Dave Brandon watches film w/coordinators WITHOUT Hoke
Saw this roll across my feed. These guys have 59,000 followers and are followed by some prominent people like Angelique, Bogenschutz and Bob Stitt(!).
The strangest thing I’ve heard about Dave Brandon is that he watches film on Sundays with the coordinators individually (without Hoke).
— FootballScoop Staff (@FootballScoop) October 2, 2014
If now isn't the most necessary time to play this, I don't know when is.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:26 PM ^
that was my exact first thought when reading it.
listen, if that's their set up, fine. what do i know?
but it seems like other coaches are looking at it funny, and whether or not it's a net positive or negative at this point doesn't matter. it LOOKS like we have a meddling AD and a 'yes man' coach.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:20 PM ^
wears a headset during film sessions.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:21 PM ^
This is absolutely ridiculous and it pisses me off. Could you imagine Schembechler's reaction if Canham bursted in and wanted to go over the gameplan? This guy HAS to go.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:56 PM ^
But does Brady have anything to do with the game plan? I seem to remember a story about our O running Iowa's O to get our defense prepared. We also seemed to run a lot of under center that game. At least in the first half, but came back in second half running shotgun only to fall short.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:25 PM ^
Come on....we're just going to accept some tweet as the gospel?
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:30 PM ^
MGoBlog Rule #7: Anything that makes David Brandon look bad shall immediately be accepted as truth.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
MGoBlog rule #4: Anything that makes David Brandon look bad shall be immediately refuted by LordGrantham as an unsubstantiated baseless rumor and/or outright lie.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:10 PM ^
Not at all. I've been very critical of Brandon and I don't want him here either. That's why in the past week I've called him a douche and said I hope he gets fired. But this is ridiculous. The source of this information is literally just some guy. No name. No credentials. Nothing. Just a guy who told another guy.
In the past, the mods wouldn't have let something like this stay for more than 2 minutes. Now, it's just a free-for-all because everyone hates our AD.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:15 PM ^
Brandon also says that he sits in on film work.
I don't know if Brandon's a respected source around here, but why would he lie about this?
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:40 PM ^
Yes, we know he has sat in on film studies in the past and may still be doing so. But without Hoke? That's a whole different animal and would be, imo, much worse, which is why I would like to see a decent source before I believe it.
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:52 PM ^
Think I skimmed over that part when I first read this thread. If that's true it is worse...though it's still bad enough to know he sits in on film studies.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^
MGoBlog rule #2: LordGrantham is David Brandon.
Well, that's not really a rule but..
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:52 PM ^
Bro, shouldn't you be out volunteering at a soup kitchen or donating clothes rather than wasting your time on a message board talking football?
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^
A tweet sourced by anonymous hearsay. That seems legitimate.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^
Brandon watching film has been out there as fact. Not much of a stretch to accept that he watches it without Hoke. Teams break down film as seperate units. I'm sure Mattison and Nussmeier get plenty of Dave Over Their Shoulder Time.
He strikes me as frustrated former athlete pining for glory. Wouldn't put any lame meddling past him.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^
living vicariously through their child.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:16 PM ^
For sake of argument, let's say the hearsay is true and let me add my speculative context. Dave Brandon, honestly curious about 21st century game (or pactice) tape, what modern systems could catch, and what the coaches could do with it, spoke to the coaches about sitting in on some sessions. Since we have absolutley no context, let's assume this was taking place during the spring of 2011. What's the problem here?
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:19 PM ^
Brandon did indeed sit in on film sessions when RR was here. As I recall, he said it started after the 2010 MSU game.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:22 PM ^
Which is why I deleted it from my post.
October 2nd, 2014 at 10:34 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
Brandon flat out stated that he would be sitting in on Rodriguez's coaches meetings back when he was first hired. I assume he said that in hopes that fans would feel like they could trust the system more than before but i thought it was a fucking joke that he'd take time out of his day to do that. But he said it. And I have no reason to think that changed once Hoke was hired.
It IS surprising to hear that Hoke isn't in the film meetings to but, honestly, can things get any worse optically at this point? Its just another drop in the bucket, true or not.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:21 PM ^
is the first supervisor ever to sit in on a subordinate staff meeting? I know that isn't true, I've sat in quite a few meetings my subordinates were conducting, and I've had my bosses sit in on mine. Know what else, I'll bet Dave Brandon isn't the first AD to have ever observed a football practice. At Michigan or anywhere else.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
"evaluating his staff"
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:23 PM ^
He shouldn't be evaluating staff?
