Bear Down Wildcats

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:

UAEebs86 wrote:

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:

azpenguin wrote:The people who think RR is damaged for interviewing with another school must really not like Lute Olson.

You can't be serious......apples to oranges. Correct me if I'm wrong, only one time in his long tenure at UA did Lute interview and consider leaving the UA to frickin' KENTUCKY! And how many years and after how much success at re-building then expanding the UA program?

He talked to Kentucky twice.

Thanks....interesting. Do you know when and how close he came to leaving then? Just curious....

CalStateTempe wrote:HS and CG97 bringing it strong tonight.

They appreciate nuance.

CalStateTempe wrote:HS and CG97 bringing it strong tonight.

They appreciate nuance.

TheGreatCatsby wrote:Miller did the EXACT same thing, we never talk about it two years later. It's always nice to know your options as a coach, and in Rich Rod's case, maybe he needed it. I know the late night games and getting home at 5 am bothers him, as does the distance recruiting he has to do because Arizona is a small state population wise.

Sometimes it takes seeing what your options are, then deciding what you have is better than all of them...AND then you can mentally refocus and redouble down on your efforts (like recruiting, and perhaps continued facility upgrades, like an indoor practice facility, which we DO need, which will help with recruiting and training.)

Scummy Dick Douglas wrote:"Coaches interview for jobs all the time. People every day in America interview for jobs they don't take. It isn't 1987 where coaches stay at the same job for 30 years. No reason to take his interview as a personal insult. Get a grip and calm down. RR has been here for 5 years now and turned down several jobs. Get over yourself"

Pretty big difference in listening to interested parties and actively interviewing. And you are right, coaches interview for better jobs all the time. I think most people would agree that South Carolina would have been a lateral move at best.

catgrad97 wrote:You have no idea what other people did or didn't do, HATER. None. You need to stop pretending you do and sift out the facts of this situation.

I believe Byrne, who has been forthright and discreet throughout this process, as he has always preached transparency.

But I no longer believe Rich Rodriguez and find his self-estimation and regard for this program and its fans to be a boatload of bullshit. He exposed himself as weak and not very principled throughout this entire process, and it's going to take yeomans work to heal the distrust it has caused in this program.

Idiotic tantrum? My wife is asleep while I sit next to her on the coach, typing this. I am merely voicing a moral objection to a public figure's conduct I find unacceptable. I haven't even read a thing South Carolina has to say about this.

And BTW, when did coaching COLLEGE football become a "business"? You never hear that line dared utter at the D-II or III levels, but in 2015 at Arizona, it is?

Agree. RR is now on Todd Graham's level for me. Totally full of shit. He's good verbally like a used car salesman is good verbally, with just as much substance. We're lucky to have him? I don't think so.

As to Lute's romances with Kentucky, it's all in his book. Rather than guessing, read the book, get it from the horse's mouth. Lute's situation was night and day from RR's bullshit. Lute is on an entirely different level than RR ... in all regards. So is Sean Miller. RR is a very polished bullshit slinger. Not my kind of guy. If he were on my payroll, he would be gone Monday a.m.


If so, as Harvey points out, business has not been good this fall for Rich Rodriguez, so he needs to drop the star games and CEO bs and do the tough things it takes to win in this game.

Harvey Specter wrote:

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:

UAEebs86 wrote:

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:

azpenguin wrote:The people who think RR is damaged for interviewing with another school must really not like Lute Olson.

You can't be serious......apples to oranges. Correct me if I'm wrong, only one time in his long tenure at UA did Lute interview and consider leaving the UA to frickin' KENTUCKY! And how many years and after how much success at re-building then expanding the UA program?

He talked to Kentucky twice.

Thanks....interesting. Do you know when and how close he came to leaving then? Just curious....

I know he was pretty close to leaving at least one of the times... and I seem to recall Bobbi talked him out of it. (All their family roots were in Tucson by then).

I believe he was offered the job both times he considered it (or at least once, he may have removed his name before it came to an offer the other time)... He and CM Newton were old friends.. Once (I am almost certain he was offered) was when they hired Eddie Sutton - I think the other MIGHT have been when they hired Pitino (and I want to say he backed out early in the process).

Oh... And Lute never publicly pronounced "I was offered the job and turned it down", although it was widely reported that he had been. Funny thing, UK didn't ever deny they offered him the job either.

