With Rich Rodriguez fired, athletic director Dave Brandon is planning to talk to the media at 12:30 p.m. in a press conference. There he will undoubtedly address questions about the decision to fire Rodriguez, the evaluation process that led up to the decision and what is next for the Michigan football program. In the meantime, Brandon gave brief statement about this decision in a release (via Angelique Chengelis).
"I have completed a systematic and thorough review of our football program and believe that a change in leadership is necessary," Brandon said in a release. "We have not achieved at the level that I expect."
Although a 7-6 record was an improvement for Michigan after going 3-9 and 5-7 in Rodriguez's first two seasons, Michigan faltered down the stretch, losing three games in blowout fashion. What's more, the Wolverines didn't show any improvement on defense or special teams as the season progressed. While the offense was electric at times with Denard Robinson, it failed to score points on a consistent basis in the second half of the season, contributing to Michigan's struggles.
While there were some reasons to be hopeful for the future, Brandon is correct in saying that Rodriguez did not achieve at the level that should be expected at Michigan. As a result, Rodriguez is now unemployed and Michigan is looking for a new football coach.