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^
fine, evaluate away. But I think the implication is he's doing a little more than just evaluating, though there is no proof of that.
October 2nd, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
But he shouldn't be micromanaging them.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^
This lends truth to the fact Brandon and Hoke didn't talk Sunday or early Monday on the Morris matter. Brandon spends his Sundays talking with Nuss and Mattison breaking down film. Hoke is not needed.
Maybe this is why Hoke is such a great recruiter. He has way more time than any other HC in America. He shows up Saturdays to call timeouts (or not /too soon?), clap, make 4th down calls, and otherwise just watch UM football from a great vanage point. But otherwise other than his obligation to show up for practices he can spend all the other time recruiting it sounds like.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^
I used to be a cook at BW3s in Ann Arbor to pay my rent during my last year of undergrad. Sometimes the General Manager would come behind the line and see how everything is doing, getting his hands dirty, making himself present and available, letting us know that we had an extra person that was plugged in and "got it" and could be a resource.
Yes, we had kitchen trainers. Yes, we had a kitchen manager. Yes, we had assistant general managers. But, somehow, it was refreshing to know that the man ultimately in charge was concerned with every area of his building, and not just the end product as he would present it to the person he reports to.
Maybe that's what Brandon is going for. He could be arrogant, self-serving, narcissistic, and/or he could be approaching the athletic department from both a top-down and bottom-up perspective.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:34 PM ^
I get that and have done it myself. But i would NEVER have a regulary scheduled meetings with said support staff and exclude their front line manager. That completely neuters the mangaer.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:55 PM ^
Domino Dave can be as hands-on top-down involved as he wants on the business side of the equation. You know, checking in on marketing or doing strolls around the stadium on Gameday. But the coaches need to be left alone to do their thing. Watching film crosses the line and cuts into the Head Coach's autonomy. Also creates the impression that everything is being micro-managed.
Good luck to Dave if he's in place to make the next hire (I just barfed in my mouth). Outside of the truly desperate, no real candidate wants to have an AD in his face on Sundays.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
would work if Brandon showed up to help the equipment manager wash the uniforms, showing he is not above doing worker bee tasks. If Brandon was your General Manager at BW3 then he would pull aside the Head Chef and tell him to add more sauce to the chicken wings or tell him to add Chinese Food to the menu cause after all there are 1.4 Billion chinese people. Of course his business degree qualifies him to make those type of suggestions.
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:16 PM ^
Hoke really is the ultimate superfan.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:31 PM ^
well... Hoke on Monday said he hadn't talked to Brandon. We do know that Brandon sits in on film sessions, which they presumably do on Sunday, right? So either Brandon wasn't at that one or Hoke wasn't. And you'd think if Hoke had seen some film, he'd know better than to claim on Monday that Shane Morris was 100% okay except for his leg injury.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:32 PM ^
Hoke wasn't available--someone had to pickup the donuts.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^
Ouch
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:54 PM ^
Oh good, A fat joke. Fuck you and the horse you road in on. Take that shit to 11 Warrriors.
October 2nd, 2014 at 9:23 PM ^
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:32 PM ^
Is it actually true though? I certainly hope not. If it came from a guy like Bacon or Webb or something I would totally believe it, but otherwise, eh for now. If true, then that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard and Brandon needs to go now. Not that he didn't need to go now already...
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:35 PM ^
So if I had 59.000 followers everyone would just believe everything I tweet?
I have heard this in the past about Brandon. It seems more like a rumor.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:35 PM ^
Remember when Dave Brandon wouldn't humor any coaching candidate other than Hoke? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:38 PM ^
whoever the reporter is for MGoBlog that goes to the press conferences for Hoke, Mattison and Nuss should start asking if Brandon sits in on the film sessions and what type of discussions occur while Brandon is present.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^
I would LOVE to watch Dave Brandon break down film.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
How about with Borges? It was probaby like Mystery Science Theatre 3000
October 2nd, 2014 at 4:02 PM ^
of Borges breaking down film from a Michigan game. About 6 minutes of it IIRC. It's fascinating. He didn't have the kind of success here that all (most) of us hoped but that man really knows his offensive Xs & Os. I'm pretty sure it was linked from a post here, but a clever search would probably turn it up.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:40 PM ^
I have been quite forward in my suspicion that David Brandon is a de facto head coach in a lot of ways and his insistence upon playing 1970's football in the 21st century. This pretty much justifies my belief. Simply stated: David Brandon is responsible for the shit-fest that now passes as "Michigan Football."
Fire David Brandon.
October 2nd, 2014 at 3:40 PM ^