Thoughts on U of M and Rich Rodriguez

For the next two years, the University of Michigan football program will be on probation for violating NCAA rules. Apparently Rich Rodriguez held practices to long and went over the hours that he could hold practices. Although Rich Rodriguez and Michigan David Brandon feels they didn’t do anything wrong, but the NCAA claims that they did not promote an atmosphere of compliance within the program, and that the program violated restrictions on practice and training time.

A lot of people been crticizing Rich Rodriguez ever since he became the coach of the Wolverines. The alumni really haven’t even given him a chance to succeed. There is no doubt in my mind that Rich Rodriguez is a good football coach but he has created a lot of controversey even before he got to Michigan. The way he left West Virginia was controversial and even before he got a chance to coach his first season in Michigan, many players transfered for one reason or another.

I wish people would be patient with things like this but because players, alumni and others keep complaining U of M football is cutting their staff and reducing their practice time 65 hours this year and next to satisfy everyone. I still can’t believe they self imposed sanctions on themselves. However just because that’s the punishment they gave themselves, that doesn’t mean the NCAA committee will stop there. They have to meet with NCAA soon to discuss further and possible punishment.

I don’t know how all of this got started, and how it all got out but I wish it would be done and over with so the school, the players, the coaches and most importantly the fans can move on from this. U of M has a great football tradition, so how about we let Rich Rodriguez get us back to that tradition.