The Original Michigan Man
You could trace the origins of Michigan Men back to Fritz Crisler and Fielding Yost, but the man who both coined and defined that term was Bo Schembechler. Bo turned around a football program that was struggling to live up to its once found tradition. He won games, but more importantly, he did it the right way. He not only developed great football players, but he developed great people... he turned boys into Michigan Men.
Lloyd Carr did the same. At Carr's final team banquet, he became only the second non-football player (Bo was the first) to receive the "M" ring that is given to all seniors. On that night, Adam Kraus said that Lloyd was "not just a coach, but a maker of men." Michigan Men.
What was never made public was that before his death, Bo had a short list of coaches he wanted at Michigan. First was Kirk Ferentz. Second was Rich Rodriguez. There is no doubt in my mind that Bo would not have supported Rich Rod if he did not believe he was a true Michigan Man. We won't know for years whether Rodriguez will fulfill that legacy, but we can examine the things that make a Michigan Man and how Rodriguez fits that description.
Grades
At West Virginia, Rich Rodriguez proved that academics were important to him. His teams were always among the leaders in GPA in the Big East. This particular article shows Rodriguez's passion towards academics. One particular excerpt reads:
“More than 45 guys on our team had a GPA of over 3.0,” he said. “That’s the first time that’s ever happened in the history of West Virginia football.” He said there is a wall in the football offices that has pictures of all the players who get over 3.0. “The only way you can get your picture on that wall is to go over 3.0. The players come to me and tell me, ‘Coach, I’m going to be over 3.0. I’m going to get on that wall this semester.’ Whatever motivates them, I’m going to try and do.”
In 2008, the Michigan football team set a record for their highest GPA in the program's 130 year history. Coming to Michigan, the best thing any of these football players can do is graduate. Coming from someone who just graduated from the University of Michigan, the amount of doors that degree opens up is priceless. If Rodriguez can continue to strive for high academic standards and high graduation rates, he will have helped the student-athletes more than anything he could do on the football field.
Recruiting Integrity
For those who don't follow recruiting closely, there is a "silent period" in which coaches aren't allowed to directly contact potential recruits. Under Lloyd Carr, Michigan always seemed to lose their position with recruits during this period, obviously because he followed the no-contact rules. When Rodriguez first came to Michigan, his recruiting came into question because he "stole" a few recruits from fellow Big Ten coaches. But, he did nothing wrong during that time. Yet, this year, Michigan lost ground with one recruit in particular. When his fellow Michigan recruits explained the situation to him, the recruit reported that Michigan had bolted to the top of his board. Recruiting with integrity draws kids who value integrity.
Another common recruiting tactic is referred to as negative recruiting. Rather than selling their school, the coach points out negative aspects of opposing programs to negatively impact the recruit's interest in that school. Urban Meyer is notorious for doing this. In fact, he was at it again recently. Here's a comment regarding 5-star defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd on why Floyd recently cooled on Penn State:
“The staff there (at Florida) spent a lot of time talking about how many players get in trouble at Penn State and how it’s not a good place to be,” the source continued. “That is when (Sharrif) got worried about that kind of stuff and really cooled on them.”
Now, here's a comment from a freshman's dad who was recruited by Rich Rodriguez:
"Michigan never did any negative recruiting. When we met coach Rod and Frey, they said, "we play the best players, be it a freshman or a senior. If you come to Michigan you will compete each week for the opportunity to play. Yhere are no guarantees here. What Michigan can offer you is the finest education you can get and the opportunity to play football."
Makers of Men
As stated earlier, making Michigan Men is what Bo and Lloyd were so great at. While it's impossible to predict whether Rich Rod will do that, his emphasis on academics and integrity make it easy to believe that he's going to be committed to developing not only good players but good people. Just today, Rodriguez commented on Jason Forcier, a player who he never has nor never will coach:
"He is going to get into the ‘real world’ sort of speak and he’s a great young man and he’ll have success. I don’t know which area he is going into, but I’m going to be someone to try to help because I just think that this guy is going to have great success in this business world.”
Forcier was attempting to join the football team but wasn't allowed to for logistical reasons. Yet, Rodriguez is committed to helping him succeed in his future. Rich Rodriguez does not owe Jason Forcier anything. But, he wants to help a kid who he thinks can be successful. Rodriguez also recognizes his potential, which is an asset in and of itself.
I am confident that the ability of Rodriguez to recognize potential both on and off the field will be something that will lead to future success as both a football coach and a Michigan Man. Integrity? He has it. Just give the guy a chance. Someday, in the very near future, Rich Rodriguez will make Michigan fans very, very proud. Not just as a football coach... but as a true Michigan Man.
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