Rich Rodriguez And Michigan: Head Coach Delivers Passionate, Josh Groban-Filled Plea To Keep His Job

And apparently Rodriguez is hearing this talk, too, because Thursday night he delivered a passionate, heartfelt, uncomfortable, awkward, tear-saturated speech to close out the team’s banquet. A speech that began with some jokes, but quickly transitioned to Rodriguez making a plea to stay at Michigan and then ended with a playing of Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up.” Really. (Our Michigan blog, Maize N Brew, has the appropriate reaction.)

The team’s end-of-the year banquet was a chance to recognize the 25th anniversary of the 1985 team that finished No. 2 in the AP Poll, the highest ranking of a Bo Schembechler squad. But Rodriguez also used it to make his desperate plea (complete audio here. You must go listen to it now -- words do not do it justice).