Hoke To The Suture
All in favor of having him actually grow those sideburns say aye. That's everyone.
Yay yay yay OMG… for now. Brady Hoke told the radio Denard Robinson would not transfer. So he'll go through spring at least. Also, Tate Forcier is going to try to stick it out:
"Tate wants to stay (at U-M)," Mike Forcier told TheWolverine. "I didn't come with a moving van. Our intent is to do whatever is necessary for him to rejoin the team and become a student-athlete again. We haven't talked to any other schools and we won't until we've exhausted every resource here. But Tate wants to stay and we want him to stay."
This is the greatest hire in the history of college football. This reminds me of when Vince Lombardi hired Jimmy Johnson, except faster:
Fred Jackson will return for his 20th season at Michigan and will coach running backs under Hoke, a source said Thursday night.
This is flantabulous. It reminds me of when you take some sugar and some eggs and some caramel and combine them in a delicious combination that's like custard except faster. It's Hokediculous. It's like that except faster. This is amazing. This coach is like the Heisman in a body, except it's like the Heisman in a body in one of those movies with a virus—he infects everyone with the Heisman. Word. Flan. Flan is the word, except faster.
But seriously folks. The inability of nuclear war to eradicate Fred Jackson probably pushes that Heckulinsiksinaski guy to WR coach and kills the idea that Eric "Obvious Nickname" Campbell would depart from the hard-partying Iowa WRs. Either that or it kills the idea that Scot Loeffler would enter at QB coach. Not like any of this matters, anyway. If you're not an OL or QB coach offensive assistants don't really matter.
Defensive coordinator search now even more bleedingly obvious. Jon Hoke, brother of Brady Hoke and a key aspect of Michigan's strategy to make their coaching staff literally as much of a family as possible, says he hasn't talked to Brady about the Michigan DC job and is "unlikely" to end up in Ann Arbor. That's fine by me since he's spent the last decade as a position coach in the NFL and would be something of a wildcard if he returned to college.
So. Michigan has a lot of money left over since they're paying Hoke twenty dollars and some donuts and is competing with San Diego State for the bulk of its staff. There is a guy out there with crazy recent college credentials that also comes with a reputation as a fierce recruiter. He runs the Big Ten default defense, a basic 4-3 cover two. He turned Miami—Miami!—into an APR-obliterating, arrest-avoiding team. That's Randy Shannon, kids, and we know two things:
- If David Brandon was serious about getting assistant pay up into the area of Michigan's peer group he's the guy who Michigan should be going after with an oversized novelty check.
- The chance Randy Shannon comes to Michigan is extraordinarily slim.
File on the ominous side of the ledger. So… uh… you know how Brady Hoke is a tough defensive-minded coach whose teams will run the ball and stop the run, boy won't they? Um… so… the thing is.
In eight seasons as a head coach Hoke oversaw one defense—this year's—that ranked above 84th nationally. Even during the miracle year at Ball State his team was sixth in the MAC. In fact, if you click that link and squint your eyes you might think the table of Hoke's defenses is the table of Greg Robinson's defenses. So… yeah. Um. Not to be a downer or anything. Also please don't bring up that the Graham/Malzahn combo obliterated Hoke's best team 45-13 and now Graham is at Pitt and has hired a couple Rodriguez assistants and I just feel kind of ominous about this whole section.
File on the happy side of the ledger. After nuking Navy the Aztecs rose to #12 nationally in the offensive FEI rankings. Michigan is still #2 even after the grim output against Mississippi State.
NOT ME. Probably. Look, so I might have had a bit to drink the past couple days but I can state with at least 60% confidence that this was not me:
I can recite pi to 54 digits, bitch. I'm Rick James.
The Process, conference edition. After consideration the Big Ten has declared that Legends and Leaders are awesome division names, thank you very much. This is emblematic of why the conference imploded on NYD: it is a league of ninnies. This space is going to stick to calling the divisions East and West even though North and South make more sense so Michigan can be Champions of the West.
Not so good. Tristin Llewellyn and Jacob Fallon are gone for the year for "violating team expectations." That ends Llewellyn's Michigan career; Fallon has an opportunity to return next year.
