Greg Matisson has changed my mind....
I just finished watching today's press conferences. At one point Matisson almost broke down in answering a question about Hoke and the jawing on the sidelines. Matisson really went to bat for Coach Hoke today. I encourage everyone to watch the full video on the Mgoblue website. Previously I had professed that I was done with Brady Hoke but in listening to Mattison's responses today I have to say that I'm willing to go along a little further.These guys are certainly working hard. Let's see where we are at the end of season...
September 22nd, 2014 at 11:42 PM ^
You can not say for sure?
I cannot accept your logic.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:34 PM ^
Did he have sex with him?
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^
I really hope they can turn this season around and do something in the B1G
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^
make Mattison the head coach.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:04 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:04 PM ^
I'm not greedy, I'm not saying it's year 4 and we haven't won a national championship. I'm saying it's year 4 with highly recruited players at almost every position, and we look like this.
September 22nd, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^
We shouldn't still be falling apart when meeting OK-Good teams. We shouldn't be nervous playing Average teams. We shouldn't be in shootouts or have to wear down Poor teams.
With the exception of 2011 against a demoralized OSU team, the Miracle UTL, a coin toss Sugar Bowl victory, a blown bowl loss to SC, and last year's gritty loss to a pretty good OSU squad...where is the quality play against top competition?
Over the last 3 1/4 seasons...I've seen 5 good games out of M against quality competition. Two of those were games where M played pretty poorly and I chalk up the victories to happily-accepted luck.
We should be able to be confident that our team will fight the likes of ND, MSU, OSU, and whatever bowl opponent we're matched up against.
And we should be beyond just feeling confident showing up versus the likes of Akron, UConn, NTM, and Utah...that should be a no-brainer at this point, and at ANY point in the program's history.
It's not that we're not dominating or vying for the top spot...
We're not even competitive anymore.
It's hard to say that, but that's the reality of the situation.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:05 PM ^
I...am just really sick of talk. I very rarely hear the basketball team talk, mostly because they don't have to, their play does it for them.
September 22nd, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 7:09 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
But what about Greg Mattison?
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:32 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:07 PM ^
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September 22nd, 2014 at 4:08 PM ^
I'm rooting for him to turn it around.
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September 22nd, 2014 at 4:26 PM ^
I understand that you can't fire a coach for having poor taste in music but... it's so horrible.
And it's not because I disagree with the philosophy or world views attached to the song. It's just a bad song.
(insert joke about the type of music I wear on my sleeve below).
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:49 PM ^
Would you have suggested that RichRod play Prison Sex at the Football Bust? I'm not necessarily arguing with the choice, BTW:
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:52 PM ^
fired after crying to that song.
/not to shoot anyone other than the people responsible for the firing.
//and I would have winged them.
September 22nd, 2014 at 9:53 PM ^
Tell them their pillar of faith has ascended
"It's time now! My time now!
"Give me my, give me my wings!"
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:19 PM ^
Let it go, man.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^
to ease the pain, man.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:10 PM ^
without even watching the full video. Personally, I inflated my expectations a bit before the season began. Part of it was due to staff rhetoric, part of it was due to me just hoping we'd get back to Michigan football. I think the guy deserves another year because he is a good man and he sincerely cares about the program. BUT, I think that he needs to understand that tough decisions need to be made. We hear about competition all the time but no one ever seems to get benched. He seems like the kind of guy that wants to please everyone (except the media and non-true fans); it just can't be done.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:14 PM ^
Its hard to believe that Hoke is sticking with certain players through sheer loyalty vs. performance in practice/on the field. Those "tough decisions" aren't benching a horrible QB for a superstar who just clashes - it's benching one player who isn't performing for another who is likely even worse.
In short, thinking that the 11 best players are currently NOT on the field, and that players with the talent to win games are riding the pine is absurd.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^
Two major problems with that argument: (1) DG was clearly the wave of the future at the start of last year. He had some spectacular performances and certainly seemed more than capable of continuing to improve and win games until he was battered into tiny bits and caught a case of the Joel Stave "yips" or something this year; (2) it is year 4 of the Hoke regime, and "building for the future" by inserting a currently inferior player at this juncture makes no sense whatsoever.
Calls for Morris right now simply refuse to confront their worst fear: Morris is probably WORSE at playing QB than Gardner is at the present time, as scary as that may be to comprehend.
