8A -,Thursday, January 6, 2011 The Michigan Daily -- michigandaily.com TIMELINE OF RODRIGUEZ'S TENURE* BY: NICK SPAR DAILY SPORTS EDITOR INTRODUCED AS HEAD COACH IN 2007 Rich Rodriguez's three-season tenure as coach of the Michigan football team was a rocky one. The 15 wins he earned from 2008 to 2010 are the fewest for any Michigan coach since 1928. Digging into the Daily archives, we bring you a timeline of events under Rodriguez - a regime that brought one of the most prestigious programs in the nation to one of its lowest points. The Rodriguez era began after the 2007 regular season when he was hired to succeed Lloyd Carr as the 18th head coach of college football's winningest program. And the era began on a much more lighthearted note than it ended. His opening line to the media at a press conference on December 17, 2007: "Great crowd. Mast be giving away free hats or something." FILE PHOTO/Daily MISERABLE 2008 SEASON Michigan didn't lose its 2008 opener to an FCS team like it did in 2007 under Carr, but Rodri- guez's first season was disastrous. The team posted a 3-9 record - the worst in the program' history - and nearly outdid its 2007 Appalachian State loss with a loss to Toledo on Oct. 11. The Michigan PA Announc- er's words, "Steven Threet, sacked on the play," still resonate with Michigan fans everywhere. WEST VIRGINA LAWSUIT AND SETTLEMENT Rodriguez left his post as head football coach at his alma mater, West Virginia, to come to Michigan - and with a little bad blood. The Mountaineers filed a law suit against Rodriguez for breach of contract. The dispute was ultimately settled in July 2008 when Michigan agreed to pay $2.5 million of his buyout. But the off-the-field trouble was only a sign of things to come. 0 FILE PHOTO/Daily WOLVERINES DROP SIXTH STRAIGHT GAME TO OHIO STATE Michigan started its 2009 cam- paign 4-0 behind the efforts of freshman quarterback sensation Tate Forcier. But it lost seven of its last eight games, lost its sixth straight game to Ohio State and remained without a bowl game des- tination for the second straight year.AE FROMM/Daily A BRIGHT SPOT: 2010 WIN OVER FIGHTING IRISH There were a few glimmers of hope - like the 2008 victory over Wisconsin and the 2009 win over Notre Dame. And some felt Michi- gan was a national power on the ;'. rise after another great start in 2010 (5-0), highlighted by the last-min- ute win in South Bend. This time, Heisman hopeful Denard Robinson spearheaded the Wolverine resur- gence with a Michigan-record 502° yards against the Fighting Irish. FILE PHOTO/Daily NCAA ALLEGATIONS AND INVESTIGATION As if the negative attention sur- rounding Rodriguez for the poor 2008 performance wasn't enough, allegations surfaced in August 2009 that the team violated NCAA rules by exceeding practice time limits. Five days removed from the start of his second season, Rodriguez shed a few tears at the podium trying to defend himself. MICHIGAN FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED NCAA RULES On Feb. 23rd, nearly six months after the allegations and ensuing investigation, the NCAA deter- mined that Rodriguez and Michigan did violate NCAA rules. The players exceeded practice limits and over- trained. Although Rodriguez was not found to have "fostered an atmo- sphere of non-compliance" like first alleged, the program was hit with a three-year probation by the NCAA and reduced practice time. 0 0 2011 GATOR BOWL ANNIHILATION As was thecase in2009, Michigan fell apart late in the 2010 season dur- ing the meat of its Big Ten schedule and finished 7-5. The icing on the cake was a 52-14 obliteration at the hands of Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day. For many, Athletic Director David Bran- don's decision to move in a different direction seemed tobe only a matter of time. FIRED On Tuesday, the Michigan Ath- letic Department denied multiple reports that Rodriguez had been fired. But Brandon confirmed the news on Wednesday morning after a hectic 24 hours of rumors. Rodriguez and much of his coaching staff were sent packing after three tumultuous seasons. 0 ESIGN BY ZACH BERGSON