More fuel for the Rich Rodriguez haters in West Virginia
Michigan
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Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez remains public enemy No. 1 in West Virginia.
If today's reports from West Virginia newspapers are true, with the first one emerging from the Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette, the hatred is about to reach a new level.
The initial Gazette report, which cited an unnamed source, said that Rodriguez “destroyed all or most of the paperwork filed relating to every player on the Mountaineer roster and virtually all of the activities conducted by the programs over the past seven years.”
Rodriguez and Michigan officials were unavailable for comment this morning.
Rodriguez, who was hired by Michigan to replace Lloyd Carr on Dec. 17, removed all files pertaining to the players, the Gazette reported, including academic records and community service events, disciplinary results and all of the strength and conditioning data.
Their summer camp records and financial accounting are gone, as well as the players’ contact information.
The discovery occurred in the past 10 days since the West Virginia football staff returned from the Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl.
The Gazette’s source alleges the incident occurred sometime between Rodriguez’s resignation on Dec. 19 and the team’s return from Arizona on Jan. 3.
Rodriguez had spent most of that time in West Virginia, he told the Detroit media.
The paper quotes multiple sources who work in the Puskar Center, the West Virginia football building, saying they saw Rodriguez and his video coordinator shredding paperwork on Dec. 18, the day after Rodriguez’s introductory news conference in Ann Arbor.
An athletic department source is quoted by the paper saying the department isn’t planning its own investigation. But this may affect Rodriguez’s chance of avoiding his buyout and will likely attract the attention of the university’s attorneys.
West Virginia sued Rodriguez for the $4 million buyout he owed the school for breaking his contract six years before it was to expire.
Should theft or destruction of state property be proven, it likely would damage his contention that the university did not live up to its promises, thus invalidating the agreement.
Rodriguez, who also brought six assistant coaches and five support staff members from West Virginia, is scheduled to be on the road recruiting for Michigan the next three weeks. National Signing Day is Feb. 7.
West Virginia’s sports information director Mike Montoro had no comment and Rodriguez’s agent, Mike Brown, said Tuesday morning he had not seen the report.
West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong is out of town, attending the Big East meetings.
If today's reports from West Virginia newspapers are true, with the first one emerging from the Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette, the hatred is about to reach a new level.
The initial Gazette report, which cited an unnamed source, said that Rodriguez “destroyed all or most of the paperwork filed relating to every player on the Mountaineer roster and virtually all of the activities conducted by the programs over the past seven years.”
Rodriguez and Michigan officials were unavailable for comment this morning.
Rodriguez, who was hired by Michigan to replace Lloyd Carr on Dec. 17, removed all files pertaining to the players, the Gazette reported, including academic records and community service events, disciplinary results and all of the strength and conditioning data.
Their summer camp records and financial accounting are gone, as well as the players’ contact information.
The discovery occurred in the past 10 days since the West Virginia football staff returned from the Jan. 2 Fiesta Bowl.
The Gazette’s source alleges the incident occurred sometime between Rodriguez’s resignation on Dec. 19 and the team’s return from Arizona on Jan. 3.
Rodriguez had spent most of that time in West Virginia, he told the Detroit media.
The paper quotes multiple sources who work in the Puskar Center, the West Virginia football building, saying they saw Rodriguez and his video coordinator shredding paperwork on Dec. 18, the day after Rodriguez’s introductory news conference in Ann Arbor.
An athletic department source is quoted by the paper saying the department isn’t planning its own investigation. But this may affect Rodriguez’s chance of avoiding his buyout and will likely attract the attention of the university’s attorneys.
West Virginia sued Rodriguez for the $4 million buyout he owed the school for breaking his contract six years before it was to expire.
Should theft or destruction of state property be proven, it likely would damage his contention that the university did not live up to its promises, thus invalidating the agreement.
Rodriguez, who also brought six assistant coaches and five support staff members from West Virginia, is scheduled to be on the road recruiting for Michigan the next three weeks. National Signing Day is Feb. 7.
West Virginia’s sports information director Mike Montoro had no comment and Rodriguez’s agent, Mike Brown, said Tuesday morning he had not seen the report.
West Virginia athletic director Ed Pastilong is out of town, attending the Big East meetings.
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Comments
JS
<< <i>So if Rich pulls a Nick Saban and goes 8-4 will he get canned? Stuff like this always comes back to haunt you.
JS >>
They will probably let him get by with 8-4 for the first year there I would think but things had better turn around the next year or else.
Michigan fans tend to be rather demanding....
Ron
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<< <i>I would love to know if there are criminal penalties for destruction of state property. If so, there's a reasonable chance he could become the first coach in awhile to be convicted.
Ron >>
If these allegations are true what the heck was he thinking? If he was trying to hide something it seems you would selectively weed
things from the files rather than destroy everything which is going to be noticed easily. It seems like this was some kind of a mean
spirited parting shot at WVU.
