Mourning period set to expire
Two cents on this - neg away if I sound like a crotchety bastard.
The mourning period on this hire ends right before the presser starts.
After that, the time for second guessing ends, and the time for us to get in the proverbial boat and support this coach and this program starts.
Coach Hoke has a big job to do - and whatever you think of his boss (or his bosses boss) he needs our full support.
It's time for us to look up and be positive.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:11 AM ^
yeah right.
Let me start by saying that I support Hoke, repeat that a few times so it soaks in.
Please, after all of the negativity here for the last 3 years, beginning before RR had coached his first practice, don't suddenly decide you are a real fan. Those of us who have been supporting the team, and their coach for the last 3 years already understand that.
The fellow who coached before Hoke got here could have used this:
has a big job to do - and whatever you think of his boss (or his bosses boss) he needs our full support.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:12 AM ^
I like this hire, but I think what you said is way off. Nothing comes automatic. Hoke is going to have to win people over through the product he puts on the field, but I believe he will.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:12 AM ^
Everything he does should be scrutinized. This is a coach with nearly 100 games under his belt with little success. There won't be any positives if Denard leaves.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:19 AM ^
In fact, there is only one area of concern I have, and that is the team. The fact is, I love this team. It is easily one of my favorites.
The simple fact is, RR was leaving. They whys do not matter. I sat in the end zone during the Wisconsin game and watched an extra point try barely make the top of the goal posts. Something died in me then and there, everything that followed just put a point to it.
As much as I like Denard, the team is bigger than he is. As long as he leaves of his own free will, I'm okay with it. Not happy, to be sure, but ok, and lets move forward.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:30 AM ^
After all the talk by Brandon on how M needs to pay it's coaches like top schools, he goes out and gets a guy that does not deserve a dime over $750,000. Anything else is fiscally irresponsible.
There never appeared to be a national search, it was limited to guys that had been here before in some capacity. When you are looking for a CEO you get the best guy possible. I'll be damned if DB or Hoke will sell to me that he is the best guy is all of mother f'ing America to be the head coach at the Univeristy of Michigan.
Yes, RR is gone, I understand why that probably needed to happen after the bowl game, but Hoke ain't the guy that should have the new office in Schembechler Hall.
And if Denard leaves, which is very possible, and as Tate appears to not be in school right now, this team has a very talented RSF in Gardner, but what happens if he goes down? Nick Sheridan part 2?
Sure, there are lots of ifs that we can discuss and bring up, but keeping Denard is the number one job right now
January 12th, 2011 at 8:36 AM ^
The last 3 years have been the worst 3 year stretch in Michigan football history and RR is gone (no matter how much we loved the guy).
You have to look forward. Support the players and coaches or buy yourself an OSU hat.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:46 AM ^
makes me anti-Michigan? I am looking forward. Looking at a future of 9-3 seasons, probably what this team would have in 2011 under RR.
People will make a big deal today if Hoke says 'It's all about beating OSU...blah, blah, blah' The reason RR never said this was not because he 'didn't ge it,' but becasue he knew the team was overmatched (that's a different convo if someone thinks it's his fault and what years). RR was smart about this and people criticized him for it. But if, and probably when this team loses to OSU again, I'm being realistic here, Hoke will be made to eat those words by other teams.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:45 AM ^
I understand where you're coming from as BH was definitely not my first choice. The fact of the matter though is WANTED this job. That has to mean something. Was anyone else lining up to be our head coach? 3 people (JH, LM, and Gruden) have all said that MIchigan is their 'dream job' yet none are here. At this point i'll take passion from an unproven coach and be happy about it. It just seems like you're downing the guy before he even gets a chance to coach (RR similarties anyone?). Hoke has my faith until he proves he doesn't deserve it and hopefully im not alone.
/rant
January 12th, 2011 at 11:25 AM ^
But Hoke has to earn my faith.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:48 AM ^
I love coaches that beat Michigan State and Ohio St.
Not coaches that struggle to beat UMass or Indiana. I mean, say Ezeh was a junior, would he be our starting MLB for the first 1/2 of next season? Is anybody convinced that Vincent Smith is the best running back on the team and should get the majority amount of carries? RR will be successful somewhere else, but he didn't help his own cause here.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:20 AM ^
yes he has a losing record, not everyone can start out there head coaching job at a winning program.
my only thought is that he wont have a big enough name to attract top recruits.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:21 AM ^
Disagree.
He's our coach, but he's not a dictator. He doesn't deserve undying respect and a void of criticism based on his title. Sure, he's entitled to a clean slate at Michigan, but respect is earned on the field, in the classroom, and in the Michigan community. From the first decision he makes as head coach, he's under the microscope.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:25 AM ^
with an unproven coach and no high level recruits? If those $85,000 suites don't sell and there are empty seats on Saturdays Brandon will be looking for a new job. Hoke might do well, but until he proves he can win 9-10+ games there will be many season ticket holders turning their seats.
The football program and the Big House fund the entire athletic dept and if they don't sellout,it hurts everyone. If the sellout streak stops, and the AD loses many those PSL "donations" that come from Season Ticket sales then DB is failing at his job.
No offense to Hoke, but he doesn't stir the masses to want to to spend their hard-earned money on tickets until he proves he can win. This lost recruiting class and its long-term effect could doom him and $$ the football program generates.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:38 AM ^
Not sure how many were left to be 'sold'
Season tickets on the otherhand....
