‘Ron Zook may feel heat but seat’s safe’

 

Ryan Autullo of the Toledo Blade examines the Michigan-Illinois matchup and the hot seat situations facing Rich Rodriguez and Ron Zook.

NCAA expected to rule in Rodriguez’s favor on Thursday

AnnArbor.com and multiple sources are reporting that the results of the NCAA investigation into the University of Michigan’s football program were delivered to the school Wednesday, and university officials are pleased with the ruling, a source told AnnArbor.com.

RichRod: ‘Why Do People Watch the Jerry Springer Show?’

Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News sat down for an extensive 1-on-1 with Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez to talk about job security, his relationship with new athletic director Dave Brandon, Jerry Springer, the Real Housewives of New Jersey and catfights.

Clock is Ticking For Rich Rodriguez

@BrianVanOchten of the Grand Rapids Press writes that “there’s still time (for Rich Rodriguez) to salvage his reputation and his job, but that time might be running out” at Michigan. Van Ochten writes that Rodriguez and the Wolverines missed an opportunity for redemption against 15th-ranked Iowa on Saturday, and the 2010 script at Michigan seems awfully familar to the one from 2009.

The Wolverines (5-2) need just one more win to become bowl-eligible for the first time in three years under Rodriguez. The remaining schedule includes a bye week, followed by a trip to Penn State, home vs. Illinois, at Purdue, vs. Wisconsin and at Ohio State.

Michigan is is 2-8 at home against Big Ten opponents under Rodriguez and has been outscored 325-219 in those games. The Wolverines are 4-15 in Big Ten matchups since 2008.

Weber, Greenberg, Pastner “Need Big Years”

Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated “doesn’t do coach-on-the-hot-seat lists anymore,” but parenthetically identifies Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt and Michigan’s John Beilein as possibly being on the hot seat. He goes on to list a couple of coaches who “need a big year,” including Illinois’ Bruce Weber, Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg and Memphis’ Josh Pastner. Davis notes that none of these coaches need worry about immediate job security, but their teams are poised for breakout years and if it doesn’t happen, the wolves might start to come out.

Link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/seth_davis/10/14/burning.questions/

Michigan AD Brandon assures recruits of Rodriguez’s status

 ESPN producer Marc Carman (@mc_espn) tweeted: UNC commit Marquise Williams reports Michigan AD David Brandon told recruits Saturday that Rich Rodriguez would be in Ann Arbor “a long time.”

(correction: Marc seems to be a TV producer, not the radio producer by the same name for WGN Chicago)

Return of the RichRod Chorus

Last week, Michigan was 5-0 and Denard Robinson was a Heisman candidate.  This week, after a home loss to nationally-ranked and in-state rival Michigan State, Rich Rodriguez is again fielding questions about his future in Ann Arbor, Larry Lage of the Associated Press reports. In the story, RichRod says, “We lost to Michigan State, what, you wanna take me and hang me off the building now?”  Yikes.