Posted on May 20

Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez sat down with members of the local media today. Here are a few highlights of the hour-long talk:

West Virginia lawsuit: Even if he's forced to pay the full $4 million buyout, Rodriguez is confident his battle with West Virginia is worth the fight because he's sure the truth is on his side.

"Not only did it affect me, lie about me, but lie about guys on my staff," Rodriguez said. "And I do take it very personally when someone tries to ruin the reputation of my staff and myself. It's not right, particularly when he's lying. That will be the case from now until the day I'm no longer sitting on this good earth."

He said his seven-and-a-half hour deposition wasn't fun, but it wasn't difficult because it's not hard to keep track of the truth.

Two allegations particularly irked Rodriguez. One was that he inappropriately shredded documents. The other is that he suspiciously made 112 phone calls in the two months surrounding his move from Morgantown, W. Va. to Ann Arbor to the same number in Peterstown, W.Va. He said the documents were old gameplans he kept in an unlocked cabinet in his office. And the phone calls were proven to be made to his voice mail.

Rodriguez said some recruits or their families have asked about his situation with West Virginia, but not as many as expected.

Rodriguez said he won't let the lawsuit affect his coaching responsibilities and is thinking about how to improve the Michigan football program is on his mind 24-7. He admitted that approach may be excessive, but that's the way he has always been, including when he was a player.

No. 1: Rodriguez initially assigned the No. 1 jersey to incoming freshman cornerback J.T. Floyd. A wide receiver has traditionally worn the number. Cleveland Brown receiver Braylon Edwards, a Michigan alum who wore No. 1, donated money for a scholarship for the player wearing it, which he wants to be a receiver. When he heard Floyd had the number, Edwards criticized the move in several interviews.

Rodriguez said he just filled out the roster and had a skill-position number open and gave it to a player. He said he has since talked to Edwards.

"I'll plead ignorant on that," Rodriguez. "If I can fix all problems as easy I can fix that one, we're all in a good place."

Nobody will wear No. 1 this fall. The previous coaching staff may have guaranteed freshman receiver Darryl Stonum the number.

Playing days: Rodriguez's father was a laid-off coal miner when he graduated high school. But Rodriguez passed on basketball scholarships from mid-major division-I basketball schools to walk on to the West Virginia football team.

"I wanted to play in the biggest arena I could be in," Rodriguez said. "You know how you are as a walk-on, a chip on your shoulder - say 'Where's the biggest place I can go that'll prove I can play there.' "

Paying for school with a Pell grant and an academic scholarship, he played under Don Nehlen, who went to West Virginia after coaching under Bo Schembechler at Michigan. Rodriguez said Nehlen took Schembechler's famed "Those who stay will be champions" mantra to Morgantown and talked about Michigan frequently.

Rodriguez met Schembechler once at the annual College Football Hall of Fame banquet in New York. They briefly chatted, but Rodriguez takes a lot of pride in the fact that Schembechler mentioned him after that.

Non-conference schedule: Rodriguez doesn't plan to add a major non-conference opponent to the schedule beyond Notre Dame because it's not worth giving up the $5 million-$6 million generated from a home game. He said it's also difficult to find a major opponent interested in a home-and-homes series.

Speaking tour: Because coaches aren't allowed to visit recruits in May, Rodriguez went to New York, Chicago, San Diego and Los Angeles to talk to alumni groups. He said most fans asked about the offense and the quarterback situation. Many offered to send him plays.

"I said 'Make sure you've got 11 people on it, not 12,' " Rodriguez said. "I get a lot of plays with 12 people on there - can't run them."

Rodriguez said he hasn't been surprised by anything at Michigan, but was impressed with the number of people in those distant cities who had season tickets.

Players' character: Rodriguez said the perception that his teams are filled with troublemakers like Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, both of whom played at West Virginia under him, is unfair. He said those were two players in 16 years as a head coach. Both got into trouble once with the Mountaineers, and both were suspended.