Downside to coaching speculation

Submitted by PeteM on

All of the local papers, Twitter, Facebook etc. are full of speculation about Hoke's future.  That's understandable given last weekend's debacle.

That said, I think that an ongoing tsunami of posts this week and the coming weeks about possible changes at the top on the board are destructive to the program.  People can obviously post whatever they want subject to the mods/Brian, and I'm neither a mod nor Brian so this is just my 2 cents.  My point though is that Hoke will certainly be the coach throughout the 2014 season.  Posts listing possible replacements or reasons to make a change may get the attention of the Athletic Department, but may also get the attention of current recruits and players in different way than a Terry Foster column since this site is largely made up of true fans.

While i'm sure that the commits realize that football coaches don't get tenure I still think that multiple Mgoboard posts about the potential longevity of the current staff, their perception nationally etc can't do anything but hurt us with the players we hope to see wearing the maize & blue in future  years and the current team. 

I hope and expect that there will a serious discussion/evaluation of the direction of the program at the end of the season, and that all options will be on the table.  I just think the discussions I see now are premature.

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Swazi

September 10th, 2014 at 12:24 AM ^

Know what counters firing a head coach? Bringing in a big name and proven winner. Ohio State lost Tressel in one of the more humiliating ways, and they countered with Urban. There are only two names that I would consider being a splash like that: Miles and Harbaugh.

And I honestly dont see either one happening. Perhaps they hand the keys to Nuss?


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M-Dog

September 10th, 2014 at 9:04 AM ^

I posted this on another thread, but it's especially relevant here:
 
He (DG) started out in RR's system, then become a WR, then a QB in Borges' system, and now had to learn a bunch of new audibles and MIKE identification skills under Nuss. 
 
If we wonder why recruits crave coaching stability and back off at the slightest sign of instability, this is it.
 
I really really hope we are not about to go through this again. 
 
We need to let Hoke finish out his contract.  Period.  Let him prove for sure one way or another that he can do it or that he can't with a core of experienced mature upperclassmen that were brought into his system.  If that's "Wait until next year" then so be it.
 
We do not want to start the perpetual coaching merry-go-round and be known as a place of chronic instability.
 

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Reader71

September 10th, 2014 at 10:55 AM ^

Ahh, the old 0-0 Michigan win is what we should have counted on!

Our defense wasn't good enough to win, for sure. But if they were perfect, and you guys gained zero yards, we still don't win.

Phork, you have earned the right to talk trash based on your allegiance. This does not entitle you to be stupid. That comment was stupid. 

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atom evolootion

September 10th, 2014 at 12:40 AM ^

Essentially, there's this: if Michigan keeps Hoke and his staff or if they fire Hoke and his staff, the recruits that want to play here will play here. These recruits may not be the ones we want as fans, but we'll get them and we'll still love Michigan. We'll still wear our maize and blue and we'll still be tuned in or at the stadium on Saturdays in the fall. It's that simple.

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pdxwolve

September 10th, 2014 at 1:07 AM ^

but it was one fucking game. Yes, they looked like shit, and yes, it was one of the three shittiest losses in my lifetime. No doubt they sucked.

But unless this season goes in the toilet, the letters, visits and comraderie made between recruits and coaches doesn't disappear because of a one crappy game. By that logic, half the kids who have committed (with offers to ND, Alabama and OSU) will jump ship before the Utah game. 

Four turnovers and two missed FGs killed this game. Kelly said it himself that their goal was to put Gardner in long third down situations and capitalize on mistakes. That's what they did. The coaching staff made some bonehead moves, but again, it was one shitty game. And ND played an excellent game. I don't see them rolling over to USC and Stanford.

The MSU game is way more important to the longterm prospects of this program. By then, we should know if this ND game was a terrible anomaly, or a swansong for the coaching staff.

 

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allintime23

September 10th, 2014 at 8:23 AM ^

You need to stop thinking like this, i have. It's not going to just all of the sudden change. These kids haven't been taught the technique that they need to succeed. We're not going to just get lucky and win the big ten. I'm sure you're looking at seven wins again and that's not good enough.

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UMfanKT

September 10th, 2014 at 9:21 AM ^

It's not just "one fucking game"...it's 3-7 in the last 10.  It's the downward spiral this program seems to be stuck in the last 2+ years...ever since Brady starting bringing in "his" players.  It's not looking like we have a clue either offensive or defensively against good teams.  

Be afraid...be very afraid for Oct 25th.  This program hasn't scored a TD against MSU in over 2+ games and after watching that mess on Saturday night, I have no confidence that streak will be snapped.  Unfortunately MSU is going to jackhammer us like they did last year.

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UMxWolverines

September 10th, 2014 at 2:26 AM ^

So recruits are going to think twice about coming here because of blog spectulation, and not from watching the coach's team they'd be playing for get beat 31-0 on national television. Gotcha. 

