Everyone's Back Next Year, Including Gardner
According to Brady Hoke, the coaching staff will return intact next year:
"I anticipate (this) staff (to be back)," Hoke said after attending a UAW/Ford Child Identity Program event at Ford Field.
Asked again, if he does not anticipate any staff changes for the 2014 season, Hoke responded with the following: "Correct."
And so will Devin Gardner, guy who sent me that one email about how he could transfer and not sit out a year.
"He'll be back," he said.
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:05 PM ^
He'd have to change the focus of his graduate work, no? Isn't the rule that if your current school doesn't offer your desired Master's you can transfer without loss of eligibility?
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:07 PM ^
I seem to remember that that is the rule.
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:06 PM ^
Borges, Funk, and Jackson are all returning? Ugh.
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:08 PM ^
December 2nd, 2013 at 7:00 PM ^
You really do not KNOW if next year will be painful to watch. A lot of people thought this year would be fun to watch, but it wasn't. So, who knows? Such is life.
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:54 PM ^
So 8th place in the laughable Big 10, besting only stalwarts Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern (almost winless among all 3 if not for a head to head matchup) and Indiana.... gets you the whole staff back?
Wow. 8th place! 3-5! Bring everyone back! Its due to yoouuuuuth!!!!
December 2nd, 2013 at 5:32 PM ^
This is so silly. Hoke is not going to say anything different until a coach is actually let go. He even used "anticipate" instead of "know" or "promise" or "guarantee." If a change were to happen, I'd want them to do it after the bowl anyway - let these guys be as prepared as possible for the last game. Then spend the next month finding an OC.
Point is, just because Hoke says he "anticipates" everyone back when asked, does not mean that's for sure the plan.
December 2nd, 2013 at 6:24 PM ^
December 2nd, 2013 at 7:09 PM ^
Anticipate...
That leaves a whole lot of wiggle room in there, actually, all of it I'd say. But honestly, I'm good with whichever route they go. Careful what you wish for and all that.
December 3rd, 2013 at 9:03 AM ^
even if BH new exactly what DB was going to do he wouldn't tell us until it was a done deal and if posters haven't realized that by now they haven't been paying attention. Honestly, who would want BH to actually tell the media before he told AB or anyone else they were going to be fired? Some people take qoutes given to media far too seriously.
Also, as TIMMAAAY said, he said he anticipated. If I were to read anything into his statement at all it would give me the exact opposite impression it is giving those who think it means AB and the entire staff are coming back.
December 2nd, 2013 at 5:32 PM ^
Al bogus just got off using Schmidts line?
WTF?!?!?
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:09 PM ^
note his political speech - "anticipates" no changes and while he hasn't talked to Gardner about his future, "He'll be back"
Brian the transfer could still happen! PANIC!
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:08 PM ^
To some it's disappointing, to others expected. I don't know how I feel. I think some change would have been good for the fans but that seems like change for the sake of change.
One positive is staff continuity, minus Montgomery, for four seasons. The glaring negative is the games that we just look awful on offense. Hopefully those will change.
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:08 PM ^
Borges et al would pull out all the stops and do just enough to save their bacon. I'm going to try to remain optimistic about seeing offensive improvement next season but it will be a challenge.
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:09 PM ^
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:24 PM ^
We did that years ago!!!
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:27 PM ^
Are the only ones growing to accept it. This move does not, in any way, state that they are happy with the results of the season. Quit embarassing yourself (unless this is sarcasm, then touche).
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:36 PM ^
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:17 PM ^
I agree. Michigan football will continue to be irrelevant as long as they accept mediocre seasons like the one we just had. How much longer can fans continue to support this team when year after year nothing changes?
December 2nd, 2013 at 5:35 PM ^
You realize that there are things a team or program can do besides fire people, right? And we really don't know if they'll all be back since it's not like Borges was getting fired before the bowl game anyway.
December 3rd, 2013 at 5:43 AM ^
and we will be saying next year is the year. every year we say the same thing. michigan football is happy with not even competing or even coming close to competing for a b10 title. while osu has bern continued to compete for national titles. accordong to hoke and brandon we just had 3 failed seasons, and no change to the staff. come on this is the defintion of accepting the status of the program. we have yet to win our division in the b10
December 2nd, 2013 at 7:01 PM ^
I reject this mediocrity! I do not accept it!
It is unacceptable.
I will not embrace it in a tree, or in the rain, or the sleet or snow. Or anywhich way.
David Brand-on might accept our irrelevance, our Notre Dame slide obscurity bolivian, but I Will. Not. Accept.
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:51 PM ^
Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?
I know you know much more about football strategy than I do, and based on this, you may have reasons for supporting Borges that I don't know (and I'd love to hear them). But some of the evidence against Borges is pretty damning. I watched the Ohio game with my father, who is in his mid-60s and has only a surface-level knowledge of football strategy. By the end of the game, even he realized the following:
- Literally every time we were in the pistol formation, we ran speed option.
- Every time Lewan was lined up as a TE (sometimes I pointed this out to him), we ran behind him.
- When we lined up in the power I at the goal line and shuffled the H-back behind the line, we were running directly toward where the H-back stopped.
- Every time we lined up 3 WRs in a stack with Dileo at the back, we were running Dileo on a short in (we only do this on third and short-to-medium).
Yes, that's right: my dad, who has watched maybe five complete games of football in the past decade, correctly called what play we were running on the two point conversion before we ran it. If he can pick this stuff out after watching one game, part of which he spent playing with his granddaughters, then any reasonably prepared opponent can as well (as you know, the Ohio defenders admitted that they were sitting on Dileo for the conversion attempt).