He did not need to create an air of desirability around himself. He was a hot property. He knew it. The fans knew it. EVERYBODY knew it.

catgrad97 wrote:You have no idea what other people did or didn't do, HATER. None. You need to stop pretending you do and sift out the facts of this situation.

I believe Byrne, who has been forthright and discreet throughout this process, as he has always preached transparency.

But I no longer believe Rich Rodriguez and find his self-estimation and regard for this program and its fans to be a boatload of bullshit. He exposed himself as weak and not very principled throughout this entire process, and it's going to take yeomans work to heal the distrust it has caused in this program.

Idiotic tantrum? My wife is asleep while I sit next to her on the coach, typing this. I am merely voicing a moral objection to a public figure's conduct I find unacceptable. I haven't even read a thing South Carolina has to say about this.

And BTW, when did coaching COLLEGE football become a "business"? You never hear that line dared utter at the D-II or III levels, but in 2015 at Arizona, it is?


If so, as Harvey points out, business has not been good this fall for Rich Rodriguez, so he needs to drop the star games and CEO bs and do the tough things it takes to win in this game.

ASUHATER! wrote:But...he didn't take the other jobs. Sure he interviewed...but he didn't take them. Everyone seems to be forgetting that major detail

ASUHATER! wrote:Him not taking the job shows me he's all in.

chiefzona wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:Him not taking the job shows me he's all in.

He stated he was all in 4 years ago. Did he need to visit another school to see if he was still an OKG?

chiefzona wrote:RR doesn't allow OKGs to visit other schools while committed to Arizona.....see Naijiel Hale. So, if Rich Rod is preaching OKG and is an OKG, and committed to Arizona. Why then is he visiting another school? Should Byrne decommit him? Pull his offer? Practice what you preach or your words become plastic because of your actions.

ASUHATER! wrote:

chiefzona wrote:

ASUHATER! wrote:Him not taking the job shows me he's all in.

He stated he was all in 4 years ago. Did he need to visit another school to see if he was still an OKG?

So you're telling me you've never evaluated your life or decisions before? Never changed your mind or mulled something over? Once you do something it never changes again the rest of your life? If not, then you have no business being mad at RR

azcat49 wrote:I am very interested in Samaje Grants reaction and tweet. That to me is very interesting and telling

MrMeow wrote:

chiefzona wrote:RR doesn't allow OKGs to visit other schools while committed to Arizona.....see Naijiel Hale. So, if Rich Rod is preaching OKG and is an OKG, and committed to Arizona. Why then is he visiting another school? Should Byrne decommit him? Pull his offer? Practice what you preach or your words become plastic because of your actions.

Excellent point. RR is a total slimeball. Totally full of shit. Unlike Newport, I'll take character first. Results need to follow, but character is a basic requirement. RR fails.

azpenguin wrote:So many people here act as if he has no right no talk to other schools, that he's damaged goods or disloyal. By that definition pretty much every coach in football is disloyal. It's a business, not a marriage. As bad a year as Stoops was having in '11, he was still working hard when he got fired. The university didn't extend loyalty to Stoops because it was about results on the field. RichRod was getting calls because of his results over the last few years. If it's OK for a school to fire a coach when his stock is down, then it's fair game for a coach to see what's out there when his stock is up. There is little loyalty in the business. That's just how it is.

chiefzona wrote:

azcat49 wrote:I am very interested in Samaje Grants reaction and tweet. That to me is very interesting and telling

I'm thinking Grant wanted him gone.

Fishclamps wrote:

MrMeow wrote:

chiefzona wrote:RR doesn't allow OKGs to visit other schools while committed to Arizona.....see Naijiel Hale. So, if Rich Rod is preaching OKG and is an OKG, and committed to Arizona. Why then is he visiting another school? Should Byrne decommit him? Pull his offer? Practice what you preach or your words become plastic because of your actions.

Excellent point. RR is a total slimeball. Totally full of shit. Unlike Newport, I'll take character first. Results need to follow, but character is a basic requirement. RR fails.

Question, who else has RR done that to? I'm pretty sure the answer is no one and he was just looking for a reason to get rid of Hale. I think he saw the writing on the wall with that kid before signing day

chiefzona wrote:

azcat49 wrote:I am very interested in Samaje Grants reaction and tweet. That to me is very interesting and telling

I'm thinking Grant wanted him gone.

chiefzona wrote:

Fishclamps wrote:

MrMeow wrote:

chiefzona wrote:RR doesn't allow OKGs to visit other schools while committed to Arizona.....see Naijiel Hale. So, if Rich Rod is preaching OKG and is an OKG, and committed to Arizona. Why then is he visiting another school? Should Byrne decommit him? Pull his offer? Practice what you preach or your words become plastic because of your actions.

