The Return of Rich Rod?
There are two things in life that I love more than I probably should; Duke basketball and Michigan football. So when my boy (Justin Kilgore) told me about John U. Bacon’s book “Three and Out: Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football” I headed straight to Barnes & Nobles.
That book is by far the best book I’ve ever read. Besides the Bible of course. (BTW, Gene Wojciechowski’s “The Last Great Game: Duke vs. Kentucky and the 2.1 Seconds That Changed Basketball” is next on my reading list.) Bacon’s book is a must read for anybody that has ever loved the Maize & Blue, and for anyone who just loves sports and enjoys a good read. He delves into the history of Michigan Football, and describes how Rich Rod created the spread offense. But the gist of the book breaks down everything that happened during the three years Rich Rod was in Ann Arbor. All the secrets, rumors, and anything you ever wondered are discussed and exposed.
Everyone that I know who has read the book comes away feeling a certain way about Rich Rod. Some feel bad for him, some think what happened wasn’t his fault, and others feel he got everything he deserved. But nonetheless my Wolverines and Rich Rod have both moved on. While surfing ESPN.com the other day I came across a column/video interview that Ivan Maisel did on Rich Rod as he started his first day of practice at Arizona.
After reading the article two thoughts immediately popped in my head. One, this could really work. And two, he has the same coaching staff he had at West Virginia.
Ann Arbor, Michigan is a different place. Anybody just can’t come in there and win. There is a certain culture and a way of doing things that Rich Rod never quite understood. But at Arizona, there’s……well, nothing. There are no expectations, no legacies, and most importantly there aren’t 117,000 people filling the stands every Saturday assuming that you’ll win every week.
Joining Rich Rod in Tucson this year are former assistants Tony Dews, Calvin Magee, Tony Gibson and Rod Smith. While Rich Rod wasn’t able to get his beloved strength and conditioning coordinator, Mike Barwis, to Tucson, he did get a former disciple of Barwis’ in Chris Allen. But the two most important people on the staff are Defensive Line Coach Bill Kirelawich and Defensive Coordinator Jeff Casteel. The duo decided to stay at West Virginia when Rich Rod sent for them to join him in Ann Arbor. Without Kirelawich and Casteel heading the defense to go along with Rich Rod’s offense, Michigan was ranked as one of the worst defenses in the country during his time in Ann Arbor; which is what ultimately cut his time in the “Murda Mitten” short.
But now, Rich Rod has the old gang from West Virginia back together and with a few years to recruit the kind of players he needs to run his spread offense the sky’s the limit in Tucson.
Or is it?
The Pac-12 has always been dominated by USC, and since the Trojans’ postseason ban is over expect the Men of Troy to be locked in the Top 10 all season. Along with USC, the explosive Oregon Ducks equipped with their high-octane offense have been kings of the conference the past few years.
So with two powerhouse programs already imbedded in the Pac-12, everyone (especially Michigan fans) is waiting to see if Rich Rod can rediscover the magic he once had in Morgantown.
ThePlayingField 