As far as impact goes, Fallon was only playing about half the time anyway and didn't stand out when he did. Llewellyn's loss will be more prominent. While it's impossible for anyone to replace his penalty acquisition skills with quite so much gusto, alternatives on the back line are Moffie and Clare. Moffie's been pretty bad this year—a turnover machine—and Clare has been on the back burner most of the season as Michigan tries to juggle eight defensemen. He'll probably benefit from the increased availability of playing time more than Moffie.
Etc.: Pat Fitzgerald's agent would like you to know that Michigan was probably going to offer Fitzgerald three million a year as part of their sham effort to make it look like other people were being considered. Brady Hoke buyout blah blah.
January 14th, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
hire Randy Shannon and go after all of Al Golden's commits
January 14th, 2011 at 12:10 PM ^
Holk's been pushing the 3-3-5 the last 3 days so he seems set on that. Shannon would probably want to go somewhere where the HC is an offensive guy and would just let Randy run his 4-3 and leave him alone.
I'd love to be able to tell recruits we run a 4-3 because the scheme scared off Zettel and Jernigan more than the coaching situation. D lineman don't want to hear about 3-3-5.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:19 PM ^
Karma only cares about getting back at Al Golden's shady behavior.
January 14th, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
Hokster: Wait, you offered Pat Fitzgerald $3Million? WTF? You're only paying me $2Million.
Brandon: Dems the breaks, big fella. Don't mess with the pimp hand.
January 14th, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
re: Pimp Hand
This term has been suspended pending results from Brady Hoke coaching tenure.
Sincerely,
Management
January 14th, 2011 at 1:49 PM ^
It appears from the chart in BWS that Brian was looking at Rushing defense rankings, not overall defensive ranking. But still, the same overall point struck me when I was reading the Hoke profile on maizenbrew well before the Hoke hire: for a guy who talks big defensive talk, his results don't walk the walk.
Edit: actually, I screwed up, not Brian. As another poster pointed out, the broad context was Hoke as a supposed run-the-ball/stop-the-run guy, meaning that the relevant stat was indeed rush defense.
January 14th, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
January 14th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^
or at least half way back. I suspect it will take most of us a few days or longer to readjust our thinking/feelings and come to grips with reality and move on. After all, we are all still Michigan fans, right?
January 14th, 2011 at 1:53 PM ^
January 14th, 2011 at 2:54 PM ^
Rich was naive in his "we do this my way" approach, AND Bill Martin seemingly did nothing to ease / manage the culture shift.
In the end, we had a program that needed improvement, not a complete overhaul, and Rich attempted a complete overhaul. If he had come in, embraced Michigan history from the start (instead of the Lion King "it's in the past, it doesn't matter" story), kept more of Lloyd's staff, and went for a rip and replace on the offense and conditioning, while maybe leveraging a mix of existing staff and new staff to improve the defense, but retain "how to defend against B1G opponents" knowledge ... and then if Martin had been able to push a similar hearts and minds campaign ... well things may have gone differently.
January 14th, 2011 at 3:56 PM ^
January 14th, 2011 at 12:57 PM ^
He's down to one donut joke per post. Maybe he should post on Scout free board until he's feeling better.
January 14th, 2011 at 2:28 PM ^
January 14th, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
As a former expat resident of the Netherlands, I would like to ave see what that eel flan might have looked like.
January 14th, 2011 at 1:45 PM ^
....ever done for us?
January 14th, 2011 at 11:43 AM ^
Also please don't bring up that the Graham/Malzahn combo obliterated Hoke's best team 45-13 and now Graham is at Pitt and has hired a couple Rodriguez assistants and I just feel kind of ominous about this whole section.
Yea, but I bet they discussed what they were going to get paid!!!1!! And.. and... I bet they need a map of Pittsburgh!!!
/my head still hurts
//really bad
January 14th, 2011 at 11:51 AM ^
The chance Randy Shannon comes to Michigan is extraordinarily slim.
As thin as the zero point zero chance that Hoke comes to M from a few weeks ago? Hmmmm?
January 14th, 2011 at 12:55 PM ^
'Nough said.
January 14th, 2011 at 3:58 PM ^
So you're telling me there's a chance...YEAH!
