Rich Rodriquez is one of those college coaches that seem to receive the tag of lighting rod.
It all started when Rodriquez left his alma mater West Virginia in a messy divorce. Things didn’t improve at Michigan where the national spotlight of a national program magnified the losing. So, Rodriquez departed one program voluntarily and was shown the door with the other.
To say the guy received some heat and backlash over those two jobs is like someone telling you it becomes hot in Dallas, Texas in July.
Rodriquez took a year off from coaching and broke down some football as a TV as a commentator. But now the lighting rod is back at the University of Arizona.
The Wildcats aren’t exactly a hotbed of college football. You don’t read or see much attention placed on the program. But Rodriquez wanted and probably need the opportunity to show the college football world he can still successfully coach.
Rodriquez brings a 75-48 career record to Tucson. He’s known as an “offensive mind” and the Pac-12 Conference is a great league to display that. Translation: the conference doesn’t play much defense. Contrary to belief, there isn’t a rule in the league declaring the first team to score 70 points as winner. The goal in the Pac-12 is to literally and figuratively outscore your opponent.
I have no doubt Rodriquez will accomplish that task. The question becomes can he do it consistently and in the meantime quiet the lighting rod tag.
It all started when Rodriquez left his alma mater West Virginia in a messy divorce. Things didn’t improve at Michigan where the national spotlight of a national program magnified the losing. So, Rodriquez departed one program voluntarily and was shown the door with the other.
To say the guy received some heat and backlash over those two jobs is like someone telling you it becomes hot in Dallas, Texas in July.
Rodriquez took a year off from coaching and broke down some football as a TV as a commentator. But now the lighting rod is back at the University of Arizona.
The Wildcats aren’t exactly a hotbed of college football. You don’t read or see much attention placed on the program. But Rodriquez wanted and probably need the opportunity to show the college football world he can still successfully coach.
Rodriquez brings a 75-48 career record to Tucson. He’s known as an “offensive mind” and the Pac-12 Conference is a great league to display that. Translation: the conference doesn’t play much defense. Contrary to belief, there isn’t a rule in the league declaring the first team to score 70 points as winner. The goal in the Pac-12 is to literally and figuratively outscore your opponent.
I have no doubt Rodriquez will accomplish that task. The question becomes can he do it consistently and in the meantime quiet the lighting rod tag.
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