While we can easily cast stones right now the fact of the matter is we'll get our answer in a few years. Sure, Dave Brandon seems like someone that believes he's smarter than anyone tied to Michigan athletics, but I understand his panting to make the fanbase believe Brady Hoke was his number one guy. Support to the program from all factions is crucial and the focus needs to move to the field where the only thing that matters is wins and losses.
With that said, Brady Hoke is beginning to terrify me for one reason. In his mind, Michigan is THE program to be at. The problem is I'm not so sure high school kids have the awareness to not associate Notre Dame and Michigan as being one in the same. They hear a lot about those programs, but don't see the talk translate onto the field. Brady Hoke can't just walk into a house and say "This is MICHIGAN" we're talking about. It may impress mom and dad, but that kid is looking at a team that hasn't done anything in the 3 years they've been recruited. Note the fact that Hoke is calling players that have committed to other universities months ago as his possible Michigan bravado and pitch are aimed at as if Michigan is more special than any place in the country.
In a time when Michigan needs innovation and reinvention I can't help but wonder the fate of the program, and the attitude of the "factions", had Brady Hoke been hired to replace Lloyd Carr and Rich Rod brought in to lead the program now.
This hire was made simply to appease the factions that divided Michigan under the Rich Rod tenure. The old goats will never get over football being Bo style with your two tight end sets, running the ball 60-70% of the time, and playing sturdy defense. You'll get this with Hoke. The Lloyd faction never got over the fact that RichRod wasn't a "Michigan Man". You'll get this with Hoke.
However, I'm part of what I hope is a third faction and that is one who just wants to win. Lloyd ball got old and boring and resulted in 8-4 and 9-3 seasons. The passion to move on was to develop a USC, Florida, Texas run of competing for multiple national championships. I can't help but think Brandon is dead set on being a regional power instead with a safe coach that brings the fanbase together, lives off its history, and hopes for a magical season here and there.
I'll support Hoke, but I'm not sure how a coach with a 47-50 career record, who has "somewhat" turned around two programs, and never had "sustained" success at one school, even in a non-BCS conference, gets this gig. It's safe, hopefully uniting, but not very inspiring.
I'm a firm believer that recruiting gets you 8-9 wins and coaching gets you the other 3-4. I'm not sure how Brady Hoke can convince a kid to come to Michigan when we need to recruit nationally against the likes of Tressel, Kiffin, Mack, Stoops etc... but I sure hope he finds a way to do it and can muster some decent schemes and coordinators in the middle of frickin' January to get the path started.
I would have more respect for DB if he'd of just picked up Hoke as his "Plan A" immediately after tOSU debacle and given him a shot at some good coordinators and additional recruits to hold this class together. I still think 8-9 wins is possible, and I still think Denard will be back, but this whole process reeks and the expectations certainly seem lowered from what I've had in my bloated brain of what Michigan football is supposed to be.
I've never posted here, but I'm shocked to see the amount of negative reaction to Les Miles becoming Michigan's next head coach. If I gave you a blind resume of a coach that has won a national championship, accumulated the second highest SEC winning percentage over the last 6 years (one game behind Urban Meyer), finished in the Top 10 four of the last six years, and stacked a 5-1 bowl record in that time frame you'd think we would jump at the chance for a coach like that. If you throw in the fact that he's also a "Michigan Man" you combine heritage with success that would make 90% of the fan base happy.
I understand there have been some clock management issues (some of which fall on the coordinators and assistants) as well as some shady recruiting practices (easily fixable), but I think Les remains the best available option to bring the fan base together (winning does that regardless), start recruiting top level talent again (big name), and put an attitude back into the program that fell into "awe shucks" mode with Rich Rod.
I'm willing to bet a high number of the fans don't follow twitter, or the minute details of game management from the SEC, so I think his hiring brings everyone together.... not tears them apart. Besides, with what looks like two options out there in Hoke and Miles I'll gladly take the latter.
