The Snowflake Thread: Coaching

Submitted by LSAClassOf2000 on

Due to the uncertainty of weather, this goes up early...

This thread will be your official repository for thoughts on coaching and the general quality of it. 

MichiganTeacher

September 20th, 2014 at 8:13 PM ^

People won't support a bad program. This is like people who say no matter what a big franchise does, people will stick with it because of the name recognition and tradition. But people don't do that. History is littered with 'big names' that died.

marcota

September 20th, 2014 at 7:48 PM ^

the University also wants revenue which is likely to dissipate based on results of the coaching.

that being said, I think brandon will give hoke another year and hide behind a new oc teaching his system.

I'm hoping miss st blows out lsu and sends them into a tail spin losing the next 7 games.

bigfan2959

September 21st, 2014 at 9:48 AM ^

What I think you don't understand is this is a business.  College professors aren't paid what hoke gets.  He gets the salary he does because he makes money for the university, and more importantly keeps donations flowing.  When that ceases to be the cases, Hoke is gone, and if Brandon doesn't want to do it then he is gone to. 

I seriously doubt the University is going to let there cash cow wither.

No alumni really cares about graduation rates if the team is losing.  We watch Michgan because we want to see wins.

LSAClassOf2000

September 20th, 2014 at 7:51 PM ^

It definitely is not an Earth-shattering question around here, but I have to ask after the punt which was returned - very quickly - for a TD. I would like to know, beyond the statement of how it "suits the punter better" (which, right whatever), what is the specifica statistical objection to the spread punt? Just from a coverage standpoint, it seems like a well-coached spread punt formation might have had more people on the return man there. 

bighouse22

September 20th, 2014 at 8:18 PM ^

Have you ever believed that Hoke had a clue about scheme, whether it was on offense, defense or special teams.  He simply utters vague platitudes about the type of team he wants to be.  Have you ever heard him speak to a specific play and disect what went wrong?  If you asked him about technique he could probably talk your ear off about pad level. 

Bottom line, I don't think he knew how to answer the question from a technical standpoint and it was easier dismiss it.  I will probably continue to think this way until he actually gives a well reasoned opinion about anything game related.

DonAZ

September 20th, 2014 at 8:08 PM ^

what is the specific statistical objection to the spread punt?

There's no objection quite so rational.  It's just that Hoke is a damned stubborn man.

Hoke is in over his head.  Most of his football ideas are rooted in the past**.  Rather than realize that and change, he's dug in his heels ... and that will lead to his demise.

** This is my objection to RR as well ... he's rooted in the mid-2000's and is forever looking for the next Pat White.  In the meantime, the elite football programs defenses have evolved to the spread, and the better spread offenses are now well ahead of RR's.

There's a reason pride (and stubborness is a close cousin to pride) is one of -- and perhaps the most significant of -- the seven deadly sins.

ESNY

September 20th, 2014 at 7:53 PM ^

I'd like to congratulate Hoke on cratering this offense in only four years.  This team is completely overmatched.  Fuck Hoke, I'm done with him and his ineptness. 

ehatch

September 20th, 2014 at 7:53 PM ^

Gives up a punt return for a touchdown, because he's too damn stubborn to switch to a superior formation.

Have our only offensive threat hobble in and out of the game because he left him in during a 31-0 blowout.  

Opposing team made adjustments at the half to generate something.  Michigan either didn't or made poor adjustments.  

A QB that has absolutely zero confidence and looks completely lost out there (since he is on his 3rd coordinator).  

 

CompleteLunacy

September 20th, 2014 at 8:00 PM ^

I truly liked Hoke. I really really wanted him to succeed. But...he's completely lost it. Whatever it was he had in year 1 here, he lost it. No, I don't mean RR's players, guy who will inevitably respond and say that. I mean, the bravado, the "fuck it, let's go for it" aggression...the gold pooping. We punted...how many times at midfield? Show some fucking stones and see what your offense can do once in awhile. Yes, even when the odds are not ideally in your favor. Quit coaching scared. Gardner played scared, and if you believe that was all his fault...it was not. Nuss was coaching scared, Hoke was coaching scared, and it finally made it's way to Mattison in the 2nd half. 

