The Brady Hoke Style...
I received an email from a buddy of mine that I would like to share with everyone. We all know that Brady Hoke "gets it" at Michigan and this is just another example...
The following was sent to me by a fellow UM grad who lives in Seattle. I thought the group might be interested in the coaching style of a true “Michigan Man”! The first two items below have been given out in speeches to alumni groups (as has the "Strikes Policy") - so it is not secret. (1) The beginning of each team meeting: Hoke walks into the room and yells "good afternoon" ... the team is then expected to respond with great passion and enthusiasm "good afternoon." Then Hoke says "championships" ... the team is expected to respond with great passion and enthusiasm ... "42" ... the number of Big Ten championships Michigan has won. The Hoke says "Michigan" ... the team is expected to respond with great passion and enthusiasm ... "132" ... the number of years Michigan has played football. Finally, Hoke screams "beat" ... the team is expected to respond with incredible passion and enthusiasm ... "Ohio." (2) Also, when Hoke is introduced to the alumni group he says, "Don't applaud for me" and then asks any former players to stand - and has the audience applaud for them. Hoke says, "This is not about me - it is about YOU and the Michigan tradition." This all goes over big of course. +++++++ (3) One other thing -- the main emphasis in practice as far as the D goes: missed tackles. A kid who misses a tackle barely escapes with his life (figuratively of course) ... kids getting this treatment say to their friends after practice, "I will never miss another tackle again."
You're right. Also, so much of college football is cheesy and weird. "Hold the Rope," that weird sledge hammer Boise State carries out the tunnel; Nick Saban's voice. It's infantile. So I'm torn. How do I reconcile my rabid interest in college football with the obvious fact that the most important people involved are 1. kids and 2. salty immature men?
Go fucking Blue! That's how!
... is that if Brady Hoke rocked some Josh Groban, the majority of the fan base would think it was freakin' awesome because it would show his passion, his emotion, his love for Michigan. But, in reality, it's lame. It's kind of like how the majority of the fan base thought the countdown clocks were lame ... until Brady Hoke installed a couple. And now, they are freakin' awesome.
that our own fanbase mocked Mark Dantonio's countdown clock saying he was obsessed with Michigan. Now we have a countdown clock for MSU and Ohio State...
That was his point- the hypocrisy of saying, "Oh, silly Little Brother, with your Michigan countdown clock," and then, when our new "Michigan Man" head coach installs one for OSU and MSU, changing one's tune and saying, "awesome! he GETS IT!" No. It was lame when MSU did it, and it's lame for us to have a countdown clock for them as well. As far as OSU is concerned though, I think I'm okay with it.
"It's kind of like how the majority of the fan base thought the countdown clocks were lame ... until Brady Hoke installed a couple."
I'm not so sure that had anything to do with Hoke. I'm pretty sure the fact that rivals doing something gets hated on and Michigan doing something gets loved is called homerism. Just like why an opposing player getting a DUI can never sit out long enough, and a Michigan player getting one and playing again is always justified. If RR had installed clocks people on this board would have loved it.
If I recall, there was an interview with David Brandon saying how Brady Hoke hasn't asked him for anything other than the countdown clocks. So, if he asked for them, they have something to do with them.
And, yes, when Dantonio did it, we all mocked him for it. And now ...
Of course getting the clocks had something to do with Hoke. Sorry for the vagueness of my post. I meant that the fan reaction to the clocks didn't have anything to do with Hoke. As in, the positive fan reaction had more to do with it being Michigan, whereas the negative fan reactions (from our fans) to MSU's countdown clocks had to do with it being MSU that did it.
No, I'm pretty sure you're right and it was Hoke's idea to install them. I wasn't trying to dispute that.
I see what you're saying!
March 28th, 2011 at 12:41 PM ^
I like it if it works.
it will have nothing to do with any of that bullshit. Coorelation and causation are not the same thing!
You also can't definitively say that it doesn't have anything to do with it. I think you misunderstand the correlation/causation phrases if you think it makes your first statement true.
Forgive my ignorance, but who is the guy on the right?
Frank Beckmann.
March 28th, 2011 at 10:42 PM ^
Oh man that is badddddd...
I mean, dear Christ.... Is that seriously a real photograph of the Groban moment?
I've never seen that pic before.
And by the way I've always thought the Groban thing was super cheesy, even though I'm an RR supporter.
That's cheesy no matter who does it.
