ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Rich Rodriguez has his job for at least another day.
Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon and Rodriguez met Tuesday afternoon and will get together again this morning to discuss the embattled football coach’s future.
Brandon said he has not decided whether to fire Rodri- guez, who is 15-22 after three seasons running college football’s winningest program.
Defensive back James Rogers said a Tuesday night team meeting was postponed until this afternoon.
Michigan officials declined comment amid reports Rodriguez had been fired.
“The definitive voice on this matter is Dave Brandon,” associate athletic director Dave Ablauf said. “And he has not and will not speak publicly until a final decision has been made.”
Brandon said Saturday — a few hours after Michigan lost by a school-record 38 points in a bowl game — that he would have more to say during the latter half of this week. If Rodriguez is fired, Michigan would owe him $2.5 million to buy out the final three years of his contract.
Speculation about Rodri- guez’s job security have followed him almost since his first day in Ann Arbor and it’s only increased as he’s struggled to turn the Wolverines, long a national power, simply into Big Ten contenders. Rodriguez is 0-6 against rivals Ohio State and Michigan State.
Potential candidates to replace him include Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh, a former Wolverines quarterback, and San Diego State coach and former Wolverines assistant Brady Hoke. Returning to Stanford a day after beating Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, Harbaugh shook his head no Tuesday night when asked if he had considered his options.
ESPN fires Franklin.
ESPN fired announcer Ron Franklin four days after his remarks to a sideline reporter before the broadcast of the Chick-fil-A Bowl caused him to be suspended from calling Saturday’s Fiesta Bowl on radio.
“Based on what occurred last Friday, we have ended our relationship with him,” ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said.
During a conversation the reporter, Jeannine Edwards, was having with another ESPN announcer at a production meeting, Franklin said, according to the website , “Listen to me, sweet baby, let me tell you something.” When she protested that his tone was condescending, Franklin reportedly used an obscenity. Franklin subsequently said he deserved to be taken off the radio broadcast.
This was not the first time Franklin had said something similar, which might be the reason ESPN dismissed him. During a Notre Dame-Purdue game in 2005, sideline reporter Holly Rowe lauded Purdue’s defensive strategy despite Notre Dame’s big lead.
“If the coaches are giving up, what does that say to the players?” Rowe said.
Franklin said, “Holly, it’s not giving up. It’s 49-21, sweetheart.”
Footnotes.
University of Miami junior cornerback Brandon Harris announced he will forgo his senior season to enter the NFL draft.
• Penn State quarterback Rob Bolden’s father said coach Joe Paterno denied his son’s request to transfer. It’s unclear what Bolden will do next, with spring semester classes starting Monday.
Denver Post wire services
