Michigan president admits mistake with Rich Rodriguez hire

This story comes to you straight from the Department of “Duh” files. University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman told members of the Rotary Club of Flint on Friday that the school made a mistake by hiring Rich Rodriguez as their head football coach in December 2007.

Coleman told the crowd that the school was being criticized for employing Lloyd Carr and his supposed old fashioned, out of date offense, and that’s why they went for Rodriguez.

“We though, OK, well let’s go hire the guy who invented the spread offense,” Coleman said, per MLive.com. “He was a hot, young coach with a different approach.”

If by different, she means “doesn’t care about defense,” then yes, she’s absolutely correct. Rodriguez was a bad fit from the start. He completely changed the entire program, targeted a different type of recruit, and he got in trouble for extra practice and workout violations. It was just a disaster that they luckily turned around pretty quickly.

As for Brady Hoke, who went 11-2 in his first year as head coach after replacing Rodriguez, Coleman is happy with him.

“(Hoke) has more of the kind of Midwestern ethos,” Coleman said.

In other words, he’s not the king of college football scum.

Helmet knock to College Football Talk
Photo Credit: Greg Bartram-US PRESSWIRE