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Gucci Mane

September 10th, 2014 at 2:39 AM ^

I've seen many recruits tweeting and instagraming their support for coach Hoke. It's clear Hoke is the reason many of the kids are coming here and all this premature speculation is useless. We need to analyze the situation after the season, doing so now only hurts.

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uminks

September 10th, 2014 at 2:56 AM ^

have already told them that this would be Hoke's last season. The more we lose, the more this solidifies those rumors. All Hoke has to do is win!

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Bossman23

September 10th, 2014 at 3:13 AM ^

I bet some kid out there just said nope not going to Michigan all that damn Mgoblog specualtion is just getting to me, cancel the official visits I'm going to Ohio St.

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M-Dog

September 10th, 2014 at 8:52 AM ^

Except that all the speculation at 11W revolves around firing whomever his coordinator and position coach is supposed to be.

It happens at every program.  The fanbase wants the head coach or the coordinators or the position coaches fired after a bad loss.  Even at Alabama (Hello: Nuss).  We jsut want someone fired.  It's what we all do.

Recruits are smart enough to realize this.   

 

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UMForLife

September 10th, 2014 at 7:02 AM ^

I agree with most posters. This is a social media world. One word can go viral and change everything on the social media. Doesn't mean it will change the recruits. There is still something called as face to face interaction from the coaches. If Penn St. Can still bring in recruits after what happened there, I am sure Michigan can. We will be ok. I can argue that if every single fan supports the coach, then I think it sends the message that we are a stupid cult that worships the coach regardless of the dumbest things they do. I am still rooting for them to succeed here, but have to discuss option B..... Just in case we lose to Miami or need a fake punt at the end of the game to win it. That is how much confidence we have now. Hope we improve.

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Steve in PA

September 10th, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^

Penn State was supposed to be decimated by immediate transfers, scholarship reductions, and bowl bans.  Gleefully some on here making them out to be Purdue's cupcake.  So what happened?

Since 2011 they have a better Big Ten record than Michigan, beat Michigan head-to-head, and one less bowl win than Hoke in his time at Michigan.  How did that happen? The answer is clear to anyone who doesn't have on Maize colored glasses...they had a better coach.

I don't recall Bill O'Brien being anyone's gotta have coach like Harbaugh or Miles but he was a home run hire.  There are candidates out there but it takes a competent AD to go find them.

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RedGreene

September 10th, 2014 at 8:08 AM ^

I agree with the OP.  Speculating about potential replacements is bad for the program.  That said...

Jim Harbaugh

John Harbaugh

Chris Peterson

Kevin Sumlin

 

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allintime23

September 10th, 2014 at 8:17 AM ^

It doesn't even matter recruiting wise at this point. This coaching staff has proven that it's wasting talent anyway. The sooner the change is made the better, and we. Any afford another bad hire. The last two have destroyed us.

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KC Wolve

September 10th, 2014 at 10:17 AM ^

This is exactly how I feel. I never thought Hoke should have been hired. He did make me at least reconsider year one, but that didn't last long. The problem now is you absolutely can't screw up the next hire and if it isn't captain comeback, his bro, or the hat, I have no clue. I'd still be willing to take the risk though.

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Blue in Yarmouth

September 11th, 2014 at 8:55 AM ^

I think in theory you're absolutely right, but I haven't seen anything from Dave Bradon that makes me think he would be able to make the right choice, unfortunately. This football program is filled with incompetence from the top down and it's the players (and obviously fans, but we don't really count) that are suffering for that. 

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claire

September 10th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^

Read the national press re this past weekend, etc...Michigan is getting pummeled. We're an afterthought. We're getting compared to the likes of Notre Dame which absolutely scares the shit out of me. The national media's talking about Michigan State...not Michigan and that's a problem

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Blue Blue Blue

September 10th, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^

RR had an upward arc to his record, after having to coach an almost talent-free team his first year.   He also gave us Denard's sophomore season, one of the greatest in Michigan football history.  What do you think Denard would have become with 2 more seasons of RR?

The defense was a joke, similar to our last year+ of "offense". 

Hokeless inherited a young, winning team with a very soft schedule.....but if you remember, by the Va Tech game our offense (even with Denard) was already a joke.

Hoke insisted on turning the offense over to a journeyman OC  (in the real world, many jobs at the same level would be a red flag) and he made a fabulously talented, electric player into a mediocre one by insisting he NOT do what he did best.

Not only has Hoke had a worse record each year, but he has achieved some notbable program lows himself.  Who can forget the blockheaded stupidity of "33 yards on 32 carries", or "-48 yards rushing".....even "no valid backup to an injury  plagued Denard with the Big 10 title on the line"

I enjoy watching Arizona play.  they are better than Michigan.   

 

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