When did Hoke lose you?

Submitted by Rodriguesqe on

Simple question. I know, timing is weird with us having one last shot at salvaging a bowl game but the situation only embigens the question.

For me, the first dent in the armor was Penn State last year where it seemed like the coaching staff lost us the game. That was the first time I wondered if we had the right guys in charge.

The final nail in the coffin was Utah, which in hindsight doesn't look quite as bad but in context was unbearable.

But I think he lost me during the bowl game last year. Again, another loss that looks a little better in hindsight. But the team that showed up at that bowl game looked uninspired and unprepared. Sort of set the tone for all of 2014. Also, was the impetus for my username (and also explanation for the spelling--alcohol).

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uminks

November 18th, 2014 at 7:36 PM ^

After, his first season I was tricked into becoming a Hoke backer. '12 I blamed on injuries to Robinson and Gardner played well and even our losses were competitive. '13 was the season I knew Hoke was not cut out for this job. I understand the OL was young but there should have been improvement through the season. After KSU blew us out I thought to myself we do not have a good team. This season confirms that Hoke is not HC material for Michigan. He's been a good recruiter but has actually coached down his talent. Fairly pathetic results for the recruiting class rankings. On paper the only team with more potential talent then Michigan is OSU.

Joined: 11/10/2009

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1329 S. University

November 18th, 2014 at 7:36 PM ^

just about the only streak that survived the Rich Rod era and I really hung onto it for some reason. The shutout just took everything I had left.

As others have pointed out the misuse if Denard was also a big one, but I kept holding onto hope until the shutout.

Joined: 01/01/2010

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Dunder

November 18th, 2014 at 7:37 PM ^

got swayed by the early pressers, Sugar Bowl and recruiting of year 1. However, when he failed to punt in year 2 at OSU... I knew. Right then and there I knew he would not get it done. Pissed away The Game with a stupid decision.

Joined: 09/04/2010

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Dunder

November 18th, 2014 at 7:38 PM ^

got swayed by the early pressers, Sugar Bowl and recruiting of year 1. However, when he failed to punt in year 2 at OSU... I knew. Right then and there I knew he would not get it done. Pissed away The Game with a stupid decision.

Joined: 09/04/2010

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Monkey House

November 18th, 2014 at 7:38 PM ^

last year. I wanted him fired last December. I could tell four games in that the players had not progressed at all from 2012. Borges wasn't great but I thought Hoke was more of the problem

Joined: 09/05/2014

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JamieH

November 18th, 2014 at 7:44 PM ^

Notre Dame had me thinking that he was a lost cause. But Minnesota put me in the "100% I'm not coming back" camp. I don't think I've ever seen a more clueless display of head coaching at the 1A level.  (Edit:  Sorry, forgot about Bobby Williams.  That might be a tie) 

He just shows absolutely no awareness of anything that is happening on the field in front on him.

Joined: 09/05/2009

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Dr. Venture

November 18th, 2014 at 7:42 PM ^

After the OSU game I thought he could pull of some solid momentum for the bowl game as well as the 14 season. However after watching the team looked so unprepared against a middle of the road B12 team, my doubts were cemented. I really questioned him during the UConn, Akron, PSU, and MSU games, but the KSU game was a dud. I got bad vibes from the Brandon manifesto, and once isaw the performance in the bowl game I was done. Although to be fair, I was never in love with him.

Joined: 10/05/2014

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lmgoblue1

November 18th, 2014 at 7:47 PM ^

Lost: Notre Dame this year. Be honest fellas. We got Borges fired and thought Nuss was the answer. We were wrong. When Hoke started calling injuries boo-boos we should have known then.

Joined: 10/27/2012

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93Grad

November 18th, 2014 at 7:52 PM ^

It was clear then that this team did not have the ability or will to adjust at halftime and make a game of it against an average ND. That should not happen in year 4 with a 5th year senior at QB. Hoke is Marinelli.

Joined: 07/26/2011

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MichiganStudent

November 18th, 2014 at 7:52 PM ^

I knew something was very wrong last year but I thought this year was a chance for minimum 9 win season. Our schedule set up perfectly with 2 byes and avoiding Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa. However, nail in the coffin was Minnesota. I gave Hoke a pass for ND and Utah (idk why) but our epic suck against Minny (and the Morris fiasco) took me to a point of no return.

Joined: 08/27/2008

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Blue Carcajou

November 18th, 2014 at 7:54 PM ^

Notre Dame. He should have been terminated immediately after that; you don't get blown out by historic rival after spending all off-season calling them chickens and get to live to fight another day. That should have been the engravings on Hoke's tombstone. Unforgivable.

Joined: 08/10/2013

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HELLE

November 18th, 2014 at 7:54 PM ^

I am disappointed but I still hope for him to save his job with three wins in a row. He is the man that I want to succeed as Michigan's head football coach. Rich Rod didn't feel right from the beginning. Miles and Harbaugh are not my kind of people. Brady leads with his integrity. If he is fired... fine then, but I'll never turn my back on him and say I want him fired.

Joined: 07/26/2011

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blackstarwolverine

November 18th, 2014 at 8:29 PM ^

Not to nitpick, but how do you know Harbaugh has less integrity than Hoke? I understand with Miles, plus he is probably one of the most overrated coaches, but that is another matter. I'll admit to be being skeptical by such Michigan making such an underwhelming hire in Hoke, but he has done a poor job and the team has declined as it has transitioned from Rich Rod's guys to Hoke's players. I remember bragging to my OSU buddy about how Michigan had recruited all these top notch players, especially on the O-line, yet that talent has developed like a plant put into a pot full of alcohol--looks completely wilted.

