Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez expects to meet with athletic director Dave Brandon this afternoon

By Pete Bigelow AnnArbor.com
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Posted on Tue, Jan 4, 2011 : 10:44 a.m.

Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon will meet with embattled coach Rich Rodriguez early this afternoon to discuss his future with the Wolverines football program, according to two people with knowledge of the meetings.

It’s not the only meeting expected today.

Members of the football team will attend a 7 p.m. meeting tonight to learn the fate of their head coach.

Dave-Brandon-Rich-Rodriguez.jpg

File photo

Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon (right) is expected to meet with football coach Rich Rodriguez (left) today.

Rodriguez’s future with the team has been in limbo for nearly six weeks. Since a loss to Ohio State, Brandon repeatedly said he would not deliver a decision on Rodriguez until after the Gator Bowl.

On Saturday, Mississippi State beat Michigan in a 52-14 drubbing. It was Michigan’s first bowl appearance in Rodriguez’s three-year tenure.

Today’s meetings come one day after Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh beat Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Should the Michigan job open, Harbaugh was initially considered the overwhelming favorite for the job. But multiple reports this morning indicated that he rejected overtures from Michigan, his alma mater.

Two people familiar with the discussions said that substantive talks had not occurred between Brandon and Harbaugh, but they did not discount the possibility they could occur if Rodriguez is fired.

David Jesse contributed to this report.

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