Hoke deserves a graceful exit

Submitted by Rodriguesqe on

Everyone is pissed. Everyone is frustrated.

I am not saying you shouldn't be, or to reconsider.

We all know what almost certainly is coming at the end of the season. 

But the next time you want to pesronally insult Hoke, consider that he is a true Michigan Man that bleeds blue. He may have failed at his job, but it wasn't due from lack of effort or desire.

And in Michigan's hour of need, when our top choices used Michigan's offer just to get more money from someone else, it was Hoke who hopped on a bus before even discussing his pay.

He might not be a great coach but he appears to be a good pereson. He is losing his dream job. It sucks. If you need to vent your frustations with him, maybe we can at least not resort to such vitriol or RCMB-esque lowest common denominator personal inults?

Bando Calrissian

September 20th, 2014 at 10:36 PM ^

Graceful as in someone should help him clean out his office so he doesn't have to do it all by himself.

Maybe Hunter Lochmann and Dave Brandon, because they'll have the practice from cleaning out theirs.

JTrain

September 21st, 2014 at 8:59 AM ^

Not sure either of the Harbaugh brothers want to chase high school kids around the next few years. Don't get me wrong....I'd love to have either one. I mean, in a perfect world we could keep hoke here to recruit and coach a position. Seems highly unlikely though.
We have so much ground to make up on the field. At least we have talent. Hopefully someone else knows what to do with it.



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gwkrlghl

September 20th, 2014 at 10:37 PM ^

but at the end of the year it looks like he'll get a firm handshake and a see ya. We shouldn't run him out of town by any means, but we also shouldn't pretend he's an acceptable coach because he says "This is MIchigan" a lot. Thanks for being a great leader for our program, but good luck at whatever Sun Belt school picks you up next

LordGrantham

September 20th, 2014 at 10:38 PM ^

Agreed. Imagine working your whole career to get your dream job at the school you love, finally getting it, and then completely failing in front of millions of people that you desperately want to please.  I suspect he will never be at peace with this, and I feel very sorry for him.

SC Wolverine

September 20th, 2014 at 11:48 PM ^

Yes, but it hasn't happened yet.  There may be slim hope, but there is not no hope.  (I realize that some will assign me to the "denial" level of grief.)  There is hope that with some real PT things click for Shane and he leads our offense to effectiveness.  Look at Indiana -- last week they lost to Bowling Green and this week they beat Missouri.  I too feel very sorry for Hoke, and it makes me cling to this shred of hope.

And yes, I realize how humiliating it is for a Michigan fan to write, "Look at Indiana" in a positive comparison.

TESOE

September 21st, 2014 at 1:50 PM ^

His current #1 and #2 QBs are five star talents.  His #1 is still throwing off the wrong foot.  The other didn't even play in a 31-0 blowout loss.

Let's not be frogs.  The water is boiling now. 

I'll look to Indiana, how about November 1st.  

Don't be a toady.

I'm not saying Hoke should be fired during the season - but certainly not defended.

ann.arbor.lover

September 20th, 2014 at 10:39 PM ^

Has the TV ever captured anyone that held up a sign that said "Fire XXX" (XXX being a Michigan coach's name) during a Michigan home game? (Football, basketball, hockey, etc.) 

I'm just curious.

Erik_in_Dayton

September 20th, 2014 at 10:41 PM ^

I'm glad you posted this. Recognizing that Hoke has done some good things does not equal ignoring the team's on-field shortcomings. One can respect him and want him let go at the same time.

MGoBrewMom

September 21st, 2014 at 10:00 AM ^

but people don't need to be dicks...but they will be and they have the right to be. but its still dickish.

Hoke knows at year 4, with this talent, this is no where near ok... This is Michigan, fergodsakes...even with the reality of walking away from his big paycheck, I wouldn't be surprised if he resigned gracefully... unless, of course something really miraculous happens over the next 4 months. A girl can dream...

we will see.

MGoStrength

September 20th, 2014 at 10:44 PM ^

I'm not here to say anything negative about Hoke.  I do still hope he succeds and despite how bad it looks now, I'd rather struggle early and get better as the year goes on than the other way around.  I don't think it's professional to fire a guy with ill will unless he doesn't something morally or legally wrong.  But, I will say that regardless of whether this is his dream job or not he's being paid a huge salary, over $4 mil/year, that sort of compensates him for any hurt feelings.  He literally never has to work again in his life and can remain quite wealthy.  I don't feel bad for anyone losing their dream job who has that kind of money. 

Rage

September 21st, 2014 at 1:50 AM ^

He was hired to do a job and failed.  If he wants to work as a counselor that's fine, but as the face of the entire university making millions of dollars?  Not so fine.  

I had to go to a dinner party tonight with the Mrs. and just watched the game.  I'm drunk and angry but more than anything I'm tired. Tired of my school being a joke. Watching the ND game finally broke my spirit but watching tonight made me throw up.  Fire Hoke.  Hire Tressel.

MGoStrength

September 21st, 2014 at 1:32 PM ^

But, I'm sorry for anyone whose #1 value in life is their career.  I believe that will lead to an unfulfilling life.  Maybe that's the nature of big time college and NFL coaching jobs, but IMO is no way to live.  I know he values family despite the fact there's no way he has much time to spend with his own.  To have the opportunity to live and give your best shot at your dream job is more than most ever get.  And, success or failure IMO is not based on outcomes, but rather based on living your life according to your values.  If you did your best and your behavior and attitude was congruent with your values but the results didn't turn out the way you had hoped, you recognize that, accept it, and still feel at ease that you succedded by the way you lived your life's values and move on.  Most people can accept that sort of "failure" and remain happy in life.

Darker Blue

September 20th, 2014 at 10:45 PM ^

I have no doubt that Hoke is a great person. His players seem to love him, and during "the process" former players couldn't speak highly enough about him. But the bottom line is wins and losses, and Hoke's win loss record over the last 12 games or so looks an awful lot like the guy he was hired to replace. 

reshp1

September 20th, 2014 at 11:14 PM ^

I'm so sick of this bullshit. Rich Rod improved every year because he started at 3-9.

If "Rich Rod's guys" were so good they didn't need good coaching to win, why couldn't Rich Rod himself manage more than 7 wins with basically the same guys?

There's plenty to criticize Hoke about without trying to take the miraculous 2011 turn around away from him and resort to total revisionism.

Blue2000

September 20th, 2014 at 11:26 PM ^

Rich Rod improved every year because he started at 3-9.

If "Rich Rod's guys" were so good they didn't need good coaching to win, why couldn't Rich Rod himself manage more than 7 wins with basically the same guys?

And I'm sick of THIS bullshit.  RichRod started 3-9 because he inherited no depth and Threet and Sheridan as his starting QBs.  The team that Hoke inherited was exponentially more talented.  

And no one said that "Rich Rod's guys" didn't need good coaching to win.  But I will say that Rich Rod's guys were still incredibly young during Rich Rod's third year.  And if you refuse to acknowledge that the further we get away from Rich Rod's guys," the worse this program is getting, you're delusional.

Rich Rod was replaced by a coach that was significantly inferior to him (which we suspected by looking at their coaching careers prior to Michigan, and is being confirmed every day that Hoke continues in his current position).  That's why we are so much worse than we were in 2011.