Posted on 01/15/2008 10:40:13 AM PST by redrunner
Just heard from a Michigan official that Rich Rodriguez' attorney will be issuing a statement later this afternoon responding to today's report out of West Virginia that former Mountaineers football coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff may have shred player personnel files and other documents prior to coming to the University of Michigan.
The Charleston Gazette story cites unnamed sources claiming that:
According to the source, the files in Rodriguez's office that are now missing included everything from records regarding summer camps -- financial and otherwise -- to data on boosters, recruiting and most everything related to activities within the program during Rodriguez's seven years at WVU.
Most disturbing, though, is the absence of all of the players' personal files, which included, among other things, contact information, scholarship money awarded, class attendance records and records on personal conduct and community service, be it positive or negative.
If Rodriguez shred public documents - and many, many university documents fit this description - his actions wouldn't just be wrong, they'd be potentially illegal.
On the other hand, it's fairly common practice in almost all businesses for departing executives to shred and/or remove documents that they believe were confidential and/or document methods that could be considered trade secrets.
Either way, it doesn't ever look good to have your name linked with shredding and missing documents. Whether this story is true or not, at first glance it adds to the image many critics in West Virginia are painting of Rodriguez as a slick opportunist.
Has a coach ever been so hated after leaving a program?
The LSU guy would have been better?
It probably was a bad idea to sue Rodriguez. He can hurt them more than they can hurt him.
‘eerGate? What’s a West Virginia shredder? A hungry goat.
Typical for a U of Michigan team.
IOW, I was surprised he didn't bolt to MU.
Nick Saban for leaving Michigan State for LSU, and then leaving LSU for the dolphins.
You would think that the WVU athletic director would have put a pad lock on Rodriguez’s door when he to the UofM job... I think the AD might be in some hot water...
Sign this Rodrequez guy up with Chertoff in the Homeland Security Office. He’s got potential!
That Rod would have similar is questionable, but I don't really follow this stuff too closely. Based on last Friday's events, Coach Rod has some hockey skills to learn.
Rodriguez' attitude when Mallet decided to leave was pretty poor. He basically said "good riddance...he's not on our team anymore, so I don't care about him". Mallet is a drop-back QB who came to Michigan because that was their system. Rodriguez runs a spread offense with a running QB, not Mallet's style. Mallet had to look out for his own future, it was the right thing to leave if he dreams of playing in the NFL. Rodriguez could've patted him on the back and said "best of luck", I'll help you out finding a new university. But, no, he chose to be a jerk about it.
Last I checked, the coach is > the players. Many players can learn new things and become better players. Many HS players have been given new positions to the player’s great advantage. Who knows the particulars. True UoMI players would have stayed and adapted.
Coach Rod: Genius, but a bit of a hot-head.
He will likely own the Big 10. He’s an outstanding coach.
Doesn’t it seem that all the Division I coaches in memory are dirty?
I’ve just come from a Notre Dame site (ndnation.com) where they are gloating, but Lou Holtz was always covering his tracks (see the overwhelming first-hand testomony in “Under the Tarnished Dome”).
I say all this as a ND alum.
The Golden Domers might be gloating now, but we should keep our excitmnent in check until the Irish beat the Wolverines again... (Which should happen on September 13...) Go Irish...
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