Rich Rodriguez has been all over the media since his hiring. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE
It’s been hard to keep up with all the news.
Arizona Wildcats athletic director Greg Byrne announced Rich Rodriguez as UA’s football coach on Nov. 21, introduced him at a press conference a day later and paraded him in front of fans at the season finale.
RichRod is a national name in college football circles. There has been more than enough stuff to read, watch and listen to. This is a guy who had a book written about his three years at Michigan. Source material overflows.
Afraid you missed something? Want a one-stop shop of material?
We haven’t compiled everything, but we drilled down fairly deep for more than 50 links — and even came up with a copy of Rodriguez’s 2005 offensive playbook at West Virginia, complete with team rules.
So, if you have a few hours, here is a healthy serving of the best reaction and information surrounding Rodriguez’s hiring …
TucsonCitizen.com
–Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller gets off a funny line when asked about the one thing he would consider a flaw on Rodriguez’s resume.
–Rodriguez works the tailgate at the season finale. He’s on his Arizona honeymoon while other schools just begin dating.
–Rodriguez trying on a sombrero? The photo is worth clicking on the link as Rodriguez talks timetable for hiring assistants and early thoughts on recruiting.
–Senior QB Matt Scott looks at Rodriguez’s zone-read offense and figures he can get back to his ‘natural roots’
–Proof that Rich Rodriguez will not be boring. Impossible to watch this video clip without laughing.
–An Arizona man: Rodriguez says all the right things at his introductory press conference and talks about commitment
–One-on-one with Rodriguez. He tells TucsonCitizen.com about his philosophy on sideline behavior, his charity interests and how he wants to get to know his new players.
–Rodriguez’s compensation: Nearly $2 million per year, five years
–Rich Rodriguez: Five burning questions
–Initial reaction to Rodriguez hiring: ‘He will love it’ in Tucson
–Greg Byrne tweets: Rich Rodriguez is Arizona’s new coach
–Bear Down and Blog: Arizona nation welcomes Rich Rodriguez
–TucsonCitizen.com editor Mark Evans: RichRod potentially worth every penny of his huge salary
–TucsonCitizen.com blogger Renee Schafer Horton: RichRod’s contract says it all: We care about you as athletes, not students
–TucsonCitizen.com blogger Scott Terrell: About those NCAA violations …
The Arizona Daily Star
–Rodriguez, UA enter new recruiting frontiers
–Patrick Finley looks at the origins of Rodriguez’s spread offense.
–Greg Byrne did his due diligence in vetting NCAA violations that occurred at Michigan on Rodriguez’ watch.
–Greg Hansen: Rodriguez represents new day for UA football
Other local/state media
–Arizona Republic columnist Dan Bickley looks at the two big state schools and writes, “If a Sun Devil could ever be jealous of a Wildcat, this is the time.
–Arizona Republic columnist Paola Boivin says the hiring is a great move.
–Brad Allis of Wildcat Sports Report says Rodriguez has something to prove.
–Kevin Zimmerman of AZDesertSwarm.com reveals that Greg Byrne’s reading list during his coaching search included “Three and Out” — the story of Rodriguez’s three years at Michigan.
–Mike Schmitz of the Arizona Daily Wildcat breaks down the introductory news conference and examines the ‘misconceptions’ about his Michigan tenure.
–Schmitz writes that Rodriguez could be a perfect fit for Arizona.
–ESPN analyst Mark May told 620 KTAR in Phoenix that the hiring was a ‘home run.’
–FoxSportsArizona.com’s Jack Magruder writes: “Ken Kendrick, Arizona Diamondbacks general managing partner, sits on the Board of Directors at West Virginia and knows Rodriguez well. Among his greatest strengths, Kendrick said, is coaching a style of football that plays well with recruits.”
–KVOA’s Ryan Recker, on his personal blog, notes that Rich Rodriguez and Sean Miller form one of the top football-basketball duos in the country.
National media/websites
–Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples was imbedded for Rodriguez’s first 48 hours on the job and has the behind-the-scenes details in a story for the magazine and a companion piece on-line.
–Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com writes that Rodriguez seeks a fresh start at Arizona and that he is “a genuinely nice person whose default facial expression is a grin.”
–Coachesbythenumbers.com breaks down the hiring in a very analytical way and gives it a grade of A-.
–Paul Myerberg of Pre-Snap Read writes that it’s “hats off to Byrne for a supremely farsighted hire.
–The Big Lead likes the hire and writes: “Rodriguez would be a risky hire for some schools. This is Arizona, where any reward is worth the risk.”
–The college football experts at Rivals.com debate whether Rodriguez is a good fit at Arizona.
–Matt Hinton of Dr. Saturday writes Rodriguez’s “return to the sideline feels like more of a coup for the Wildcats than a lifeline thrown to a tired retread. Retreads elicit shrugs. Win or lose, Rich Rodriguez’s teams are always interesting.”
–John Henderson of the Denver Post writes about Rodriguez through the lens of his two trips to Morgantown, W.Va.
–Still more from ESPN.com’s Ted Miller; SI.com’s Stewart Mandel; Sporting News’ Steve Greenberg; Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com and the Seattle Times’ Bud Withers.
Radio/Podcasts
–Rodriguez chats with Tim Brando on Yahoo! Sports Radio and talks about how Arizona “has been close.”
–Rodriguez joins Doug and Wolf (that would be his former West Virginia teammate Ron Wolfley) of KTAR 620 in Phoenix to talk about taking the Arizona job. “I think the football passion is going to be there at the University of Arizona,” Rodriguez said. Doug and Wolf
–FoxSports.com Thayer Evans says Rodriguez is more motivated than ever and his offense is an ideal fit for the Pac-12.
–Rodriguez talks with (now Washington State coach) Mike Leach on SiriusXM.
Video
Rodriguez on the theory of the pregame speech
Rodriguez breaks down the read-option offense
Scout.com’s director of scouting Scott Kennedy talks about Rodriguez’s potential impact on recruiting.
John U. Bacon, author of “Three and Out”
–Bacon’s book on Rodriguez’s three years at Michigan is required reading for any Arizona fan. Here is Bacon’s official website.
–The National Review’s Kevin Holtsberry writes that the book details how the “search for a new coach was bungled; the eventual hire was undermined at nearly every turn; the media were hostile to a degree hard to fathom outside of Ann Arbor.”
–Bacon did interviews with KOLD-TV’s Damien Alameda and Bickley and MJ of XTRA 910-AM in Phoenix and with Jody Oehler of ESPN Tucson.
Ann Arbor.com: Author says Rodriguez will compete for national titles at Arizona
Have a link to add? Add it in the comments section or let me know at agimino@tucsoncitizen.com.