January 14th, 2011 at 1:41 PM ^
Perhaps Brian's statement re: Shannon is a clever application of MGoReversePsychology?
January 14th, 2011 at 11:55 AM ^
I would welcome Shannon, but of course I will welcome anyone that is able to coach our defense better than what GERG was able to do.
January 14th, 2011 at 11:56 AM ^
Brady Hoke is just not intimidating when photoshopped to be Wolverine. He looks like a plump Joe Dirt. Or the character Chris Farley played in Billy Madison.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
what if both the claws were photoshopped in? and maybe a snarl? and pouncing?
nah - I think you nailed it with Joe Dirt
January 14th, 2011 at 11:59 AM ^
Shannon seems like a no-brainer, but something scared the bejabbers out of Mack Brown and his family atmosphere when they talked to Shannon just after Muschamp left. I suspect the same thing would happen here.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^
As far as outside hires go, Shannon's the best available DC in my opinion. I remember reading after his firing about how he left hand written notes in many of his player's lockers. Shannon did a tremendous job reversing the negative aspects of Miami football, improved graduation rate, overall APR, etc. He definitely cares about the kids, and if he was interested in becoming the DC at Michigan, I'm sure he'd interview well.
January 14th, 2011 at 2:43 PM ^
Not the best season, but definitely my favorite of the 5.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:00 PM ^
Might as well call the divisions Mordor and Gondor because that makes as much sense as Leaders and Legends and both are based on fantasy.
January 14th, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
This could work. Clearly, Tressel is Sauron. I guess that makes Brady Hoke Samwise Gamgee.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
Do we know that amount yet? We're assuming it will be lower than most but I don't recall seeing it posted. Please enlighten me if it was.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^
In the initial presser DB said he got a 6 year contract but he wouldn't discuss the dollar amount until it became public record. Said something like "you can look it up yourself"
January 14th, 2011 at 2:35 PM ^
Hokedick™ agreed to a $0 million/per year salary but he will get room & board at South Quad.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:09 PM ^
I know he's here primarily to play football, but he is (like everyone else on the team) a student-athlete. If he can't cut it as a student and meet minimum academic standards, well.. I don't know. The great thing about UM is our rich football tradition and our top-notch academics.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^
comment in his bowl interview (before grades came out) that RR's offense is perfectly suited to Denard and not so much for him. Then he gets himself into academic trouble. Then RR's offense gets replaced by Hoke's offense which may turn out to be more suited to Tate than Denard. Tate has got to be thinking, "Damn, why do I keep shooting myself in the foot?"
January 14th, 2011 at 12:33 PM ^
How many more dumb ass things can tate do.....(mope on the sidelines, fail out, tell people he's leaving on multiple occasions) before the Michigan community realizes that this guy just isn't worth it. If he didn't throw an interception on his first possession of every game, things would be different, but this guy is studying, acting and talking with the ego of a Cam Newton, while playing (when he is playing) like a Steve Threet. I'm tired of the Tate headlines. All it does is steal focus away from working hard and winning football games.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^
I would gladly take Randy Shannon but something tells me we're going to have some obscure person as the DC. Just a gut feeling, no inside info.
Then again, I was with Brian when he said a couple weeks ago that Hoke has a zero point zero chance of being the head coach. Anything can happen.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:18 PM ^
If Offensive Assistants at the position level don't matter... let's get rid of one and Focus Primarily on STs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111 it would be a ST Coordinator.
Okay really though, after reading this entry... i feel so much worse about this Hoke hire :( I don't know why yo, I just do.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^
I see no evidence in this column that Brian is warming up to the hire any more than he did after the presser. Unless you count the Fred Jackson imitation which is clearly sarcasm, although I'm sure Brian would agree it's a good move.
Sooner or later, he will join the HOKEAMANIC revolution! The time is now, brotha!
January 14th, 2011 at 12:29 PM ^
Feels more like a Reversion than a 'Revolution'. In any case, i hope you're right.
January 14th, 2011 at 1:08 PM ^
Not all thermidors are bad.
