new gig-

"I think we took more of a
businesslike approach to it at the
start, as opposed to a more personal
approach. And that's something, in
retrospect, I'd probably have done
differently.
"They had no idea whatourcoaches
were really like. They didn't know us.
"Sometimes you get caught up
fin the business aspect] at this level
because, let's face it, it's bigdollars, big
importance to a lot offolks. AndIsee
coaches, myself included, who don't
take the time and effort to be around
the players more in a non-football
atmosphere."
- Rich Rodriguez
"The onlythings wish Iwould have
had in the last seven, eight months, is
I wish I had more time to spend with
the players.
"My upperclassmen, Ihaven'tbeen
to their homes. I haven't had a chance
to see where they grew up or lived or
meet some of their coaches. Imeta lot
of their parents, but some of them I
haven't met.
"That's the only regret, is that I
wish I had been able to spend some
time with the players - my assistant
coaches and the staff members, too.
You spend time with them, you know
exactly what makes them tick."
- Rich Rodriguez
NOVEMBER 19TH, 2008 -
Those two quotations look
pretty similar, right? It's
the same person saying
essentially the
same thing.
But
Rodriguez said
them seven
years apart.
Rodriguez
made the first DAN
statement to FELDMAN
the Charleston
(W.Va.)Gazette
after his first year at WestVirginia

should have been a larger
emphasis in spring practice and
fall camp. Rodriguez could have
taken some time away from going
over schemes and techniques to
learn about the guys who would
be executing them.
It's hard to argue using all that
time to prepare actually paid off.
Just look at the product on the
field.
Think the personal connection
between a player and a coach
doesn't matter?
Just look at Michigan's upset of
double-digit favoriteFloridainthe
Capital One Bowl on New Year's
Day, Lloyd Carr's final game:'As
much as Carr tried to downplay
that the bowl was his final game,
then-defensive coordinator
Ron English interrupted Carr's
halftime speech.
"Let's play for this man?"
English said, according to the
Associated Press.
The Wolverines went wild and
finished their throttling of the
Gators.
That was a Michigan team that
didn't beat Appalachian State and
lost its final two regular-season
games. But those Wolverines
loved Carr and weren't going to
let him go out with a loss.
Senior nose tackle Terrance
Taylor talked fondly Monday
about Carr's habit of punching
him every time the two crossed
paths. Taylor said he doesn't
have a custom like that with
Rodriguez.
Rodriguez will develop a
similar rapport with his .players
over the next few years, but he
should have known to force it
sooner. He was just too stubborn,
too set in his ways that had been
so successful at West Virginia
during the last few years.
This doesn't mean Rodriguez
won't win in Ann Arbor. In fact,

his headstrong nature suggests
he will. Rodriguez is 9-31-1 in
his first years at a job, but he's
99-39-1 in his other 12 years as a
head coach.
His track record suggested
struggles this year, and it says
he will be successful from here
on out. If he sticks to his plan,
there's no reason his future at
Michigan won't follow a similar
script.
But this is his fourth head-
coaching gig. He should have
learned how to handle this
transition year better.
Shortly before last Saturday's
pregame Senior Day festivities,
senior defensive back Brandon
Harrison couldn't find his
parents, who he thought would
drive up from Ohio for the
game. Rodriguez saw Harrison's
concern, grabbed him and said,
'C'mon, let's go.' Rodriguez
walked by Harrison's side under
the banner and then hugged him.
It turns out an accident on
the highway slowed Harrison's
parents, and they had just made
it to the tunnel when he walked
across the field. But he won't
forget the kindness of Rodriguez,
who Harrison said could have told
him to stay back or walk alone.
"I justsee him a whole different
way," Harrison said. "I used to
look at him as just my head coach,
but now I look at him, it's just a
different type of bond."
But it's too late. The Wolverines
willgointo Columbuson Saturday
with virtually no chance of
upsetting Ohio State, and much of
the reason is because their coach
let them down.
Rodriguez was at Harrison's
side Saturday. But he should have
been there all season.
- Feldman can be reach
at danfeld@umich.edu.

JEREMY CHo/Daly
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez failed in his first year to establish personal relationships with his players until it was too late.

in 2001. The second came at his
weekly press conference two
days after the Wolverines lost to
Toledo.
Seven years later, Rodriguez is
repeating the same mistakes that
made the Mountaineers 3-8 in his
first year in Morgantown, W. Va.
Michigan wasn't going to be
great this year - not with just
two offensive starters returning
and the four leading tacklers
of a year ago departing. But the
Wolverines should have been
better.
And much of the blame falls on
Rodriguez.
Not because he didn't adapt
his spread offense enough. Not
because he didn't name captains
before the season. Not because
he took too long to identify which

players should be starters.
Because Rodriguez forgot the
little things a coach needs to do
to build a winner.
Going 32-5 and playing in two
BCS bowls in his last three years
at West Virginia will do that to
you. But that's not a legitimate
excuse for leading Michigan to its
most losses in 129 seasons.
Rodriguez admitted he should
have made the effort to know his
players better on a personal level.
He should have known better in
the first place.
"He needs to know what's
going to motivate you, and he
needs to know how he can do that
best," redshirt junior right guard
David Moosman said. "And being
a player, you need to know that
it's not personal. It's not an attack

against you."
A few weeks ago, Moosman
said there had been some
separate issues between players
and coaches, but they were being
worked out.
But Rodriguez announced
Tuesday that sophomore wide
receiver Zion Babb is no longer
with the team and, according to
persistent rumors, sophomore
safety Artis Chambers and
freshman running back Sam
McGuffie are also weighing a
transfer.
It's clear Rodriguez hasn't
ironed out all the problems.
Distractions like these are
unheard of during Ohio State
week, when all focus is usually on
beating the Buckeyes.
Getting to know the players

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Rehearsals
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Become part of the
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play in Hockey Band

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" Auditions will include scales and sight reading
" Sunday, September 13 - Wednesday, September 16
" Auditions will be held at Revelli Hall
350 E. Hoover - South/Athletic Campus