Brady Hoke's Contract Extension
There has been a lot of talk about expectations for 2014. I'd like to take a look at it from the perspective of Coach Hoke's contract.
It runs through 2016, which means we're at something of a crossroads at the end of this season. He'll have just two years left, and needless to say recruiting would be undermined if we went into 2015 with no extension.
The question becomes, what does he have to do to in 2014 to earn an extension, and how long might it be.
In light of the fact he's restored respectability to our program, been a class act doing things the right way, made us competitve with our rivals, and recruited at an elite level, I'm comfortable a winning season would be enough. He'll be right at the cusp of having a roster that's fully his and a favorable schedule in 2015. I don't think we should go into that season with only two years to run.
How dare a coach with what, around 120 assisstants and players, delegate.
Context. If Hoke was hired in 2008 and went 11-2, 8-5, 7-6, (4-5 v. rivals) I probably would have jumped off the bandwagon. But he was hired in 2011, after we had gone 2-9, 5-7, 7-5, (2-7 v. rivals).
So, his accomplishment look better because of what they followed. Its not all that baffling.
Context. If Hoke was hired in 2008 and went 11-2, 8-5, 7-6, (4-5 v. rivals) I probably would have jumped off the bandwagon. But he was hired in 2011, after we had gone 2-9, 5-7, 7-5, (2-7 v. rivals).
So, his accomplishment look better because of what they followed. Its not all that baffling.
I'm just as inclinded to give RR credit for that 11-2 season as Hoke personally. Let's give them both credit though, just for the sake of argument and see how that works: 2-9, 5-7, 7-5, 11-2 ( 4-8) compared to 11-2, 8-5, 7-6 (4-5 against rivals).
Given those numbers which coach would you rather have currently? Personally I would rather the one who was clearly on the upward trajectory from the time he stepped on campus instead of the one who was trending downward.
Had RR been given the ability that Hoke was given this year (to write a blank cheque to get whatever coordinator he wanted) I think we would be in much better shape right now.
To be honest, I hate dealing in hypotheticals, but I do get tired of even now, 4 years after he's gone, having people talk crap about RR.
Would vomit if we become Nebraska...always 8 or 9 wins but never in the 10-12 win range consistently. People diss Carr but the man won 5 B1G titles, 1 Natty and had 7 seasons where his teams won double digit games. Brady has a loooong way to go.
I did...Is there a reason you don't like that term?
The hell up.
April 23rd, 2014 at 11:32 PM ^
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:04 PM ^
Lloyd might have been one step above Nebraska at 10-3 most years, but he was still a step below Jim Tressel who consistenly won 11 games and won 12 three times.
That is who we should be competing with.
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:11 PM ^
Pretty much agree but my point is Lloyd did more than his fair share of winning. Was it as good as Tressel? no, but it was still pretty damn good.
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:20 PM ^
Pretty damn good should NOT cut it here is my point! There is a reason so many sports radio hosts and fans alike frequently discussed how Lloyd was underachieving here in the early 2000s despite the talent. Some people on here don't like it but the truth hurts. I grew up wondering why we were always playing second fiddle to Ohio State who was going to national title games and winning BCS bowl games while we settled for the occasional Rose Bowl loss or Citrus Bowl win.
Brady needs 10 wins this year at least.
One year from now, Brady Hoke will be the Defensive Line coach in Tuscaloosa. Book it.
Street the sad thing is i can believe that.
In light of the fact he's restored respectability to our program, been a class act doing things the right way, made us competitve with our rivals, and recruited at an elite level, I'm comfortable a winning season would be enough. He'll be right at the cusp of having a roster that's fully his and a favorable schedule in 2015. I don't think we should go into that season with only two years to run.
We have respectability? We're competitive? With our rivals?
April 24th, 2014 at 12:07 PM ^
We have respectability?Must not have seen that we were in a BCS Bowl not long ago. We've been going back to bowl games, which didn't happen under Rodriguez.
We're competitive? With our rivals?Hoke is 2-1 vs Notre Dame, has been extremely close with Ohio (with 1 win). And don't let last years 29-6 score and -48 yards BS fool you, but that MSU game was much closer than people thought.
April 24th, 2014 at 12:58 PM ^
I'm not one to ridicule, but explain to me exactly how that MSU game was anything but a complete ass whipping? Please don't Tom Izzo this with lousy excuses. Beating ND is really the only crowning achievement he's done and so far he's not done that on the road, was a 5 second play away from being 1 and 2 against them, and had a lights out performance from the team this year to pull it off. With us not playing ND for al least the next 5 years, what does that even matter. How can you say they are a rival anymore when they won't appear on the schedule unless it's a bowl game? The era of 'Mush Mouth" Holtz and 'Front Butt" Weis are over and have no intentions of coming back any time soon.
