Mailbag question: Time for the current coaches to be held accountable?

GBMW,

I really appreciate the in-depth analysis and insight you guys bring.

The issues that alarm me most about this staff are legion.

Number one, blaming recruiting on this product is a cop-out. Lloyd will no doubt get fed up with this at some point if Rich Rod keeps blaming past recruiting.

There is a case study proving Rich Rod is off-base with these claims in the form of Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech suffered as much, or more attrition when Paul Johnson came on board. They started more than ten freshmen last year. But they managed to go 9-3 and to beat their chief rival, Georgia.

This year, they are 10-1. The execution has improved. The discipline has improved. The team is vastly better, despite the personnel losses. The reason is that Paul Johnson is probably the best game day coach in college football. He makes adjustments by series, not by halve, and certainly adjustments are made (unlike what we now endure). He is also an unrivaled judge of talent and a master motivator.

Rich Rod also does not appear to get the root meaning of humility. You get humbled when you think you are better than you are. When you receive that, and decide to make changes, it stops.

To hear you guys say certain assistants are untouchable reinforces the recurring theme of arrogance this staff exudes. The mere fact that they think they can come in and take the program backwards in order to go forward is insane. Who do they think they are? Michigan is bigger than all of them. I don’t think they realize this perception.

Michigan had some of the best position coaches in the game when RR came along. Certainly, if Scott Loeffler is good enough for Florida, he was good enough to contribute here. Certainly, Vance Bedford is as good as D-back coaches get. Ask Woodson, ask Urban Meyer.

This staff simply is not that good (and this statement is an exercise in restraint!). There are several coaches who know how to do more with less. Rich Rod is not one of them. Paul Johnson. Brian Kelly. Jim Harbaugh. All are master motivators and leaders of men. I think any of the three would have been better fits here.

Thanks,

Nelson R.

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Thanks for the question and comments.

We also have become tired of the “its all Lloyd Carr’s fault” mantra and this crap keeps getting spewed by appointed experts, moderators, and supposed insiders, along with fans who pick up the banner from the previous sources and flame on.

A head coach, and indeed the entire staff, who have been at a school of historical high achievement for two years, must not be discounted as being part of the problem, that is, given a get out of jail card. Since this current staff is now and has been in total charge, the task of building (once thought to be maintaining) back the program falls 100% on those now on board. The current staff has uplifted (blown up) the landscape and produced a very new product, there is no rationale to have the previous staff shoulders any burden. Inserting reality, arguing blame is like debating what Lee should have done at Gettysburg. He lost the battle and that is that. No debate is going to change present reality.

Having said this, we all know the gossip and blame game on the message boards will continue on.

Coach Carr was 100% accountable for his tenure as head coach. He is now gone and let him enjoy his retirement and what he wants to do for the rest of his life out of the public eye.

There are many examples of improvement by teams in year two; Georgia tech is a good one as is Ohio State under Coach Tressel, and Alabama under Coach Saban. Brian Kelly made a heck of an improvement in year one and is doing quite well in year two. Jim Harbaugh took over a 1-11 team and improved the Cardinal in just a couple of years, along with beating USC two out of three times.

It is not unusual for head coaches to have assistants they feel very comfortable with; Coach Bo had guys like Jerry Hanlon and Tyrell Burton. Coach Rod is obviously happy with Coaches Magee and Gibson. He also seems to like having Coaches Tall, Dews, and Smith on staff.

As Coach Rod said in his press conference — do not have the exact quote, but it went very close to this “I am a big boy and this is a big boys’ business” and fans want wins and that is what I and the other coaches are judged on”.

It is past time for the current program to stand on it’s own two feet and for all this history interpretation to stop coming up every week. This rehashing and amateur adjudication is of no benefit, including for the current staff.

We at GBMW want to talk football, basketball, hockey, recruiting and any other sport at the University of Michigan and we are tired of all the agenda and gossip that some sites try to stir up to create a buzz and get the followers to read their stuff. Know this, some just did/do not Coach Carr and this is a classic beating of the strawman. If Coach Rod had achieved a record of 11-1, you could bet the final piggy bank that such sources would never mention Coach Carr as being part of the success.

Michigan’s record the last two years in the Big Ten is 2-6 in 2008 and 1-7 in 2009. No matter what people say, that is something that should never happen at Michigan and actual football results need to improve drastically next year. It is very disappointing that this team started off the season at 4-0, with wins against Western Michigan (5-7), Eastern Michigan (0-12), Indiana (4-8 overall and 1-7 in Big Ten), tied with in last place in the Big Ten, and then Delaware State. Michigan could not get another win after that game.

Edit Note: Nelson you split the perception arrow right down the middle with your letter. Wherever you are, consider yourself the GBMW archery champion.

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