So Rich Rod is gone. While I certainly understand the decision by Athletic Director Dave Brandon, I feel bad for the coach on a personal level. We had a good relationship to the extent that I talked to him every Friday morning on the air his first two seasons. I always tried to keep the conversations informative and yet friendly and entertaining… I wasn’t trying to be a sports reporter putting him through the ropes. I didn’t see that as my role.
Since things weren’t going so well with the team during most of that time, I guess he appreciated my approach to our talks, because when I retired last March, he sent me and the morning team all sorts of Michigan merchandise including official jackets, warm-up suits, sweatshirts, etc… He even sent two bonafide Michigan Helmets autographed by himself, and then A.D. Bill Martin.
And so the Rich Rod experiment is over. Back three years ago, Michigan purposely wanted to change their style of play and make it a much more wide-open game. Rich obviously accomplished that on the offensive side, but the lack of defense didn’t measure up and was the undoing of him and the team.
He and his family have been through three extremely tough years at Michigan and although I think he’s a very good football coach, as proven by his time at West Virginia, (where they came within one game of playing for the BCS Title Championship), things just didn’t workout in Ann Arbor.
A lot of people are saying that “Rich Rod didn’t fit” - but had their been more wins, I think those same people would be saying “He fit like a glove”!
I wish him good luck no matter which school’s gridiron he lands on!
Today’s Almanac
Speaking of getting the ax, on this day in 1540, British King Henry VIII married his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves. They split six months later.
- Not her head from her body, as was his habit… the marriage was annulled.
And finally, on this day in 1942, the “Pacific Clipper” landed in New York, becoming the first commercial airplane to fly round-the-world. It took over 200 hours.
- 201… if you count the full body scan and pat down!
Have a great day and I’ll see you back here tomorrow with “The Week That Was”!
- Dick