We beat OSU the year they would have struggled with beating a quadriplegeic in a foot race.
Got to the Sugar Bowl and played a pretty questionable VT team with Carr's final recruits and the cream of the crop from Rich Rod. I question whether Rich Rod wouldn't have done the same thing.
Let's not delude ourselves, there is no respect for this program outside of the organization itself, the discipline leaves much to be desired, and our competitiveness really is yet to be determined. If we lose more than 3 in this schedule this year, the only thing we'll be competitive in is excuse making.
I am a realist. We were 7-6 last season and although we lost a few close ones, we also barely beat a few bad teams, so 7-6 was about right.
We simply lose a lot of our offense, more than most teams on our schedule lose. We have some depth on defense, but we lose some key players there too. The road games are tough, the home games are easier. People take a look at PSU, IU, NW, MD, and Utah and see 5 wins, I see 2 teams (PSU and NW) who we were in thrillers with last season, and IU team who played us tough and brings back more than we do, and Utah and MD teams who had about as good of seasons last year as we did, in fact, both Utah and MD had more impressive victories than we did. Win 1 of 3 at MSU, ND, or OSU, go 3-2 vs those 5 I mentioned and we're 8-4.
7-5 and Hoke keeps his job although I expect 8-4 or better. 2015 is the year where 10+ wins is the minimum we should do.
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:10 PM ^
Lose a lot of our offense? Who besides Gallon?
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:14 PM ^
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:31 PM ^
two starting recievers
one starting running back
ok, now I'm reaching
Seriously, how can anyone criticize Devin Gardner for last year? he was our offense
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:41 PM ^
We lost one good receiver, and one physically talented tackle who by all accounts was pretty toxic to the program. That's it.
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:48 PM ^
Schofield? Starting RT and projected 4th-5th rounder? Pretty decent player last I checked. Replaced with a big question mark.
Dileo was no game breaker and/or underutilized but at least an experienced player. So it's a slot WR, both tackles and a RB. Although behind last year's line the RB loss is indifferent.
Also when someone says Gallon - yes just one player lost... well he and Funchess were essentially 90% of WR production so that's 45% out the door (dont quote me on exact %s but its a serious loss). We have a ton of young candidates to replace Gallon but those are unproven - as are the Magnuson's, Braden's, Mone's or whoever is going to be trotted out at the tackles. These are not insignificant losses.
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:55 PM ^
Is it sad that we haven't had a set of two very good and consistent wide receivers since Manningham and Arrington?
April 23rd, 2014 at 11:05 PM ^
Well in theory we had it last 6 games of last year once Funchess moved over to WR full time. Or do you consider the dropped balls late not to be consistent. Funchess started to remind me of a young Braylon in the last 2-3 games last year - big catches, easy drops. Still the most dangerous pair in a while....
I think also to be fair we have not had pro set QBs in those times either. I think a guy like Junior Hemingway would have been a bright college star (not NFL star but college upper echelon) with Chad Henne or Navarre as his QB. Our offenses were just more run oriented there for a while.
April 23rd, 2014 at 11:40 PM ^
I think that too. I think a combo of Hemmingway and Stonum in 2011 would have been the best since the two I mentioned. And if we had a great QB throwing to them...yeah.
OSU and MSU fans have football coaches who are good enough for them. We have a basketball coach who is plenty good enough for us. It's not an impossible task. We've made it look a lot harder than it needs to be over the last dozen years.
My opinion and analysis there are approximately five coaches just in the B1G I would rather have than Brady Hoke and it has nothing to do with headsets or any other foolishness but it has everything to do with what i percieve to be a lack of detail and football acumen compared to other top notch coaches i listen to.
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:37 PM ^
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:44 PM ^
I think Gary Anderson may find his way on that list as well.
I were Dave Brandon he would need to get to Indy which means beating OSU or MSU or both.
how you couch a whole lotta opinion as fact and facts upside down. If only your thesis of where Hoke has the program was true, I might agree with you on a contract extension. But it is not.
Still can't decide whether you were joking or whether you simply enjoy the drama.
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:07 PM ^
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:14 PM ^
Turned 30 years young in January and I would be shocked if Brady Hoke was our coach by the time I turn 32.
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:29 PM ^
A 8-4 record with victories at ND, MSU, and Ohio would be good enough to get the extension. In my opinion i would be ok with 7-5 as long as we beat those three teams.
April 23rd, 2014 at 10:38 PM ^