WHO'S NEXT?
With Rodriguez gone, who is the best
fit, who should Michigan want and who's
the most likely replacement?
n SEE PAGE 9A
THE DAILY'S
BEST OF 2010
Kanye and Buzz lead our
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>INSIDE
P iC i an a46Fl l
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Thursday, January 6, 2011
michigandaily.com
RICH ROD) OUT
Rodriguez officially
fired as head coach
A.D. David Brandon:
'Michigan fans expect
more than this'
By TIM ROHAN
Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan coach who led the Wol-
verines to their worst three-year span in
Michigan football history was fired yes-
terday afternoon. Rich Rodriguez's 15-22
record and plenty of off-the-field drama
resulted in a tumultuous tenure that will
not be forgotten anytime soon.
"Michigan is not used to this," said Uni-
versity Athletic Director David Brandon
in a press conference yesterday afternoon.
"Michigan fans expect more than this - so
do Michigan athletic directors. And so we
need to put ourselves in a position where
we get ourselves competitive again"
No coach has recorded a worse record
in Michigan's 131-year football history and
no other Michigan football team has per-
formed worse in a bowl game - leaving
the 52-14 Gator Bowl loss as Rodriguez's
lasting impression in his lone bowl appear-
ance.
His offense, led by sophomore quar-
terback Denard Robinson, re-wrote the
record books this season. But the Wolver-
ine defense was as bad as the offense was
good.
Brandon said he concluded his evalu-
ation of now-former coach Rodriguez on
Tuesday night after meeting with Rodri-
guez for three-and-a-half hours to discuss
the future of Michigan's football program.
In an e-mail statement to The Michi-
gan Daily yesterday afternoon, Univer-
sity spokesman Rick Fitzgerald wrote that
See RODRIGUEZ, Page 5A
Rich Rodriguez on the sidelines during a game against Ohio State in the second half at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009.
Robinson s former coaches speak out
High school coaches
weigh in on how
firing affects QB
By RYAN KARTJE
Daily Sports Editor
With Rich Rodriguez no longer Michi-
gan's football coach, a great deal of the
attention in the coming days will center
around players possibly leaving the pro-
gram, considering how many Wolverines
left when Rodriguez was hired in 2008.
But of any player on the roster, sopho-
more quarterback Denard Robinson could
be Michigan's mostvaluable pieceto retain
during the upcoming coaching transition.
Following the Wolverines 52-14 blow-
out loss in the Gator Bowl, Robinson was
asked about the prospect of leaving Michi-
gan if his coach was no longer here.
"No response," he replied.
He added: "That's my coach. That's who
recruited me, so that's it."
See ROBINSON, Page 5A
BRANDON'S
CRITERIA
What the A.D. is loking for
in Rodriguez's replacement.
* See Sports, Page 9A
MARISSA M,
Rich Rodriguez talks with sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson (16) during at the
in Jacksonville, Fla. on Saturday, Jan. 1. In Rodriguez's last game, Michigan lost 52-14.
University Athletic Director David Brandon discusses his decision to fire Rich Rodriguez at a press
conference at the Junge Family Champions Center yesterday.
Brandon's comments shed
light on divided Michigan
D avid Brandon is facing the big- move - hiring Rich
gest challenge of his young Rodriguez's replace-
career as the University's Ath- ment - will be a criti-
letic Director. cal decision that will
He has to hire the best coach in the impact the storied
world - someone who will instantly fix Michigan football pro-
the Wolverines' struggling defense with gram for years, maybe
the wave of a magic wand, bring in a field decades, to come. And, NICOLE
goal kicker who can accurately make of course, that choice AUERBACH
60-yard field goals and turn Michigan will tell us a lot about
into a national championship contender Brandon himself.
by September. Brandon was cool, calm and convinc-
Or ... something like that. ing yesterday afternoon as he announced
In all seriousness, Brandon's next See AUERBACH, Page SA
PLAYERS REACT TO
DECISION
The team remains united
despite uncertain future.
See Sports, Page 9A
TIMELINE OF RICH
RODRIGUEZ'S CAREER
A look at his three seasons as
Michigan's head coach.
See Sports, Page 8A
'U' alum Yousef Rabhi sworn in as
commissioner in Washtenaw County
22-year-old Rabhi
elected chair of Board of
Commissioner meetings
By DYLAN CINTI
Daily News Editor
A nameplate reading "Yousef Rabhi"
sat alongside 10 others in the boardroom
of the Washtenaw County Administration
Building. Behind the plate sat its name-
sake, a 22-year-old who graduated from
the University last month.
Last night, the Program in the Environ-
ment alumRabhi assumed a very different
role - commissioner on the Washtenaw
County Board of Commissioners.
Rabhi won November's general elec-
tion with 74 percent of the vote after
defeating his primary opponent by a mere
two-vote margin. During the months
leading up to the August 2010 Democratic
primary, Rabhi went door-to-door can-
vassing through neighborhoods in the
student-heavy 11th district.
Rabhi's hard work finally paid off yes-
terday, when he sat down for his first
meeting with the Board of Commission-
ers.
During the first part of yesterday's
meeting, Rabhi said he felt both nervous
and out of his element.
"My heart is racing," Rabhi told the
assembled crowd of roughly 60 attendees
after he was sworn in.
As the board launched into a lengthy
discussion of the meeting rules for the
coming year, Rabhi said after the meeting
that he still felt a little out of place at that
point.
"It was kind of intimidating," Rabhi
said, "at least for the beginning."
Midway through the meeting, however,
Rabhi said he began to feel comfortable
participating, and the moment he started
partaking in the discussion, he realized
the board was where he belonged.
"When I started talking I started feel-
ing like, 'Hey ... my feedback is valuable,"'
Rabhi said.
In a group of commissioners between
See RABHI, Page 5A
TODD NEEDLE/Daily
Yousef Rabhi is sworn in as commissioner on the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners.
WEATHER HI: 23 GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM INDEX
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