Hoke sighting at Yost last night
This probably could have gone in the Western open thread, but it would have been way buried:
Friends of ours were at Yost last night in their regular seats in section 109, and they reported that Brady Hoke and much of his staff (they don't know which ones - they are not big football fans) sat right in front of them, and that Hoke asked them a lot of questions about what was going on. Here's what they passed on:
Hoke seemed like a really nice guy.
He wanted to know everything that the students were doing.
Mid-game he called up to one of his assistants who was watching from the press box and told him to get himself down into the stands because he was missing out on the experience.
EDIT: one more detail I got later - after a Western goal, he turned to my friends and asked "are they chanting what I think they're chanting? Ugly parents?" He apparently found it a little harsh, but my friends replied that the difference is that at Yost you can hear everything the student section chants compared to the Big House.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:25 PM ^
The more I hear about Hoke the more I like him... I'm glad we got him instead of Miles, or Harbaugh, because he seems like he's really working his ass off for this job, whereas miles and harbaugh may have let status carry them through their tenure.
Seems like a great guy, inside and out
February 19th, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^
What a dumb thing to say re: Harbaugh/Miles. You've got not idea how they'd approach the job.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:28 PM ^
deleted
February 19th, 2011 at 5:49 PM ^
That's why he said "might of" and the whole point of speculation is that it doesn't have to be true.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:12 PM ^
Let's not even think about other coaches. They're not here. We don't need to define Hoke in opposition to other coaches (and that goes for RR, too).
February 19th, 2011 at 1:29 PM ^
Coach Hoke just continues to impress me.... we won't know until football season but guys I think we hit a home run on this one.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
In the personality dept., I agree with you. Whether he can get it done on the field is different task entirely, and we won't know until next fall. I'm in a wait-and-see mode.
February 19th, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^
Is it bad that I want to see coach Hoke leading the blues brothers dance for the student section?
February 19th, 2011 at 5:38 PM ^
Not even a little. I'll second the campaign
February 19th, 2011 at 1:52 PM ^
Your friends are not football fans?
Time to get some new friends.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:12 PM ^
I think the other coach originally sitting with Hoke was Ferrigno. Borges joined them later. Borges actually sat in those same seats last week for the Ohio State game and saw a lot better game/crowd.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:20 PM ^
Hoke is a "good fit" socially for one reason: he comes off as the opposite of the person he replaced. A lot of people who get divorced marry again, and the second wife is often the opposite of the first in appearance and personality. Those who were disgruntled with RR now have somebody who comes off as "Joe the Average Guy who became a football coach." The Michigan/Ohio version of the midwest accent plays well in Ann Arbor, too.
To his credit, Hoke is doing the "right things" and taking advantage of every bit of positive press he can get. This will help with recruiting and will ensure that he will be allowed to work the full length of his contract no matter what his record is.
Hoke has done everything right so far. HIring Mattison was a stroke of genius, and wouldn't have happened if Mattison didn't feel Hoke was "putting the band back together." All it comes down to now is the X's and O's, especially on offense. If Hoke can avoid becoming LC v.2 and become his own man on offense, he has a very good chance to make Michigan "leaders and best" again.
To me, it all comes down to him being able to come off as LC v.2 to the media, alums, and fans, while finding a way to transcend those roots and avoid being predictable or anachronistic on offense. Defense shouldn't be a problem with Mattison, because he coached for Urban Meyer and has probably figured out how to do a better job against the spread than Michigan has traditionally done.
At any rate, we may not see much on the field this year, but at least the media will go from shilling for MSU and attacking Michigan to being unbiased, or even shilling for Michigan. This will help recruiting, and will pay dividends down the road.
A little patience may be required, though.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:37 PM ^
Perfectly put by you. The intangibles of the coach are very tangible as far as setting the tone for the players and creating excitement around what they are doing. One thing I'll grant people about Rich's era was that the lack of genuine positive excitement by all fans across the board had to be deflating for the players.
These are young guys working beyond hard and playing a very emotional game. The vibe on campus and with the fans can either work for them or against them.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:40 PM ^
but when people get remarried the new person is usually very similar to the ex.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:52 PM ^
Hoke is a "good fit" socially for one reason: he comes off as the opposite of the person he replaced.
I think you're viewing this through too much of an RR-centric lense. Hoke isn't like RR, but he's not necessarily like Carr, either. Carr always struck me as a guy who wasn't entirely comfortable being a head coach (and probably would never have been one if not for Moeller's drunken episode). He wasn't a rah-rah guy. He didn't talk that much about what a privilege it was to coach at Michigan. He seemed uncomfortable in general addressing the public. He had a detached, professorial manner. Hoke has much more of an old-school football demeanor. I would say, personality-wise, he takes after Bo more than Carr ever did (even though he never actually worked for Bo). He's overtly passionnate about this job. After having this program beaten up in the press and having people question whether or not it's still an elite job, it's nice to have a guy say, "Hey, it's Michigan for God's sakes." A guy like that is going to be warmly received.
February 19th, 2011 at 4:53 PM ^
But I found Tater's post confusing, because at least in the "Joe the Regular Guy" mode, Hoke personality-wise is a lot more like Rich than Lloyd. I'm not sure where Tater sees him as opposite. I figure Brady is more likely to quote the Lion King than Kipling. So I'm not sure what this "above the regular man" thing is that Rich supposedly had.
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<br>The only way he's more similar to Lloyd is that he's had an indoctrination to Michigan Rich didn't get (but didn't really lose us any games, so that wasn't the problem). Which is the one thing I take issue with. Lloyd was always saying Michigan was a special place, a special job. And very much preached that Michigan did things in a way that were special, and unique. "Where else would you rather be?"