As are countdown clocks.... Esp. for MSU... Damn that's bad. Whether it's us or MSU doing it, it's cheesy and stupid. Whether it's RR or Hoke doing it, it's cheesy and stupid.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^
DURRRR (drools)
March 28th, 2011 at 12:15 PM ^
If "getting it" is spending your time fretting over the trivia of the past and gargling past players' members, no wonder Michigan has been in trouble for so long. They do realize football is still played at michigan? Michigan hasn't "won" football once and for all yet, or maybe hoke doesn't "get that". Tradition and all that but damn.
This kinda stuff being accepted as obviously the way Michigan is and needs to be treated is kind of disappointing.
No more missed tackles is good though. Not that most coaches don't subscribe to the "tackling" school of stopping ballcarriers. But you know.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:16 PM ^
So did Hoke like tackling before he came to Michigan or is it just because he's at Michigan, because for most of his career his defenses have blown huge ass?
This means nothing. Mattison and the players getting older and stronger will help the tackling.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:51 PM ^
What made you turn into such a miserable, condescending asshole in just about every topic that you comment on?
And you're right about our defense. Obviously, the only reason its been so terrible over the last three years is because we didn't have any talent. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that Rich Rod horribly mismanaged his coaching staff and allowed his drinking buddies to undermine Scott Shafer. You keep making excuses for RR, though, if it helps you feel better.
How do you expect him to act when his head is so far up Rich Rodriguez's ass he can barely breathe?
Really? Come on, now, with the personal attacks. It isn't like Ziff72 is some newbie who comes on here and uses a ton of "!!!!!" and ALL CAPS and LOLZZ and stuff. A little harsh with the ad hom attacks, IMO, by both of you (Yooper and the post he responded to).
March 28th, 2011 at 10:53 PM ^
LOL wtf is this foolishness about RR's drinking buddies undermining Scott Shafer??
Dude get real. Even if that's true, how the hell would you know?
Reality check:
1. It's not true, it's preposterous.
2. There's no way you'd know that, if it were true. If you were the type of person with that level of access, you wouldn't be posting about it on a message board.
Look if you don't like RR that's one thing. But don't stoop to the level of pulling ridiculous claims out of thin air.
What's even more ridiculous than this post itself is it got upvoted 9 times. Jeezy creezy, this board is a shell of what it used to be....
March 29th, 2011 at 10:47 AM ^
That is one thing that has always annoyed me. This board takes it as proven fact that the assistants were undermining the DC, where I haven't seen anything past sparse rumor and conjecture. It could just be a failure on the part of the DC, or it could be incomplete talent. We'll have a better picture next year after John U. Bacon's tell-all and seeing the defense perfrom under a new DC.
March 29th, 2011 at 10:47 AM ^
That is one thing that has always annoyed me. This board takes it as proven fact that the assistants were undermining the DC, where I haven't seen anything past sparse rumor and conjecture. It could just be a failure on the part of the DC, or it could be incomplete talent. We'll have a better picture next year after John U. Bacon's tell-all and seeing the defense perfrom under a new DC.
Was pretty darn good in 1997.
... what? Did I miss that on his resume? He was the DC in 1997? Good to know!
if you have to ask what I am referring to, then your knowlsge of M football is such that you might want to just read more than comment.
I'm assuming (or at least hoping) that he was making a sarcastic joke about giving Hoke the credit for the 1997 defense when he was the DL coach, not the DC.
March 28th, 2011 at 10:33 PM ^
I hope so too, but why disregard his involvement in this awesome defense so easily?
March 28th, 2011 at 11:49 PM ^
Wait, by "this awesome defense" do you mean the 1997 defense or the current defense?
If you mean the 1997 defense, I'd say it's a stretch to call it "Hoke's defense." I'm not disregarding his involvement, just being honest that the DL coach usually doesn't get to lay claim to ownership of an entire defense.
March 29th, 2011 at 10:13 AM ^
I am probably late in replying to this as it is no longer on the main page. But, if you are still reading:
Fair criticism - I didn't really mean to imply that it was "Hoke's defense" (despite the fact that I used almost those very words). My point was that he has been involved with good defenses, many at Michigan. If you will recall, during Hoke's tenure at M, the D line, which he was directly responsible for) was always a strength. We probably don't disagree much on this whole point - I just was a bit strong in calling 1997 "his" defense.
"Mattison and the players getting older and stronger will help the tackling."
Its interesting that you separate Mattison's accomplishments from Hoke's accomplishments in advance, just as you separated Gerg's failures from RR's. At least you're consistent I guess. Consistent and bitter.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:24 PM ^
Part 3 is good to hear. IMO, nothing in football is more frustrating to watch than missed tackles.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:26 PM ^
Whatever, just win.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:34 PM ^
That if Nick Saban, or Steve Spurrier, or Mark Dantonio or Jim Tressel came in to Michigan and had their players tout off numbers and yell about beating Ohio that they'd "get it" and automatically be a "Michigan Man".
