Here’s something that will make your day, Michigan fans. With an unemployment rate of over 10% in your state, you might not have job, but your football coach is doing pretty well for himself. Michigan paid $6.6 million to compensate Rich Rodriguez for winning three games in 2008.

In addition to the $2.5 million he made in salary and other compensation, the university kicked in an additional $4.1 million to cover part of the buyout Rodriguez owed his former employer in West Virginia.  The athletic department is separate from the rest of the school financially, but that’s still a lot of dough for not much return.

THE WIZ OF ODDS says that $1.6 million of the money Michigan contributed was for taxes on the $2.5 million portion of Rich Rod’s buyout it agreed to pay. This was, apparently,

“in order that Rodriguez not be unduly burdened or distracted in connection with the performance of his duties hereunder,” according to terms of his contract, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Because the last thing we would want is a guy being distracted about a buyout that he agreed to when he signed a long-term contract four months before fleeing his old job.

So, to recap: Rodriguez torched every bridge in Morgantown, had a horrible first season and made his defensive coordinator take the blame for it, and got Michigan to pay most of what he owes for screwing over his former school.

Luckily, Rodriguez will be able to get things turned around soon, since he’s added former Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson to the staff. That guy’s a proven winner.