Now Wojo lowers the boom: Fire Hoke.

Kinda hard to believe the whole "we tune the media out" after you've quoted Kirk Herbstreit.

closer

GTFO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They could definitely negotiate a resignation scenario where Hoke gets the 2015 buyout money now at the benefit of the program. Could probably make a package to pay Brandon a little less too to part ways now. They won't take it, and it is a lot of money to just leave on the table, but based on all their talk about their love for Michigan, etc. you'd think they would. They don't care about anything but the money at this point. 

The way Hoke has apologized to Dantonio for this stupid stake incident shows me a level of weakness that you never want out of a leader. It's almost like he's trying to show everyone that even though he is a terrible coach, he is still a "good man" so that he can get hired doing something after he's done @ Michigan.

Whatever happens, that money they save by keeping this circus going should definitely be put RIGHT back in to the new coaching staffs salary. BEST AVAILABLE coaching staff with experience winning/developing players in the NFL or top tier of college football (BCS). Knowledge of the Michigan tradition? Former Player? Those two things are great, but not necessary. No point in getting all excited for Harbaugh or Miles when realistically neither of them are coming.

Assuming they don't screw up the next hire, and the new guy can develop talent, Michigan should be successful NEXT YEAR.  There's so much talent on this team and all of it's being wasted by Hoke.

For the players, I'm sure this is a terrible realization. They haven't played well - for whatever reason - and their coaches will be held accountable. I'm sure most would rather take the bullet than see their coaches get fired. It sucks, but that's life.

None of them signed up for this, but Gerry Rafferty perhaps said it best:

Life is a liar, yeah life is a cheat
It'll lead you on and pull the ground from underneath your feet.

If Brady loves Michigan like he says he does and would have walked to Michigan, he will walk away. He has to realize that the players deserve better, maybe not a better person/people but better coaching, development and utilization of their skills. I like that Hoke has graduated players and brought in good quality kids, but it's just time for him to go.

Might have had a chance at a bowl game if we had fired Hoke after week 3 like USC fired Kiffin last year and ended up winning 10 games.  But we didn't, so here we are once again, for the fifth time in seven years, going into November completely hopeless, with Spartans and Buckeyes pissing in their pants, laughing their ass off at us. 

I know it's awkward, and unusual for a terminated head coach, but in his case it might work having him remain in some capacity.  If nothing else he could be an effective recruiter, and it would look less like a typical, total regime change.

This article was spot on, at least he captures the sentiment from my perspective perfectly.  Some folks want to bash Hoke, but he doesn't deserve that.  A critique, however, is fine, and it is legitmiate to say that this is simply too big of a stage for him; especially when things start to spiral out of control.  It's easy for things to go bad fast at a place like Michigan, much more so than a Ball State or SDSU, because the expections are so much higher and demands are so much greater.  While in some respects you have more margin for error here given the "cache" of the school, which brings in more talent and resources; but on the flip side of that, once the negativity gets rolling and the downhill momentum starts picking up speed, it takes some serious know-how to reverse things.  This was the first time in his career that Brady was faced with a series of problems hitting him all at once at a place that doesn't "let things ride" for very long.  He wasn't up to the task.  Gotta call it for what it is.   

However, I reject the notion that Hoke can't be a "great guy" if he doesn't show some occassional "dickishness," a-la Dantonio or Kelly.  Hoke is who he is.  "Dickishness" just isn't something that's in his DNA.  We can debate all day about whether or not having a bit of "prick" in your personality is required to be successful at the highest levels (Bo certainly had it, so did Lloyd), but "great guys" don't have to also be surly on occassion, and they can be appreciated for being fundamentally decent, even if that means they don't have what it takes to win at the "big time" schools.

I was a student manager during Hoke's first year back in '95.  Mattison had been the "boss" of the student managers until he was promoted to DC after Coach Mo was shown the door.  Hoke was awesome to us.  Unlike Mattison, who gave us our orders (through the senior manager) and sent us on our way, Hoke actually "talked" to us as a group... asked us how we were doing, whether we needed anything to make our jobs easier.  Mattison was a nice enough guy, but he, like so many other coaches, was so laser focused on his own responsibilities, that the managers were generally treated as a set of tools to keep things running.  We knew we we're doing okay if we weren't getting noticed (kind of like O-lineman).  Hoke, though, approached it differently.  He took the time to make us feel important, and when we did our jobs effectively, he let us know.  The only other coach that really took the time to connect with us was Lloyd.  All of the coaches were decent to us (save maybe Bobby Morrison, although he grew on you after a while).  Freddy J and Les Miles, especially, would joke with us, chat with us, but only Brady and Lloyd actually told us that we really "mattered" to the team and reminded us that how well we "executed" made a difference.  

To tell you the truth, I cringed when Coach Hoke was hired.  I genuinely like Brady.  You can't help but like him.  He's not just a great guy, he's an AWESOME guy.  But, I never felt like he possessed the mental accuity, that "CEO" quality, that was required to be a HC at the highest level.  (Whether or not he could be enough of a "dick" on occassion wasn't something I thought of.)  Back in the day, I figured he'd eventually find a defensive coordinator gig and live out his life flying under the radar at some school like Washington State or Rutgers.  But then had some success as a head coach, said all the right things at his initial press conference here, pooped gold his first season, and I became hopeful.  If he could hire the right coordinators and get Michigan rolling enough that they we could basically just stay the course and "maintain," maybe we'd be alright.