Excellent point. RR is a total slimeball. Totally full of shit. Unlike Newport, I'll take character first. Results need to follow, but character is a basic requirement. RR fails.

Question, who else has RR done that to? I'm pretty sure the answer is no one and he was just looking for a reason to get rid of Hale. I think he saw the writing on the wall with that kid before signing day

That is RR's policy with commits. It's common knowledge. He saw the writing on the wall with Hale but not Poland, Price and the others he has kicked off the team for behavior unbecoming?

Harvey Specter wrote:

chiefzona wrote:

azcat49 wrote:I am very interested in Samaje Grants reaction and tweet. That to me is very interesting and telling

I'm thinking Grant wanted him gone.

I am thinking Grant probably ought to transfer... Unless that tweet means something very different than it appeared to at face value - and he can explain it clearly - then he just committed the equivalent of career suicide. RR does not strike me as a guy who is one to easily "forgive and forget" being publicly called out by a subordinate.

And I don't think that was a wise move. I really do want to know if RR had promised the team he would not interview earlier in the week. I really hope someone asks him about it at the presser.

It will be interesting to see how the team responds and performs in the bowl game, as well as how the recruiting class ends. Their reaction to this is the most important... Because they will ultimately decide how the fans feel about RR.

Perform well and win and all will be okay. If he's lost them (I am not saying he has), then this is the beginning of the end... because fan loyalty to RR will be dictated almost exclusively by wins and losses moving forward.

chiefzona wrote:

Harvey Specter wrote:

chiefzona wrote:

azcat49 wrote:I am very interested in Samaje Grants reaction and tweet. That to me is very interesting and telling

I'm thinking Grant wanted him gone.

I am thinking Grant probably ought to transfer... Unless that tweet means something very different than it appeared to at face value - and he can explain it clearly - then he just committed the equivalent of career suicide. RR does not strike me as a guy who is one to easily "forgive and forget" being publicly called out by a subordinate.

And I don't think that was a wise move. I really do want to know if RR had promised the team he would not interview earlier in the week. I really hope someone asks him about it at the presser.

It will be interesting to see how the team responds and performs in the bowl game, as well as how the recruiting class ends. Their reaction to this is the most important... Because they will ultimately decide how the fans feel about RR.

Perform well and win and all will be okay. If he's lost them (I am not saying he has), then this is the beginning of the end... because fan loyalty to RR will be dictated almost exclusively by wins and losses moving forward.

Good post. I think there will be a lot of coach speak today and not a lot of answers. The local hacks here are pathetic when it comes to asking poignant questions because they don't want to lose their places in the buffet line. I'll hear a lot more today from my friends and we'll see how this goes. One thing that I think though is that RR will be full of fire come Spring and coach with his pants on fire.

Fishclamps wrote:

chiefzona wrote:

Fishclamps wrote:

MrMeow wrote:

chiefzona wrote:RR doesn't allow OKGs to visit other schools while committed to Arizona.....see Naijiel Hale. So, if Rich Rod is preaching OKG and is an OKG, and committed to Arizona. Why then is he visiting another school? Should Byrne decommit him? Pull his offer? Practice what you preach or your words become plastic because of your actions.

Excellent point. RR is a total slimeball. Totally full of shit. Unlike Newport, I'll take character first. Results need to follow, but character is a basic requirement. RR fails.

Question, who else has RR done that to? I'm pretty sure the answer is no one and he was just looking for a reason to get rid of Hale. I think he saw the writing on the wall with that kid before signing day

That is RR's policy with commits. It's common knowledge. He saw the writing on the wall with Hale but not Poland, Price and the others he has kicked off the team for behavior unbecoming?

So you would never find a commit that's taken officials to other schools after they've committed here?

azpenguin wrote:So many people here act as if he has no right no talk to other schools, that he's damaged goods or disloyal. By that definition pretty much every coach in football is disloyal. It's a business, not a marriage. As bad a year as Stoops was having in '11, he was still working hard when he got fired. The university didn't extend loyalty to Stoops because it was about results on the field. RichRod was getting calls because of his results over the last few years. If it's OK for a school to fire a coach when his stock is down, then it's fair game for a coach to see what's out there when his stock is up. There is little loyalty in the business. That's just how it is.

dirtbags wrote:consider for a moment: what would CSM do if a guy who verbals continues to take visits? he'd talk to the kid, and recruit over him if needed. which is what RR should do, and what i assume GB would with RR also.

dirtbags wrote:consider for a moment: what would CSM do if a guy who verbals continues to take visits? he'd talk to the kid, and recruit over him if needed. which is what RR should do, and what i assume GB would with RR also.