The Notre Dame game was the last straw--there is no reason for Michigan to lay a goose egg against the Domers. Ironic that Charlie Weis was on the receiving end of a similar score--who, like Hoke, excelled at recruiting but was poor at player development. Michigan shouldn't repeat Notre Dame's mistake by continuing with a coach who can't execute. Hoke has earned his firing.

Joined: 05/23/2014

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SC Wolverine

November 18th, 2014 at 7:54 PM ^

I actually thought we were going to have a great team this year, with Devin a 5th year senior, Jake and Frank Clark, Jabrill.... obviously I was drinking the cool-aid.  Hoke's immature and insolent demeanor in his press conferences really bugged me all this year.  But then after the Rutgers game, he actually said -- the Michigan head coach! -- that he was proud of the guys for their effort.  Michigan lost to Rutgers, and he was proud of their effort.  Obviously, he is team mom rather than head coach.  No wonder he was so popular as a position coach.  He has never made the leap to head coach.  Now I can't stand even to see him.  Very sad.

Joined: 08/18/2010

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icegoalie1

November 18th, 2014 at 7:58 PM ^

This was the first time I really thought he might be in over his head.
The Penn State game last year started to solidify my concerns and the ND and Minnesota games this year finished me off.

Joined: 03/15/2013

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Wendyk5

November 18th, 2014 at 8:06 PM ^

Having the big ten title as the ultimate goal, so I guess from the beginning. If our main rivals have national aspirations, and we hold up our 1997 NC, why would we suddenly dial it back?

Joined: 11/20/2008

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mgoblue78

November 18th, 2014 at 8:06 PM ^

Not having developed a backup quarterback that was even remotely competent. 

Something that we then saw repeated over the past two seasons, showing that it wasn't a one-time aberration.

Joined: 12/15/2011

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Voltron is Handsome

November 18th, 2014 at 8:11 PM ^

He lost me after going for two against OSU in 2013. I will never forgive him for that. It also did not help that idiotic Borges did not change the play after the time out right before the two-point try.

Joined: 05/12/2014

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jaspersail

November 18th, 2014 at 8:41 PM ^

After the failed 2-point conversion, Michigan lined up for the on-side kick. OSU put ALL 11 men up near the kicker with no one deep. I was screaming for a pooch kick to the 25 yard line ("Oh my god, they have no one deep at all!") and Michigan likely would have won the sprint to field the free ball.

Of course, Hoke didn't notice. He lost me completely right then (though I still clung to hope for 2014).

Joined: 12/09/2010

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Perkis-Size Me

November 18th, 2014 at 9:59 PM ^

You've got to be kidding me on that 2 pt conversion call. While Borges should've changed up the play call, Hoke was smart to go for the win. There was no way we were going to outlast OSU in OT. All they would've had to do was keep feeding Hyde for easy points, since we couldn't stop the run all day. That call was arguably the smartest thing Hoke ever did here at Michigan.

Hoke has done plenty of things wrong at Michigan, but I commend him for having the balls to go for the win that day. Would've gone down as the biggest upset in the history of the rivalry. Yes. Bigger than '69.



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Fort Wayne Blue

November 18th, 2014 at 8:13 PM ^

I loved Hoke in 2011.
I started to question him in 2012 with his deployment of Denard.
I seriously doubted him last year as it appeared that he agreed w/Al's work.
I crossed the line, agreeing that he is problem during ND, Utah, & Minny.

With that being said, I will be there on Saturday, screaming my face off, raising my fist in the air on Hail! Pulling for Brady coach his boys into bowl eligibilty. 

Joined: 08/03/2011

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Hate_anything_…

November 18th, 2014 at 8:29 PM ^

He lost me as soon as he stopped having double digit wins! I personally don't care who our coach is, as long as they can recruit well and win a crap ton of games. Oh, and regularly beat MSU and OSU. I'm not asking for too much, right?

Joined: 01/21/2012

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sjjtitan24

November 18th, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^

Right around halftime of the Notre Dame game. I wasn't 100% sold either way on whether or not to bring him back this year, but by halftime of that game I was sure we had made a big mistake.

Joined: 08/19/2013

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NFG

November 18th, 2014 at 8:38 PM ^

This offseason when BTN visited, they asked him what were the changes to the offensive line this summer to improve from last year, and he said quote, "they are willing." What the hell does that even mean?

Joined: 04/24/2012

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Greg McMurtry

November 18th, 2014 at 8:40 PM ^

Ok, for real, probably ND, but I was very unhappy last year. I blamed most of it on Borges, who I still think is not good, so Hoke got points from me with his firing. I though 8-4 pre-season which I would have accepted.

Joined: 02/25/2009

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TennBlue

November 18th, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^

I was willing to let him impress me, though.

 

I was not impressed.  They seemed to win in 2011 despite him, not because of him.  He and Borges never did figure our how to use Denard properly, which made me question his abilities as a coach.

 

As the team rapidly regressed in the following years, it was clear Hoke was in over his head. I knew he wasn't going to last long.

Joined: 10/12/2010

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