Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman stands behind Rich Rodriguez

“I don't think it's fair to coaches to bring them in and say, 'We're going to give you three years,’” Coleman told the paper. "When (former Michigan basketball coach) Tommy Amaker came in, we stuck with him for six years. It just wasn't going to work; it wasn't the right fit. But it wasn't a rushed decision.”

Rodriguez, 8-13 with three games left in his second season, said he stays in contact with Coleman nearly every week and talked “very briefly” with her a couple weeks ago.

“Mary Sue has been very supportive,” Rodriguez said. “Everybody’s been supportive.

"I want everybody to have patience. I don’t have much of it, but I wish everybody would have patience. Building a championship-level Division 1-A football program, there’s a lot of parts to it and there’s a lot of things that have to go together and go right. And it takes a little bit longer sometimes than anybody would want. But the progress is being made. Not as quickly as some people would like, but we’re going to press forward and get it done. And hopefully sonner rather than later."

Michigan (5-4, 1-4) needs one win to become bowl eligible after missing the postseason last year for the first time in 33 years.

The Wolverines host Purdue (3-6, 2-3) on Saturday.

Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.