I like Hoke and all, but some of this tongue bathing is just ridiculous.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:42 PM ^
Really, why would any Michigan coach not tout off numbers and yell about beating Ohio? Honestly, you would either have to be an arrogant a-hole or a total idiot not to.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:47 PM ^
So you're calling Bo, Moeller and Lloyd arrogant a-holes or total idiots? They didn't start their meetings like that. As a guy who played college football, this stuff (yelling at the start of every meeting) becomes really ineffective quickly. You get desensitized to it. When Bo came in, he made demonstrations about little things (ie never using red markers) that established an expectation. But once it was done, it was done.
So, what you're trying to tell us is that Hoke is doing stuff that has never at U-M been done before?
Yes, and that maybe there's a reason it hasn't been done before, because it players grow tired of it and becomes desensitized to it. Really the ultimate point is that Tressel, Dantonio, Saban...or whoever could "get it" and become a "Michigan Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" by doing the exact same thing.
I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:34 PM ^
RR got it, in his head. I truly believe that and always will. I am a huge RR supporter and wish he had made some different decisions with D scheme and staff, as he would probably have the chance to at least coach denard through his 4 years.
In his heart though? Maybe not, and that is what Hoke "gets". It's kinda BS, it definitely isn't tangible...but it's that thing inside each of us die-hards on this site that have cheered for this team since we were kids. It's personal when Michigan loses, even though we never wore the helmet. I can't quantify it and don't think anyone can. Hoke has that fan's thing in his heart that, by no fault of his own, RR didn't have.
I may be speaking out of my ass of course, and what Hoke "gets" is how to relate to alum and sell the program.
What he said.
Football is an emotional game played by men, not the coaches. Stats and schemes rarely tell the complete story by themselves. Clearly, we have not had the emotional intangible edge in our rivalry games for three seasons. Whatever it takes to get that back, Hoke is getting paid for that as much as anything. He knows more than all of us combined.
This post wins the thread. I couldn't agree more. Brady Hoke is trying to get the fanbase's support through all of the beat Ohio and other rah-rah stuff. The last few years have been hard on the program and the fanbase so this is basically PR to bring everyone back together. People need to give the man a chance because we all know what happened with the last coaching hire when everyone wasn't on board.
March 28th, 2011 at 11:18 PM ^
Man what a reasonable freakin post! How dare you!! :P
I pretty much agree with what you said. Re. the head/heart thing and Rodriguez, you're probably right although who really knows....
Is the fact that Hoke "gets it in his heart" a good thing, and an asset he can use?? Hell yes!
My problem is that most people hold the 2 in diametric opposition, as if the fact that RR didn't have that isn't merely the lack of an asset that Hoke apparently has, but that it was actually a negative that hindered RR's success, and something that should be held against him. That's just bullshit.
Does anyone here think that Florida fans held it against Meyer that he wasn't a Florida alum? Or Stoops with Oklahoma? Hell no. Has that hindered them from winning? No.
Yet, a lot of our fans have stooped to the level of holding that against RR. What's worse is it really seems to have been a thought on Dave Brandon's mind as well.
Anyhow, hopefully we just start winning.
As for the emotional/tradition/ra-ra.... Will that alone win games? No. But it will probably help the players' mindset.
And mindset is HUGE in sports. If you don't believe, then you're fucked.
Hoke needs to find a way to make these guys believe they can win. To win, you need to first view yourself as a winner.
When you haven't been winning too much recently, that's a tough thing to do. For most of these guys, their Michigan football experience has consisted of more losses than wins.
So, if Hoke finding a way to drill into their heads that they are a part of a tradition of excellence... not just a tradition of winning but the WINNINGEST tradition in the history of college football... if he can get the players to see themselves as part of that tradition, and thus see themselves as winners, and dispel any negative mindsets, then I'm all for it.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:37 PM ^
It doesn't matter if we think it's cheesy or stupid. I'd be OK with RR playing Josh Brogan if it helped the program... okay, actually I'm not. But what Brady's doing isn't nearly as bad as that.
March 28th, 2011 at 12:59 PM ^
It's a little cheesy and stupid.
But it's less cheesy and stupid than, say, a stuffed animal being rubbed on your face after a big defensive play.
It's just sad that people think this matters. What's even sadder is that stuff like this makes people like Jay Feely (seriously, look at what he says on twitter) think that it will cause Michigan to win more games. Proper coaching, talent and experience wins games, not reciting statistics.
Does emotion play any role in the outcome of sporting events?