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While we can easily cast stones right now the fact of the matter is we'll get our answer in a few years. Sure, Dave Brandon seems like someone that believes he's smarter than anyone tied to Michigan athletics, but I understand his panting to make the fanbase believe Brady Hoke was his number one guy. Support to the program from all factions is crucial and the focus needs to move to the field where the only thing that matters is wins and losses.
With that said, Brady Hoke is beginning to terrify me for one reason. In his mind, Michigan is THE program to be at. The problem is I'm not so sure high school kids have the awareness to not associate Notre Dame and Michigan as being one in the same. They hear a lot about those programs, but don't see the talk translate onto the field. Brady Hoke can't just walk into a house and say "This is MICHIGAN" we're talking about. It may impress mom and dad, but that kid is looking at a team that hasn't done anything in the 3 years they've been recruited. Note the fact that Hoke is calling players that have committed to other universities months ago as his possible Michigan bravado and pitch are aimed at as if Michigan is more special than any place in the country.
In a time when Michigan needs innovation and reinvention I can't help but wonder the fate of the program, and the attitude of the "factions", had Brady Hoke been hired to replace Lloyd Carr and Rich Rod brought in to lead the program now.
This hire was made simply to appease the factions that divided Michigan under the Rich Rod tenure. The old goats will never get over football being Bo style with your two tight end sets, running the ball 60-70% of the time, and playing sturdy defense. You'll get this with Hoke. The Lloyd faction never got over the fact that RichRod wasn't a "Michigan Man". You'll get this with Hoke.
However, I'm part of what I hope is a third faction and that is one who just wants to win. Lloyd ball got old and boring and resulted in 8-4 and 9-3 seasons. The passion to move on was to develop a USC, Florida, Texas run of competing for multiple national championships. I can't help but think Brandon is dead set on being a regional power instead with a safe coach that brings the fanbase together, lives off its history, and hopes for a magical season here and there.
I'll support Hoke, but I'm not sure how a coach with a 47-50 career record, who has "somewhat" turned around two programs, and never had "sustained" success at one school, even in a non-BCS conference, gets this gig. It's safe, hopefully uniting, but not very inspiring.
I'm a firm believer that recruiting gets you 8-9 wins and coaching gets you the other 3-4. I'm not sure how Brady Hoke can convince a kid to come to Michigan when we need to recruit nationally against the likes of Tressel, Kiffin, Mack, Stoops etc... but I sure hope he finds a way to do it and can muster some decent schemes and coordinators in the middle of frickin' January to get the path started.
I would have more respect for DB if he'd of just picked up Hoke as his "Plan A" immediately after tOSU debacle and given him a shot at some good coordinators and additional recruits to hold this class together. I still think 8-9 wins is possible, and I still think Denard will be back, but this whole process reeks and the expectations certainly seem lowered from what I've had in my bloated brain of what Michigan football is supposed to be.
If it's Brady Hoke this should be the new banner!
I've never posted here, but I'm shocked to see the amount of negative reaction to Les Miles becoming Michigan's next head coach. If I gave you a blind resume of a coach that has won a national championship, accumulated the second highest SEC winning percentage over the last 6 years (one game behind Urban Meyer), finished in the Top 10 four of the last six years, and stacked a 5-1 bowl record in that time frame you'd think we would jump at the chance for a coach like that. If you throw in the fact that he's also a "Michigan Man" you combine heritage with success that would make 90% of the fan base happy.
I understand there have been some clock management issues (some of which fall on the coordinators and assistants) as well as some shady recruiting practices (easily fixable), but I think Les remains the best available option to bring the fan base together (winning does that regardless), start recruiting top level talent again (big name), and put an attitude back into the program that fell into "awe shucks" mode with Rich Rod.
I'm willing to bet a high number of the fans don't follow twitter, or the minute details of game management from the SEC, so I think his hiring brings everyone together.... not tears them apart. Besides, with what looks like two options out there in Hoke and Miles I'll gladly take the latter.