January 14th, 2011 at 2:18 PM ^
It's not a revolution, he's the slightly overweight son of the king who was third-in-line to the throne and was suddenly thrust in front in a difficult time of war. Time will tell whether he is overwhelmed and falls or grows into his role as rightful heir to the throne.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^
Either that or it kills the idea that Scot Loeffler would enter at QB coach. Not like any of this matters, anyway. If you're not an OL or QB coach offensive assistants don't really matter.
wait. so it matters? or no, wait. my head hurts.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:34 PM ^
David Brandon. Which leaves guys like Shannon and Tenuta completely out of the mix. The DC will be some relatively unknown guy with an indifferent resume who won't compete with DB for media attention.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:48 PM ^
and very possible. CEOs are known for their egos and need to be the center of attention. With Brandon relatively new to the AD position, it will be interesting as to whether he allows the athletics itself to be the prime focus, or him.
We bought into an image and reputation when he was hired, and some of the luster has faded with his handling of the last couple months. The real measure of Dave Brandon's tenure will be what he leaves behind - a corporate brand or an athletic program. We won't know for quite a while yet, unfortunately.
January 14th, 2011 at 1:48 PM ^
didn't buy-in to any of the DB BS when he first came on. I knew nothing about DB and therefore wanted something tangible to base my opinion on before I was willing to claim I had faith in him or that he had a pimpm hand.
To date, he has done absolutely nothing to make me believe he was a good hire for an AD. Also, I think the poster that suggested he wants the focus on him because of his big ego is right, but I would much rather go back to the days of Martin where the AD was seldom seen or heard. Hell, I'll even buy DB a sailboat if that's what it takes..../S
January 14th, 2011 at 2:45 PM ^
I am not ready to condemn Brandon so quickly and completely.
He handled the NCAA investigation in a particularly masterful way. He did a very nice job on The Big Chill. The game was scheduled before Brandon. But the game was a Brandon Production. Brandon made and executed the decision on lights, and the ND night game. I'm not terribly enthralled with night games, but I think a lot of peple are.
Anyway, if you are going to condemn David Brandon for the coaching search process, I suppose that's only fair, since Bill Martin did a basically wonderful job as AD, and is now being widely condemned as a failure because of Rich Rodriguez, which is at least two or three rotten misconceptions all rolled into one.
January 14th, 2011 at 1:00 PM ^
If DB wanted attention, he's got it for bungling the job search.
January 14th, 2011 at 2:06 PM ^
January 14th, 2011 at 12:40 PM ^
Brian, I know you don't like the hire, but why keep raining on the parade of those who are happy (for the first time in a long time) about our future prospects?
Brady Hoke told the radio Denard Robinson would not transfer. So he'll go through spring at least.
So, Denard staying means "through spring at least"? Why not say that about every player on the team. It' accurate if they stay and prophetic if they leave. It's good news that Denard is staying and it's ok to be happy about it.
Then, to rip Hoke, you get facts wrong even though you posted a link to that source:
In eight seasons as a head coach Hoke oversaw one defense—this year's—that ranked above 84th nationally
"This year", SDSU's (scoring) defense was 35th nationally (according to your link). That's pretty good. Here's another positive for you...SDSU was 19th nationally in scoring offense this year (while we were 25th). In short...don't worry; be happy (so sayeth Bobby McFarin).
January 14th, 2011 at 12:50 PM ^
to use the word "hypocrisy". Also I don't understand what your dispute is with the defensive stats he shared. All you did was confirm he was right then switch your argument to offense.
January 14th, 2011 at 12:59 PM ^
What's my dispute? Brian said that SDSU's defense ranked "above 84th nationally". Yeah...wayyy above. They were 35th! Why not say, "SDSU's defense was not 119th"? Accurate in a sense but extremely misleading. That's not a good road to good down. I "switched" to offense to show that SDSU had a very good defense AND a very good offense. It's ok to see some positive things about Hoke's past performance.
When I first looked into Hoke, I thought..."eh". I asked people here for their thoughts and they weren't positive (mostly focused on his record...which is very similar to Fitzgerald, who is loved here). Looking a bit deeper, I saw some of the positives mentioned above. Then, the press conference sold me. I really like the guy and will continue to like him unless his on-the-field performance gives a reason to change that opinion.
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