"2. Rich Rodriguez, Arizona
Florida needs a proven winner as a head coach, and Rodriguez is 97-59 in his three major stops. He’s charismatic, which plays well with recruits, fans and reporters. His offenses at Clemson, West Virginia and Arizona have been consistently strong.
One coach wondered whether Rodriguez had enough “polish” for Florida. He might come off a little folksy, but I think that’s part of the arsenal. He’s a pretty sharp guy. Rodriguez would have more shine to him than either Muschamp or former coach Ron Zook, if for no other reason than he’s been a head guy for so long.
It obviously didn't go well at Michigan (15-22), but if he was good before and after that stop, that suggests more about Michigan than Rodriguez. To me, the question is whether Rodriguez likes the way things are set up at Arizona. He has a great, young AD in Greg Byrne and, generally, a lower stress level.
Then again, he makes a little more than $2 million. And maybe he does want another big-brand job to further erase the Michigan stain on his rep. As one SEC coach reminded me last year, money and ego drive coaches more than anything. "