<< <i>Who cares, its Michigan, they suck. Nice start to the Big 10 in men's basketball. >>
It is the one area where Michigan State has it all over their hated rival. Wolverine basketball is just embarassing.
To all those who wanted Lloyd out, you got your wish. The grass is always greener . . .
<< <i>Let the post-Lloyd Carr era begin!
To all those who wanted Lloyd out, you got your wish. The grass is always greener . . . >>
I being a huge Michigan Football fan and former season ticket holder to the big house, would have taken somebody else as well, I knew when they had Les Miles up here talking to him and he recommended Rodriguez, I sighed. What has he won and he can't win a big game, Les seemed to want to recommend somebody he figured he would beat regularly if needed.
At least Lloyd had class and would never do what Rodriguez is accused of, West Virginia should be happy they have a new coach, they looked good in their bowl game.
-John
Ebay ID: jrconcessi
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word here is rod was screwing a cheerleader and his wife found out and told he's leaving now, so now hes in michigan,she's back here,look for divorce soon , and lock up your cheerleaders,wine and cheese,
i never heard about the paper shredding incident, interesting,id say he was trying to cover up that the recruits he was trying to get for wvu he is now trying to get for michigan,maybe something else
i knew something was up when he goofed all ho-hummed the calls against pitt and kept pat white out because of his hurt finger, on his wrong throwing hand in the most important game we ever had, allwe had to do is beat pitt,which should have been no big challenge his mind was definately on the game,prob on wife taking a ballbat to him,if he ever coes back to wvu he might go hoffa,they are pretty pizzed off-he might get offered up as a punching bag to owen schmidt,who is a monster with a mohawk
bill stewart seems like a cool guy ,cant be any worse than any of the other 32 coaches weve had since 1891-i figured don nehlan would die wvu coach he was in morgantown so long
Unfortunately for Michigan fans, RR can't even spell defense! What's even worse, the nation's #1 high school recruit (T. Pryor) has now scheduled a visit to LSU. How funny would it be to see Michigan lose him to Les Miles.
<< <i>Unfortunately for Michigan fans, RR can't even spell defense! What's even worse, the nation's #1 high school recruit (T. Pryor) has now scheduled a visit to LSU. How funny would it be to see Michigan lose him to Les Miles. >>
Pryor wasn't even considering Michigan until Rodriguez came here, so it's all good. Also, I heard a report that Mallett was going to transfer to LSU. If that's the case, I don't expect Pryor to go there.
That said, if he wants to be a nice college QB running a gimmicky offensive scheme, Michigan and RipRod is the place for him. If he wants to play in the league someday, he'll go elsewhere.
Ron
Buying Vintage, all sports.
Buying Woody Hayes, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, and Jesse Owens autographed items
<< <i>
<< <i>Unfortunately for Michigan fans, RR can't even spell defense! What's even worse, the nation's #1 high school recruit (T. Pryor) has now scheduled a visit to LSU. How funny would it be to see Michigan lose him to Les Miles. >>
Pryor wasn't even considering Michigan until Rodriguez came here, so it's all good. Also, I heard a report that Mallett was going to transfer to LSU. If that's the case, I don't expect Pryor to go there. >>
Yes and he just added LSU to his list of visits two days ago!! Mallett is going to TN.
<< <i>
<< <i>
<< <i>Unfortunately for Michigan fans, RR can't even spell defense! What's even worse, the nation's #1 high school recruit (T. Pryor) has now scheduled a visit to LSU. How funny would it be to see Michigan lose him to Les Miles. >>
Pryor wasn't even considering Michigan until Rodriguez came here, so it's all good. Also, I heard a report that Mallett was going to transfer to LSU. If that's the case, I don't expect Pryor to go there. >>
Yes and he just added LSU to his list of visits two days ago!! Mallett is going to TN. >>
Has Mallett officially decided yet? To my knowledge, it's still not official. The initial report said Tennessee, but as of last week there were still reports of Arkansas and UCLA and the LSU story popped up here in Michigan only a couple of days ago.
<< <i>That said, if he wants to be a nice college QB running a gimmicky offensive scheme, Michigan and RipRod is the place for him. If he wants to play in the league someday, he'll go elsewhere. >>
The reality is that a QB like Pryor will likely never play as a QB in the NFL. Running QB's rarely succeed at the next level. He's got a pretty decent touch to his passes from what I've seen, but will most likely be used substantially as a runner no matter where he ends up. I'd like it to be here wearing blue, but time will tell. In the end, I'm not very upset that Mallett left. He could end up being something special. Big monster that can throw the ball through a steel door, but has no touch or mobility. The touch will likely come, but he reminds me a lot of Navarre when he was here. Decent production, but never really had all the tools to be "the guy".