Fishclamps wrote:

dirtbags wrote:consider for a moment: what would CSM do if a guy who verbals continues to take visits? he'd talk to the kid, and recruit over him if needed. which is what RR should do, and what i assume GB would with RR also.

Exactly. All of college sports is about shopping yourself around. People need to get over it. If we lost RR, we'd move on and get someone else. He chose to stay though, so fuck him right?

Fishclamps wrote:So ok for Tate, but not for Hale? Gotcha

Harvey Specter wrote:

azpenguin wrote:So many people here act as if he has no right no talk to other schools, that he's damaged goods or disloyal. By that definition pretty much every coach in football is disloyal. It's a business, not a marriage. As bad a year as Stoops was having in '11, he was still working hard when he got fired. The university didn't extend loyalty to Stoops because it was about results on the field. RichRod was getting calls because of his results over the last few years. If it's OK for a school to fire a coach when his stock is down, then it's fair game for a coach to see what's out there when his stock is up. There is little loyalty in the business. That's just how it is.

Rich Rod's stock is about on par with Muschamp's; if you call that high, the we agree to disagree. Right now his stock is high enough that he was a Plan C for a middling BCS program, and it was interesting enough that he decided to explore it. Every time his name surfaces, the fans object to him like the plague.

As for his results the 'past few years' - lets talk about that. No sugar coating - this is business. Last year was a very nice season, and that's it. The other 3 were mediocre to bad - losing conference records and wins against cupcakes... No more 'feel good' propping up of results.

This fanbase stood behind him and virtually EVERYONE was in his corner despite a really disappointing season overall. He has gotten the benefit of the doubt at every turn - and ENORMOUS credit for the few positives that he has delivered. If people were calling for his head and he went off interviewing for any job that gave him a cursory look, that would be a different story entirely. He has been the beneficiary of more loyalty and support than he has reciprocated.

I don't think that happens any more... he wants to keep his options open? So do we.... From now on - it is WIN OR ELSE. Business is business, and it's a 2-way street. Time to deliver a SOLID product... and enough with the marketing gimmicks to try and call attention away from the warts and moles.

Less time on cutesy slogans... less time on feel-good videos... And more focus on difference-making recruits and W's. That's what this shareholder wants.

chiefzona wrote:

Fishclamps wrote:So ok for Tate, but not for Hale? Gotcha

So the story goes but Tate never tried it or him so he remains an OKG. I heard through a ahem...media type person that RR ok'd it but that story is still hearsay really. I don't believe RR went public with that so it seemed like Tate was just testing the waters.

azgreg wrote:It's my understanding (and i may be way wrong here) that a school must get permission from another school in order to talk to one of their coaches if they are under contract.

Fishclamps wrote:

chiefzona wrote:

Fishclamps wrote:So ok for Tate, but not for Hale? Gotcha

So the story goes but Tate never tried it or him so he remains an OKG. I heard through a ahem...media type person that RR ok'd it but that story is still hearsay really. I don't believe RR went public with that so it seemed like Tate was just testing the waters.

Sounds like that rule is not hard and fast then, and he is selective about who he applies it to. Maybe invokes it in certain circumstances?

chiefzona wrote:

Fishclamps wrote:

chiefzona wrote:

Fishclamps wrote:So ok for Tate, but not for Hale? Gotcha

So the story goes but Tate never tried it or him so he remains an OKG. I heard through a ahem...media type person that RR ok'd it but that story is still hearsay really. I don't believe RR went public with that so it seemed like Tate was just testing the waters.

Sounds like that rule is not hard and fast then, and he is selective about who he applies it to. Maybe invokes it in certain circumstances?

No, I think it's a pretty hard rule and it's one he broke. Sure, it's his team but if RR expects loyalty from his players and the fans.....we'll see how that goes. I think attendance will drop and might see some transfer out. Who knows. Playing with fire is never a safe bet unless you like to get burned.

MrMeow wrote:To all those guessing about Lute's romances with Kentucky, it's all in Lute's book, pages 120-123, and 169-170. To all those comparing Lute to RR, the difference is like night and day. Lute's life is the picture of character.