Well, it started unraveling in multiple ways and, unfortunately, he wasn't able to stop it.  Now, my biggest fears have been realized.  I feel bad for the players, I feel bad for us fans (GOD it sucks living in the Lansing area right now) but I also feel VERY, VERY bad for him.  This was his dream job and he desperately wanted to come in here and reestablish this program.  Not for "him," but for us, for MICHIGAN.  

What sucks about all of this the most, for me personally, is that I'm passionately in love with a sport where, more times than not, the pricks survive and the good, decent guys get eaten alive, usually by their own fan base.  Based upon his decency as a human being, alone, Brady Hoke deserves to be considered the next Bill Snyder while guys like Urban Meyer should be sitting between Lou Holtz and Mark May on Saturdays pontificating on what Jimbo Fisher should be doing with Jameis Winston.  

Unfortunately, being a good, decent person, alone doesn't make one a great head coach at this level.  Brady probably never should have been hired.  But we can't blame him for taking the job (although we can blame Dave Brandon for extending the offer) and we can't blame him for being what we always knew he was.  His game management and ability to develop players is fine when everything goes like its supposed to... unfortunately when things start going south he doesn't quite have the accumen to staunch the bleeding, at least not at this level.  I'm as dissappointed as anyone that he isn't "better" at this, and Brandon probably shouldn't have hired someone who didn't have a track record of not just building up a program, but managing one through tough times and high expectations.  Again, though, that's on DB.  But one thing I think we can all agree on is that it was nice knowing that he wanted to be here and genuinely loves our school.  He's no Lane Kiffin.  

So, let's wish him well, send him off, and hope that this athletic department has learned something.  

The big lesson?  I guess it's hire a coach who isn't "quite right" in the head.  Outside of Bill Snyder, they seem to be the only ones capable of thriving in these elite jobs.

...it should be a factor in any decision re his fate. 

I disliked many of his decisions, especially the one to hire Brady Hoke.  At the time, however,  in hiring a "Michigan Man" with roots on Lloyd Carr's staff, didn't Brandon satisfy the desires of a large part of the UofM fan base, alumni, and former players?  Wasn't Brandon being responsive to them and their desires?

I also disliked how little support Brandon (and that same segment of the fan base) gave to RR and I was also disappointed  that, in large part, it was because they didn't "like" him, his style, his grammer, his offense, etc.  I felt he never really have a chance, given the roster he was left with and the internal BS he had to endure from day one.

Longer term, Brandon will end up doing fine, thank you.  RR certainly has.  I think Hoke will likely end up following in the footsteps of Carr's last OC and DC. 

When Wojo calls for your firing, it's over.

We've still got the stadium, the helmets, and the great fight song, and there are 114,000 willing to come to the games, if they are worth paying to watch in person. But pretty much nothing of the Bo-Mo-Llo era remains. The next hire is a big one. We're coming up on a decade of being a really lousy football program. There's a good football team on the roster but the next guy is going to have to build his own thing.

If all Hoke had to do was hobnob with alumni and recruits and clap encouragingly on the sidelines, he'd be a champion. Unfortunately for him, head coaches are expected to set strategy and direction, motivate their players and staff to develop their skills and field a team that wins games.

At my company we have employee scorecards that serve as the basis for evaluating performance. The accountabilities on the scorecard are in descending order of importance. He's doing okay at some of the items further down the list, but bombing at the top three or four. There are also competencies that show what knowledge, skills, and abilities someone needs to succeed in the job. In this case, things like intelligence, ability to think on one's feet, adaptability, spoken and written communication, etc. He would have been lucky to get an interview for the job based on qualifications, and Brandon pretended that he was an ace hire.

We're paying for filet mignon and getting low-end hot dogs. That's some great value right there.

Brady Hoke is an excellent recruiter but basically a babysitter. If anything, he's probably too close to his players. UM has become a football club rather than a competitive team.

Coach Hoke is deluded if he thinks he has to stick around for the good of his players or "sons."   I'm hoping he's the class act he seems to be and resigns.

Resigning at the end of the season for the "good of the program" is a whole lot different than quitting in the middle of a season.

I would lose even more respect for Hoke, as a person, if he were to quit now. What message would that be sending to the players? 

Getting "fired" now is a different story.

Sorry, Hoke. I really wanted you to be our guy. Really, I did. I can see how much you love this place, you love your players, and you want to run it the right way. But this game, whether we like it or not, is a business. Building character and good men are important, but so are wins and losses. So is beating your rivals, developing your players into the best football players they can be, fielding competitive teams, and everything else in between. Your measurement of success is Big Ten titles, and in that regard, you've failed for 4 straight years.

I hope you find success wherever you go next. Hell, if the next coach wants a recruiting coordinator, I hope he hires you. But this just isn't the place for you.

".... And the next coach has to be less willing to please others, and more ruthlessly determined to beat them"

Jim H.