Where does Michigan go from here? I, honestly, have no idea. 

CompleteLunacy

September 20th, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^

I mean, I think you probably still give Hoke the rest of the year, and yeah, anything can happen (the best thing going for Hoke right now is that he's still 0-0 in the Big Ten this year). But, instead of actually believing that, those are just hollow words right now. I don't see any way how this Michigan team can even compete with MSU and OSU. Shit, Indiana looks better right now. Utah is good, but they shouldn't be able to completely dominate our offense like that. Without a heroic defensive effort, the game looks worse than it did, and it looked bad enough as it is.

And really, all of the midfield punting was what did it for me. 

I'm baffled by the offense. The OL looks slightly better, but everything else looks worse. Devin is still shell-shocked by last year, for whatever reason. And Nuss...I don't get it, man. Too much under center for a QB that just doesn't do well under center. A run on 2nd and 22? Really? Really. It's sad when the thought crosses my mind that "I miss Borges". Dude had no idea how to adjust for a failing gameplan, but he was able to at least get something out of the offense with some creative play designs. And some damn screens. I miss that throwback screen, badly. I see no creativity with this offense, outside of one pass to Butt against Miami. Which...fine, it's early in the year, I don't expect too much. But, I do expect something. Anything! One redzone trip in 3+ quarters against a decent-but-not-Alabama-level Utah defense is pathetic.

bigfan2959

September 21st, 2014 at 9:52 AM ^

Where do we go from here?  Maybe 3 - 9 if we don't beat Minnesota.  Next weeks game becomes very big if we lose.  I figured there would be no way Hoke gets canned mid-season, but if he loses at Minnesota then at Rutgers, maybe Brandon would drop the axe.  I have since before the season thought we'd lose at Rutgers.

Orlando BlueM

September 20th, 2014 at 8:31 PM ^

He also pointed out that we have Devin turning his head away from the play on most passing downs to run play action. For a guy that struggles to read a defense on a normal play, that strategy makes it a guarantee that he will fail. Also, we run play action on 3rd and long repeatedly, and it has no impact on the defense while slowing down the reads. We're bad in all phases. Utah had better coaching everywhere. I think that says it all.

MichiganTeacher

September 20th, 2014 at 8:19 PM ^

Hoke has to go. Mattison should be made interim HC. At least that will show that we're trying _something_. People say mid-season coaching changes don't work, but last year or two years ago when Wisconsin fired their OL/OC or whoever it was after two games, their offensive line turned right around.

Hell, even hire Fickell for a year until someone better turns up. Seriously, how about getting Jerry Montgomery back? As HC? Why not? Even if it's just for a year, I don't see recruiting being any worse that way. Doesn't matter if recruiting is hurt anyway because if you never change HC - Hoke is proving that good recruits are nothing without coaching. So hire someone, anyone, then snap up a bonafide grade-A talent after a year if one becomes available.

bigfan2959

September 21st, 2014 at 10:14 AM ^

It would actually be the more honorable thing to can Hoke now, assuming the decision has be made he needs to go.  The recruits who have commited to this program deserve to know that the man they expected to play for will not be here.  Give these kids time to decide if they still want to come, or more time to look elsewhere.  The sooner they can make a change the more time the new guy has to salvage the next class.

Who cares about Hoke, he's got a guaranteed contract anyway I think through next year.  He can just sit back and collect a pay check.  The other 99% or so of us should be so lucky.

BlueHills

September 20th, 2014 at 8:26 PM ^

Nuss has never done his work as an OC on the sidelines before. It wasn't broken at his prior stops when they hired him, why fix it? This is one of many decisions made by Hoke and his staff that utterly puzzle me.

Gardner has had so many OCs in his ear over the years that he doesn't know what the hell to do any more, and having a bad OL doesn't help matters. 

The defense has lapses here and there, though it's not their fault that the offense can't score. Special teams are nothing to write home about.

Basically, this team is a tire fire. 

Hey, the good news is that the 2003 Big Ten Coach Of The Year might want to come back to the B1G. His name is John L. Smith!

samdrussBLUE

September 20th, 2014 at 8:59 PM ^

If you think these coaches should start Gardner over Morris, I think you are completely wrong. Shane just isn't there yet



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