This is why I have only moderate hopes for improvement next season. Although we're losing both tackles and Gallon, and the rest of the offense will have more experience, the problems listed above aren't ones that will be fixed by experience. Even if we have the best offensive line in the country, we won't go far if the defense knows what's coming.
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:11 PM ^
All I'm saying is that no one is accepting mediocrity other than the people claiming that this program is doing such. The people within this program, from Dave Brandon, to the entire coaching staff, to the players, to the interns, want this program and expect this program to play for championships.
No one is accepting mediocrity other than those saying that this program is doing such and embracing it on top of that. That was my point.
December 2nd, 2013 at 5:00 PM ^
Action speak louder then words.
We, the school, the team, the coaches, the administration... We're all accepting mediocrity. Don't talk it. Walk it. Put up or shut up.
There was no accountability for anyone this year. Let's all enjoy the years of futility ahead.
December 2nd, 2013 at 5:38 PM ^
Actions? You mean like putting up 41 points against OSU?
No one, including the coaches, thinks that this year is a success. But stop actling like anything short of firing Borges 3 days after the OSU game is not taking action.
December 2nd, 2013 at 5:49 PM ^
Yes, I mean actions. Actions like 7-5, not competing for titles.
You know, actions like winning.
December 3rd, 2013 at 6:40 AM ^
ah okay so let us talk about one game or even couple instead of the majority of the season
December 2nd, 2013 at 6:12 PM ^
That statement is untrue. The people who say that the program is embracing mediocrity are frustrated that the program remains mediocre. Making no changes may keep continuity, but when the current staff has been getting bad results, especially offensively, it isn't unreasonable to expect changes and be disappointed by the lack thereof. To say that the coaches are also disappointed misses the point completely since they are the ones responsible for said mediocrity, but I guess pointing out bad results makes that person the one settling for mediocrity, not the coaches responsible for the, you know, actual results.
December 3rd, 2013 at 6:37 AM ^
how can u say they r not accepting it. if u failed to meet ur goal that u set and u dont change anything, that mrans u r happy with the status of the program. when db hired hoke inhis speech that i was so happy to hear come from him, but cant recall it exactly. every 4 years we should be in the conversation for nstional title and every class should graduate with a b10 ring or couple. yet his actions r not showing that he means any of that, just saying ps to srll tickets
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:12 PM ^
Urbs was coaching and not you and your dad or we wouldn't have put up 600 yds.
December 2nd, 2013 at 6:09 PM ^
If it's true that we were showing tendencies (which after all isn't so surprising, since every team does), this game should be proof that avoiding tendencies isn't all-important.
That was the best offensive performance against OSU in over a century. I don't think it was their worst defense of the century and it sure as hell isn't our best offense. So the tendencies don't seem to have hurt us so much, do they?
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:56 PM ^
December 2nd, 2013 at 6:04 PM ^
December 2nd, 2013 at 9:46 PM ^
December 2nd, 2013 at 5:08 PM ^
8th place in the conference and 3-5 Big 10 record is not even mediocre. Its positively Illinois-ish.
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:09 PM ^
Well, this'll be a fun offseason on MGoBlog.
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:25 PM ^
I hope not
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:11 PM ^
Honestly this is the best thing for the team. No doubt we had our issues, but coaching changes can really mess up team chemistry and could cause a ripple effect in recruiting. Hopefully this season can be chalked up as a ton of youthful mistakes that can be fixed in the preperation for the bowl season and spring practices.
We have some talent coming in (hopefully with Peppers) that will allow for some game changers that Michigan has been lacking. We will miss Gallon and Lewan, et al but almost every other position will be stronger than this year.
Go Blue!
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:21 PM ^
"but coaching changes can really mess up team chemistry"
Tell that to John Beilein.
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:29 PM ^
What if I told you... Basketball =/= Football
Star recruits are often one and done in basketball while in mature programs they rarely make impacts until they are upper classmen (especially linemen).
December 2nd, 2013 at 3:42 PM ^
So? Terrible coaches with a track record of being terrible are just as bad for team chemistry.
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:26 PM ^
Oh boy. We have terrible coaches now, according to this guy.
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:33 PM ^
Oh yeah, we've got a full on mutiny in the locker room, haven't you heard?
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:37 PM ^
I wish people would realize/accept that both of the following statements don't stand up to scrutiny: 1. Al Borges is one of the top five OCs in the country. 2. Al Borges one of the bottom five OCs in the country.
They guy has both succeeded and failed. He's not great, and he's not terrible.
December 2nd, 2013 at 5:01 PM ^
"He's not great, and he's not terrible."
Absolutely correct.
He's not great, he's not terrible, he's mediocre... and PAID like he is great.
December 2nd, 2013 at 6:08 PM ^
Borges isn't god awful, he calls some god awful games and some very impressive ones. The issue has always been consistency coupled with an unimpressive ability to make adjustments when the plan doesn't work.
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:45 PM ^
The track record of Borges and Funk isn't terrible? Good lord you need to stop drinking the kool-aid.
Oh and if, as even you say, he "isn't great" then why the hell is he being paid as if he is?
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:48 PM ^
Funk had a good year at Ball St. when he was coaching part of the line, though they'd done well the year before too. Then he and Borges helped coach a big turnaround at SDSU. Several years before that, Borges had major successes at UCLA and Auburn too.
Your second question is harder to answer.
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