http://post-gazette.com/pg/08208/899757-144.stm
CHICAGO -- Rich Rodriguez has been on the defensive since leaving West Virginia seven months ago. The new Michigan coach said he hopes his messy divorce from the Mountaineers' program is a thing of the past.
"What happened, happened and I'm trying to move on," Rodriguez said yesterday at the Big Ten Conference media days. "I'd rather look forward than back."
Rodriguez reached a settlement agreement with West Virginia earlier this month after his former employer sued him over a disputed $4 million buyout in his contract.
He will pay West Virginia $1.5 million over three payments beginning in 2010 and Michigan has agreed to pay the remaining $2.5 million by the end of this month.
"There are a lot of things I would like to talk about, but I want to move on," Rodriguez said. "That's one of the biggest reasons that everything got settled, because I think everybody wanted to move on. It's in the past.
"Was I disappointed in certain things? Sure I was. Disappointed in that maybe not all the things I thought were truthful had an opportunity to come out. Things I wanted to set the record straight [on] didn't have an opportunity to come out."
Rodriguez said he agreed to settle the ugly lawsuit because he didn't want it to become a season-long distraction for the Wolverines.
"The University of Michigan has done everything right from the first day forward," Rodriguez said.
"I felt I was on the defensive a lot, unnecessarily at times. Again, that's in the past, and I don't think there's anybody that should be embarrassed about anything.
"It became so public and that was the problem. It became so public on everything. It was like I was afraid to open up the paper anywhere and see what's next and what I had to refute. There were some tough lessons learned."
Rodriguez also has had to deal with the public relations nightmare of having starting guard/center Justin Boren transfer to rival Ohio State this spring. And Ryan Mallett, projected to be the Wolverines' starting quarterback, transferred to Arkansas.
Boren said eroding "family values" were the reason for his departure.
"That was the one that really upset me," said Rodriguez, whose six-year deal with Michigan has not yet been finalized. "Any player that ever has played for us will tell you it's just the opposite. Nobody has a closer family-tied union than our football program."
The Wolverines said goodbye to longtime coach Lloyd Carr and most of the offensive stars from last year's team, including top overall NFL draft pick Jake Long, quarterback Chad Henne, tailback Mike Hart and receivers Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington.
But Rodriguez has been busy installing his vaunted spread offense, which worked so well at West Virginia.
"I know coach Rodriguez has been a lightning rod for criticism," senior cornerback Morgan Trent said, "but he has been doing great since he got to Michigan. I think he's handled a tough situation very well."
Rodriguez is working hard to repair his damaged reputation.
"I've not changed who I am, but I never have," he said. "It just seems what was portrayed was changed. That was probably the most disappointing thing about it. I mean, what have I done wrong, image-wise?
"But if my reputation is damaged, that is upsetting because I just changed jobs. I've done things just like I've done them everywhere else."
Rodriguez coached the Mountaineers for seven seasons, going 32-5 in his final three years.
But last year's season-ending 13-9 loss to heavy underdog Pitt in the annual Backyard Brawl not only knocked the Mountaineers out of the BCS national championship game, it had Rodriguez wondering if West Virginia officials really were committed to him.
He insists Michigan fans have been great.
"I'm a so-called non-Michigan man, and maybe they've criticized me behind closed doors, or whatever, but the places I've been to, they've been terrific," Rodriguez said.
Ron Musselman can be reached at rmusselman@post-gazette.com.
First published on July 26, 2008 at 12:00 am