September 22nd, 2014 at 5:07 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^
I do believe the coaches believe they have the best players on the field. I also believe the benchmark for excellence is quite likely a moving target.
September 22nd, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^
You got all that from watching a TOOL video?
I love them, seen them 15 times, but I never really feel sympathetic towards coaches after seeing them.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^
Everyone loves a comeback and there might not be a bigger comeback in MIchigan history as big as if we come back and win the BIG. I don't think it happens.
On another note the players are not immune to this talk and from what I can tell they love Hoke, at any point is there "hey I am gonna get fired if we don't turn this around" type motivational tool. Do the players start to feel accountablity to the coaches
I can't see Hoke walking into the locker room and saying as much but at some point the players might use this.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^
The season starts this week!
UofM can still win the B1G
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:52 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^
after the embarassing ND shutout, if anything they were worse this Saturday past. Pray tell, what makes you think they've now had some sort of epiphany?
September 22nd, 2014 at 5:26 PM ^
I don't think there has been any sort of epiphany. I just know that for the most part these are great kids and I think that if nothing else there is a sense of accountability to each other, but I am wondering how much of that accountability extends to the coaches. Just a thought
September 22nd, 2014 at 11:06 PM ^
People tend to rise to the level of expectation. Here's the problem, if the level of expectation is below the level needed to be successful, no amount of hoping, wishing, and love of the HC will alter the level of play. Hoke and his coaches tell us there is an expectation for each position, maybe they've unwittingly set the expectation bar too low. Maybe they, the coaches, are comfortable with the level they've set.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:16 PM ^
But here's why I'm sold on it needing to happen now (besides the obvious bad product on the field)
1-There may not be anyone good available, but that's been true pretty regularly for the last few years. And at this point, I'm guessing they could find someone at least with a career record > .500
2-To that point, whoever was taking over in 2011 was taking a program with a few years of mediocre recruiting for a very specific style. Anyone not running a pure spread was looking at a complete rebuild. The defense had talent but it didn't necessarily look like it at the time. Anyone considering the job now would have to recognize the boatloads of young talent on the roster. That, combined with the program's significant resources, would have to be pretty attractive to a lot of more established coaches.
3-As far as inevitable attrition, this is probably the least damaging time to do it. The incoming class is going to be very small, so even losing a couple players out of that wouldn't necessarily destroy it. And there's so much depth and talent currently on the roster that losing a few guys off the two deep won't destroy the team either. It won't help, but it seems like this roster is positioned better than most to absorb a coaching change.
4-This program is now 7 solid years into mediocre to bad territory. Pulling a storied program out of almost a decade of mediocrity would have to appeal to a lot of coaches.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:39 PM ^
There's always someone good available at the right price. I bet we could attract "someone good" at $10 million/year. ANd the athletic department, with all of its lavish spending on non-revenue programs, cannot afford to watch the football revenues crater.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:16 PM ^
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:19 PM ^
I like emotion, but the fact they have a relationship that has spanned over two decades doesn't mean much when you're getting outcoached on a weekly basis.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^
Not too many here question Hoke the person, I certainly never have. We'll need to decide at the end of this season about Hoke the head coach. I'm pulling for him, but I'm pulling for Michigan harder and if that means he gets replaced, so be it. I just hope we can make the decision in a level headed manner and not just jump to whomever is available out of anger or or panic or epression or whatever.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^
"I'm pulling for him, but I'm pulling for Michigan harder and if that means he gets replaced, so be it."
Exactly my feelings at the moment.
September 22nd, 2014 at 6:11 PM ^
Plus one for the comment. Plus 1,000 for the MGoDalek.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:21 PM ^
Nope....emotions on a podium dont change the results on the field. Mattison has done his job as DC so far this year but his boss overall has been horrible and has been driving the bus into a deep deep hole.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:23 PM ^
So if any coordinator really has a close relationship and loves the HC we should let said program spin in the wind? Ok.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:23 PM ^
Rich Rod cried at the podium too and that didn't get him anywhere. In fact he got ridiculed by the Mafia for it because this is Michiganfergodsakes.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:26 PM ^
...when we used to wrestle each other. It was ugly."
Ah geez, Coach...thanks for the disturbing visual image that will haunt my dreams for the next two weeks.
Seriously, though -- I really, really like Coach Mattison. A lot.
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:41 PM ^
You're welcome
September 22nd, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
I can't stand talk anymore. After every season and every loss.. It's always coulda, woulda, shoulda... Could we just "DO" is that too much to ask?