February 19th, 2011 at 2:21 PM ^
Not sure if they showed it on TV, but Brady Hoke walked out on the ice during the first intermission and was introduced to the Yost crowd to a standing ovation and the pep band played The Victors.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:25 PM ^
He was announced to be in attendance (I think after the first period?), was on the ice, and led us in a rendition of The Victors. He got a pretty loud ovation from the Yost faithful. I was wondering where he was. I kept looking up at the press box (where DB was last weekend) and I couldn't find him. It makes sense that he was actually sitting in the stands. I echo everything everyone has said about him. He seems like he gets it as far as what we feel a head coach should embody. I really appreciate that about him thus far.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:39 PM ^
On an unrelated but maybe-related note, saw the coaching staff minus Hoke at the Jug on Thursday night. I was really hoping Coach Jackson would notice my eating habits and give his two cents, but, alas, he did not.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:51 PM ^
February 19th, 2011 at 2:57 PM ^
I don't think Moeller hired Mattison. Carr was Mo's DC. But yeah, Mo has definitely been underrated by the fanbase. He was a very innovative coach. He brought the no-huddle into the conference and was so successful that other coaches whined until the "Too many men in the huddle" penalty was introduced. He could have been a Hall of Fame coach if he'd stayed here.
February 19th, 2011 at 4:56 PM ^
Lloyd made him DC when he took over the head job.
February 19th, 2011 at 5:41 PM ^
He spoke to the NYC alumni club a couple of nights ago, and though he was recruited and first coached by Bo, who he says is a god to him, Moeller was his coach after that, and he spoke very highly of Moeller and felt he got a raw deal.
Said lots of other fascinating things, and spent lots more time with us than he had to. Probably not too late to do a full post, since no one else did....
February 19th, 2011 at 9:40 PM ^
...do.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:51 PM ^
....from the melt down witnessed on here and on other Mich boards when Hoke was named the HC.
February 19th, 2011 at 2:53 PM ^
February 19th, 2011 at 3:23 PM ^
....that suffers from knee jerkitis, especially on here (and on Scout). OSU had one when Tressel was hired. Auburn when Cheesestick was hire. I understood the Hoke hire and believed he was the right fit. Ultimately, his success or failure will depend on if he can win, which is a no brainer. But those who acted like little brats who didn't get the present they wanted on XMAS morning are the type of fickle fans I despise.
February 19th, 2011 at 3:01 PM ^
It's pathetic that people are behind the new coach? Would you prefer that the people critical of the hire would remain negative?
I don't think this site was particularly fair to Hoke before and immediately after he was hired, but that's water under the bridge now. If people now are on the bandwagon, that's a good thing.
February 19th, 2011 at 3:20 PM ^
February 19th, 2011 at 3:47 PM ^
I was concerned about the hiring when it went down. Since then, Hoke, starting with the first presser, has done nothing but impress me with his enthusiasm for all things Michigan.
I don't mean this as a knock on RichRod, who I think got a bit of a raw deal, but I never felt from RichRod the same intensity for our school that radiates from Hoke,
February 19th, 2011 at 8:47 PM ^
Raw deal ?
Take into account that Coach Moeller got canned due a one-night meltdown, and that NOBODY in this crowd appreciates him... and he floored OSU and our main rivals, and didn't go 3-16 or whatever it was, like RR did.
Take into account that Carr was considered "interim" the entire season and many did not want him during that time and soon after.
Take into account that RR did little to endear himself in a very sensitive time.
Coach Moeller got the true raw deal....and he never complained, and is the EPITOME of a Michigan Man. Notice how Moeller didn't cry about getting canned... notice how he didn't try to go coach another college team. He took it like the man he is, and he truly got the raw deal. Anywhere else in the country except a small handful of places, and he'd have still been the coach.
February 19th, 2011 at 3:59 PM ^
Admittedly, I was somewhat skeptical of the hire, but in retrospect I think a large portion of my initial feelings were influenced greatly by the RR firing. I so much wanted us to become better than what we were, and I still believe he was the man that could have brought about that change.
But to your point, and the same made by Yost, Bo, RR, et. al., it takes everyone, from the HC through the entire fan base to really create something special. The program, afterall is not made up of only those 22 playing on a particular Saturday.
No matter who the Michigan coach is, I think those that immediately start out to discredit him are laying kindling for those with little patience. If he doesn't have the support of the fans, and something we learned all too well, the media - whether writing lies tinges with truth or the other way around - his chances for success will be minimized greatly.
I beleive any great program requires backing and praying that any hire associated with that program from a significant majority. When the success is realized, the media, just like the "prove it before I back you fans," will retreat to their reserved niche, that being, of course, a venue where no one else really cares to visit.
February 19th, 2011 at 3:52 PM ^
It definitely seems like Hoke wants to be an image of Michigan, with his appearances at basketball, hockey, and Mock Rock. While is success as a coach is gonna be based of his Ws and Ls, you have to be impressed/enjoy the energy and effort he puts forth to be a big part of this school.
February 19th, 2011 at 5:49 PM ^
February 20th, 2011 at 1:05 AM ^
The tickets are for whichever round we host. Since we get a bye to the quarters, the tickets are for that series. If we had not gotten a bye (like last year), the tickets would be for the first round series. In that case, the quarters are on the road (at MSU last year).
I have no idea why the thrid ticket is void. I would guess that it would work for a third game, but I'm not sure.
Fun fact: I'm on the ticket for one of the playoff games. They took a picture of the students singing Yellow and Blue, and I am in it.
February 20th, 2011 at 8:15 PM ^
Nice! I see you. Though I don't know which person you are.
Hopefully there is clarity about the third (voided) ticket, though I also hope we won't need to care (in the case of an M sweep)
February 19th, 2011 at 9:44 PM ^
enough said....