January 12th, 2011 at 8:57 AM ^
We'll certainly know for sure about season ticket sales being down if they offer packages like the ones that were offered in 2009: tOSU and two crappy teams that resulted in at least 20% of Michigan stadium wearing red. I hate to think what would happen if there are meaninguful transfers and the team is playing bad when Nebraska shows up with their "pay any price" to get tickets fans. The stadium could be half red that day.
As for warming up to Hoke I guess I am but if in three years his record is anywhere close to his career record coming in the Hoke experiment will have been a failure. He and Brandon will have to go.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:26 AM ^
I mourned pretty hard last night. One of my major hangover symptoms is waking up early so here I am. Brandon fucked up this coaching search, but for some reason this is starting to seem like one of those situations that shouldn't work but in the end winds up being fodder for a whole mountain of cliche-ridden articles about how 'brady hoke just had the right stuff for michigan'. If he wins, great. If this fails, we are royally fucked.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:29 AM ^
+1 for Jameson. Wooo!!
Tentative + 0.5 for Hoke. Watching like Robin Williams in One Hour Photo.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:30 AM ^
who undercut RR at every turn and NEVER gave him a chance are now saying, 'c'mon guys, we have to get behind this guy'.
actually, i don't love it, i hate it.
this isn't to anyone in particular, just the feeling i'm getting.
yes, i know he didn't have a good record. that said, a good third of fans were just waiting for him to fail so they could point and say 'seeee, he's not a michigan man'.
keep some recruits, keep all the players, have a good spring game and win some games, especially ones i wouldn't have expected to win with RR. THEN i'll fall in lockstep.
but it's gonna be really, really tough not to imagine 'what if' for the next year or so.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:42 AM ^
But not because we have finally signed a coach, but because of all these whining crybaby emo posts ripping the Hoke hire.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:43 AM ^
People are entitled to their opinion. I like the hire well enough and I'll support the coach as he tries to salvage something from the rubble of the last three years. To be frank, everyone is way overrating the impact of the whole support the coach idea.
Rich was undone by losing which he and his staff were solely responsible for. Support or lack of it will be a byproduct of what he puts out on the field. Same with Hoke. People bitter because there is a desire to make a fresh start and show support that Rich apparently never got, act like that actually mattered on any substantive level.
Same reason it is pointless to get bent when you have people trashing Coach Hoke and declaring that any success he had would have happened under Rodriguez anyways. It is just noise. The real work that matters will be on the recruiting trail and at Schembechler Hall.
If overestimating their own importance to Michigan football's outcome was a crime, many of the users on this blog would be doing 30 to life for continued violations.
January 12th, 2011 at 10:17 AM ^
Someone (allegedly Jefferson) said that dissent is the highest form of patriotism.
I argue that this translates to football: you can both fully support the new regime and at the same time question it. In fact, such questioning is itself a manifestation of one's support.
This obviously doesn't include groundless bitching or questioning that seeks to undermine the regime. But the distinction is usually pretty clear IMHE.
/master of what is obvious but not obvious in times of great passion
January 12th, 2011 at 9:05 AM ^
It's okay to be less than enthused with the hire of Hoke and still wish Hoke every bit of success. Given DB's comments, this hire is puzzling. It concerns me that this was the best Michigan could get. But I'll be cheering as loudly as ever come early September, regardless of who is at the helm.
Go Blue.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:06 AM ^
I am so sick of listening to this.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:11 AM ^
If I had not read this I would not have known that I was supposed to fully support the coach and not undermine him.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:24 AM ^
At this point I don't care who our coach is anymore. Whoever it is better win and not make excuses. We have been down for 4 years and I don't care who is hired or fired just shut up and get the job done.
We are not Cal, UCLA or Miami WE ARE MICHIGAN. The job is to win and beat OSU that is the job.
I was a huge Rich Rod guy and I though he would turn us into a super power. Did he get enough time ? Who knows but Brady Hoke gets the same treatment from me as Rich Rod does. He gets my support now and if he doesn't come out of the gate with 19 starters back well we have our answer on him.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:27 AM ^
We the fans have no effect on Michigan football except through the money we provide.
Whether I will vote with my pocketbook (and by pocketbook I mean checking account) is questionable, only because I know I am irrationally angry right now after an emotional period and need to not do anything rash.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:33 AM ^
Forget the mourning period on this hire...I'm more concerned with the mourning period on a significan part of the legacy of Michigan football.
"Those who stay will be champions."
If you think about it, that is very much a statement about patience. And patience has always been a virtue of Michigan. Anybody can win now if they are willing to compromise their integrity. But Michigan has always been committed to doing things the right way even if that requires more work and more time. Despite all the talk about "fit", Coach Rodriguez was terminated because he did not win now. And with that, an important piece of Michigan died. This Wolverine will be mourning long past any press conference.
January 12th, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^
I'm OK with part of Moe's post. Hoke seems like a great person and I'm comfortable supporting him personally (at Michigan, for sure). It's not a sure thing that he'll fail here.
But, I'll never support the process that got us a 53-year-old 47-50 non-BCS coach. If anyone confirms that Lloyd and his AD gnomes played an influential part, I'll support it even less.
This looks like an epic pooch screw that should take place only at hillbilly schools. Shame on Brandon.