RichRod hates family values

So before Rich Rodriguez arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan's football players and the coaching staff held hands and sang Kumbaya before practice and games. Or is that RichRod is a card-carrying liberal, who drives teenage girls to abortion clinics on the weekend and has never read the Bible.

Something isn't right up north.

It seems outcast Justin Boren, a former Michigan offensive lineman, may not have been so off base when he accused RichRod of stripping the Wolverines of their close-knit, family values that the team enjoyed under former coach Lloyd Carr.

Now OL Kurt Wermers, who redshirted last season, is transferring to Ball State. Wermers commented about RichRod on the news site nwi.com and said: "I really didn't get along with the new coaches. They were bringing in a lot of different kids that were not my kind of crowd. Coach Carr's staff was a whole different ballgame. It was like a family. But when Rodriguez came in it was a whole different feeling. It was more of a business. I figured I'd get out while I could."

Wermers' comments are almost identical to those Boren made when he bolted Michigan to join bitter rival Ohio State. Boren said then: "Michigan football was a family, built on mutual respect and support for each other from (former) Coach (Lloyd) Carr on down. We knew it took the entire family, a team effort, and we all worked together.

"I have great trouble accepting that those family values have eroded in just a few months. " ... That I am unable to perform under these circumstances at the level I expect of myself, and my teammates and Michigan fans deserve, is why I have made the decision to leave."

Wermers is no Boren. But this is starting to become a trend at Michigan. There were rumors about RichRod's "values" when he was at WVU. But the players and fans seemed to tolerate him because the man won games. His games could wear thin in Ann Arbor if he doesn't win this season.

If it doesn't work out, at least he'll have more time for his family.

5 out of 119 ... still appalling

This won't quiet the Floyd Keith and the Black Coaches and Administrators, but the timing is interesting. Just one day after announcing it was building a case to potentially bring litigation against colleges and universities who appear to keep passing on black coaches in favor of white coaches, Eastern Michigan is set to announce Ron English as its next head coach.

By hiring English, the number of black head coaches is still an appalling five out of 119 at Football Bowl Subdivision schools.

This is a great move by the Eagles. English, who is 40, was an outstanding defensive coordinator under Lloyd Carr at the University of Michigan, before spending this past season at Louisville. He did well at first with the Cardinals, but injuries ravaged his defensive unit down the stretch and UL was torched by West Virginia (35-21) and Rutgers (63-14).

Eastern Michigan gets a hard-working coach who should be able to recruit the state well and get EMU to a competitive level in the Mid-American Conference. As I mentioned yesterday, this is a great opportunity for English to build the program and enhance his reputation before looking for the big-time job.

Now it's time for others institutions to recognize other qualified black candidates and give them a chance.

5 Job Openings in 2009 (and who should be hired)

Arizona
Current Coach: Mike Stoops
Who the Wildcats should hire: Chris Petersen (Boise State)

Stoops can save his job by getting into a bowl game this season. But a 36-28 loss to a weak New Mexico is not a good sign. Arizona is 3-1 right now and securing four more wins is not out of the question. However, I see Petersen taking over in Tucson. He has become one of the top young coaches in the nation. Boise is 26-3 in two-plus seasons under Petersen, including a 15-1 mark in Western Athletic Conference play.

Syracuse
Current Coach: Greg Robinson
Who the Orange should hire: Turner Gill (Buffalo)

I know everyone thinks (or wants) former USC assistant and former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, but Gill has done an amazing job at Buffalo. The Bulls wisely gave Gill a contract extension through 2012 after guiding Buffalo to a 5-7 record. Buffalo is just 2-3 this season, but this is a program that was a doormat before his arrival. There have been rumors that former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr is considering the job. Just seems like a very odd fit.

Tennessee
Current Coach: Phil Fulmer
Who the Volunteers should hire: Skip Holtz (East Carolina)

The buzz about Holtz has dimmed a bit following consecutive losses by his Pirates, but he would be a great fit at Tennessee. He’d be talking in that Tennessee drawl about 30 seconds into the press conference announcing his hiring. Skip learned how to be a head coach during five seasons at UConn (38-23) and now in his fourth season at ECU, where he guided the Pirates to back-to-back bowl games. He was considered a favorite to get the West Virginia job last winter before Bill Stewart led the Mountaineers to a big win in the Fiesta Bowl. He would get the Vols back on top in the SEC.

Virginia
Current Coach: Al Groh
Who the Cavaliers should hire: Jerry Moore (Appalachian State)

OK, maybe this is a bit of a stretch and wouldn’t make too much since for the long haul since Moore will be 70 in July. But he’s a great coach. What he has accomplished for the Mountaineers is amazing. He is 169-72 with three consecutive Football Championship Series titles. Moore has BCS experience as he coached Texas Tech from 1981-85.

Washington
Current Coach: Tyrone Willingham
Who the Huskies should hire: Jim Mora Jr. (Seattle Seahawks)

I still believe Willingham should be given another year, but with a new AD (Scott Woodward) his time in Seattle is probably coming to an end. Now my suggestion may not be realistic since he is expected to be promoted to the Seahawks head coach next year. But the former walk-on linebacker is an intense competitor and should be an excellent recruiter. He could rebuild Washington into a national contender again very quickly. Remember, one of the reasons he was run out as the Atlanta Falcons head coach was because of a radio interview he did in Seattle where he said he’d leave the NFL to return to his alma mater.