Why we are not competitive in pictures

Submitted by maizenbluenc on

Hoke when the refs make a bad call against us:

Schembechler:

 

Hoke when a player screws up:

Schembechler:


Note: he used that yardstick both to measure your foot placement and splits, and to whack you when you were off by a fraction of an inch. Details man, details.

[Edit: I think some of you are taking me too literally, and are missing some of the implied humor in the extremity of the cases: there is a careful balance.

Also, there is a point that Bo managed the details in an authortarian manner, and therefore no one wanted to screw up the details so they focused on them.]

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Football
Bo Schembechler
Brady Hoke

Shakey Jake

October 9th, 2014 at 11:55 AM ^

I don't fault Hoke for how he coaches. I fault him for not being an effective leader of the football team. 

Bo had his issues too. And BO would have been arrested if he coached in today's age due to the PC new age nannies out there. 

Joined: 05/12/2012

MGoPoints: 1218

Shakey Jake

October 9th, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^

You don't become a head coach if you aren't a good teacher. Prior U of M players spoke highly of Hoke when he was named the HC. For what ever reason, he hasn't been able to lead this team effectively. It could possibly be that it's not necessarily him but the politics of the University that contributes to, so far, two back to back coaches having lousy results. 

Joined: 05/12/2012

MGoPoints: 1218

Tater

October 9th, 2014 at 1:51 PM ^

My guess is that David Brandon is the de facto HC, turning Hoke's position into that of a middle manager instead of a CEO.  I think he is "disorganized" because he has lost part of the locker room.  I don't think anyone is working against him.  

If anything, I think players are "trying to do too much" as individuals: thus a concussed QB runs onto the field or refuses to come out.  The team just isn't reacting to losses and adversity very well.

It makes the job Rich Rod did look even more impressive in comparison.  Rich Rod never lost the locker room, even when one shitstorm after another was perpetrated upon his program.

 

 

Joined: 08/13/2008

MGoPoints: 30584

Hail-Storm

October 9th, 2014 at 1:53 PM ^

From books I've read (think it was specifically Lasting Lessons), Bo was a players coach who players loved when he wasn't the head guy.  He was who they came to when they needed a "lighter" perspective from Woody.  It sounds like Hoke was the same type of coach at Michigan in his first stint while a defensive position coach.

When Bo became the head guy, he changed his style.  He no longer could be the players coach who was more friend than authoritarian. He understood his new role.  This happens all the time in every business, military, etc.  When you are the head guy, you don't get to be everyone's buddy.  Bo was brilliant when it came to understanding the psychology of his players and how he needed to appear to them.  I think he would never be the one to provide the good news of maybe a shorter practice or some other perk, delegating these to his other coaches.  He knew that he was not going to get to play the nice guy anymore.

I think Hoke never transitioned from the players coach to head coach. He's still everyone's buddy and players still love him, but that does not mean that he is getting the best out of them. 

Joined: 06/07/2010

MGoPoints: 9749

ThadMattasagoblin

October 9th, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^

I don't really care how angry a coach gets as long as they know what they are doing. Pete Carroll and Coach K are nice guys that win. Brady Hoke is a nice guy that doesn't know how to motivate his guys.

Joined: 08/24/2011

MGoPoints: 63762

Tuebor

October 9th, 2014 at 12:03 PM ^

Again it comes down to demeanor. Hoke is a position coach.  Position coaches are allowed to be your friend and build you up after the "Head Coach" tears you down for making a mistake.  This team is too accepting of mistakes. 

Joined: 03/14/2011

MGoPoints: 17467

JonSnow54

October 9th, 2014 at 12:07 PM ^

This is hilarious.  Remember when Haegerup biffed the snap in the OSU game a couple years ago?  He went to the sidelines and Hoke calmly encouraged him and gave him a pat on the back.  At the time, everyone thought it was great coaching and pointed out how people like RR or Kelly would have screamed at him in rage, and how this was much better to encourage the player.

And here we are, two years later - Hoke still has the same style, but now everyone is jumping on the guy for that encouraging style.  The same encouraging style that he has had his entire tenure here, the same encouraging style that we (collectively) used to laud.

Don't get me wrong, I think Hoke needs to go and this is not a defense of him.  But this is ridiculous.

Joined: 08/26/2011

MGoPoints: 852

Hail-Storm

October 9th, 2014 at 2:04 PM ^

I still like the way he handled the Hagerup situation and can still disagree with his coaching strategy in general.  A coach doesn't have to go Brian Kelly on every misstep, however, in sports and coaching, I think there are plenty of times to get worked up. 

John Beilein is as nice a guy as you can get, so when he gets worked up over calls, there is good reason for him to do so, and the refs have listened and responded. My best coach in soccer didn't do much yelling compared to other coaches, but when we weren't practicing hard, he didn't let it go on for long before we went on a "run". After the "run" we were always back to business.

Maybe Hoke does more behind closed doors, but it doesn't seem like he knows that a controlled outburst can be just what a team needs.

Joined: 06/07/2010

MGoPoints: 9749

maize-blue

October 9th, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^

I'm boggled how a former college linbacker and pretty decent one too hasn't been able to produce a tough, physical team except for the 2011 squad. Since 2011 the physical competitiveness has seemed to go down every year.

Joined: 01/10/2013

MGoPoints: 44662

WolverineHistorian

October 9th, 2014 at 12:23 PM ^

Bo's reactions to players screwing up was pretty sweet. He'd get his anger and frustration out right away, as soon as the play finished. But he calmed down before the player reached the sideline and then had a talk with him that looked like a lecture but didn't look humiliating to the player, not like that asshole Brian Kelly. Hoke is so calm that I think if a random stranger approached him on the street and screamed in his face, he'd just clap a few times and walk on. And he's probably been that way his whole life. Although, if you watch any games from when Hoke was on the coaching staff under Carr, he actually did get animated once in a while on the sidelines and had expressions of disgust when a ref would make a bad call. So he is capable of getting mad, he just hasn't done it yet as a HC.

Joined: 08/10/2009

MGoPoints: 55409

DrunkOnHiggins

October 9th, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^

I hate to say it but I agree with this. People need to start getting pissed off.

I know what some people's opinons of Lloyd are around here but he was the same way. Lloyd would blow gaskets on the sideline. Remember him getting that extra second back vs Penn State in 05? I thought he was going to murder that official.

Joined: 06/16/2011

MGoPoints: 7305