I’ve gone on the record (by far not the only one) before on how Coach Rich Rodriguez was a bad hire from day one for Michigan.
Being a Syracuse alum, I had seen plenty of West Virginia games to understand what a Coach Rodriguez game plan looked like. Michigan football was always about pounding the football inside and a tough front four defense. Rodriguez brought a philosophy that was so wildly different, he always found himself at odds with the media and the alumni base. With a new hire in place and his memory quickly departing Ann Arbor, Coach Rodriguez and his family have left an indelible image on the Metro Detroit community.
The last few weeks in Ann Arbor were difficult to watch, no matter your allegiance to any university. The rambling speech and tears, the Josh Groban melody, it was more like watching a poorly acted soap opera. When he had finally been relieved of his position, Michigan fans were not provided with a diatribe about how bad it is to have coached at Michigan. Instead, Coach Rodriguez and his wife quietly donated all of their Michigan gear to the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club and Salvation Army. No press conference needed, just show up and bid on some Michigan gear.
For all of the trouble everyone gave to Coach Rodriguez during his time here, my level of respect for his character skyrocketed with this move. Michigan football is in its own version of a healing process, and everyone involved understood that from day one. For a Coach to turnaround and thank the community in which he once lived, demonstrates that sometimes sports may be more than just wins and losses.