Weekly What-If: Michigan says, “Welcome Back Mr. Rodriguez”

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon has a difficult decision to make. The Michigan football program has not exactly been elite since Rich Rodriguez took the reigns of the team, and some people think a change needs to be made. He takes a look different coaches around the country who may be interested in taking the job. Stanford’s Jim Harbough, Boise State’s Chris Peterson, and San Deigo State’s Brady Hoke are all intriguing options. After weeks of phone calls and meetings Dave Brandon has finally made up his mind. He gets on the phone and calls his guy. After two rings the man on the other end picks up. “Mr. Rodriguez,” Brandon says, “Welcome back.”

What if Dave Brandon decided to keep Rich Rodriguez for another year instead of choosing to hire Brady Hoke?

Here are some facts to help you make your decision:

Rich Rodriguez had a hard time

1. Under Rodriguez, the 2008 football team had a record of 3-9, the worst in school history.

2. Many players claimed that Rodriguez and his staff lacked “family values”, leading to unhappy players and several transfers.

3. Rodriguez was found guilty of several “major NCAA rules violations”. This marks the first time the Michigan football program had faced sanctions from the NCAA.

4. The records the first three years of Rodriguez’s tenure were 3-9, 5-7, and 7-5. If the pattern were to continue, Michigan’s record this upcoming season under Rodriguez would be 15 and -3.

5. Rich Rodriguez has since been hired by Arizona. In two years there, he has posted a 16-10 record and had an offense that was ranked 29th overall this past year.

Thank goodness for Brady Hoke…Right?

1. Brady went 11-2 with a Sugar Bowl win in his first season. In the following two years he has posted records of 8-5 and 7-6.

2. Although renowned for his recruiting, people are beginning to question Brady’s player development.

3. Since becoming head coach, Hoke’s combined record against Ohio State and Michigan State is 2-4.

4.  Michigan has a record of 15-11 in the last two seasons with an offense that was 78th overall last season.

5. Making lists is hard.

So what would the state of Michigan football be if Rich Rodriquez would have been given another year? Would he still there? Would they be a force in the Big-Ten? Would he really be able have a season with -3 losses?

Before we get to the poll, here are the results of last week’s Weekly What-If question.  Michigan beats Ohio State but in turn has to keep Al Borges. Worth it?

133 votes/54% : NO! Getting rid of Al Borges is more important than winning one game

91 votes/37% : YES! I cannot stand those Buckeyes and want to win at any cost.

22 votes/9% : MAYBE! I’m a very noncommital person and wish you would stop pressuring me into making decisions.

Here’s the link if you want to check out last weeks Weekly What-If and cast your vote.

So what will it be? Knowing what we know, should Dave Braondon have given Rich Rodriguez another season or did he make the right call? You cast your vote down below and scroll down to the bottom to leave a comment. You can also drop me a line on twitter @gbMWint. Say something worthwhile and I’ll include it in next weeks Weekly What-If.