CC: Bacon: Hoke likely to stay until December, Brandon's status less certain
After talking with knowledgeable people, I am more convinced that Brady Hoke will survive the season, and less convinced Dave Brandon will.
— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) October 1, 2014
Of course, there's always the Brandon Exception: He might decide to depart on his own. Still more questions than answers, however. We'll see
— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) October 1, 2014
To clarify, as things now stand, I believe UM's Hoke will remain and be evaluated in December. Brandon's future less certain.
— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) October 1, 2014
October 1st, 2014 at 5:09 PM ^
And honestly the resolution most people around here want.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:20 PM ^
I want both gone now, and I don't think I'm alone. I see absolutely no upside to letting Hoke "coach" (if you can even call it that) another game, but there's plenty of downside (the way they've been playing, 2-10 is looking more and more likely). What more evaluation do you need? At least give a guy like Nuss a chance to see what he can do...
October 1st, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^
Look at how great the offense has looked! He definitely deserves a chance to be a head coach off of that...oh wait.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^
Yeah! What a terrible coach! I bet he hasn't had a lick of success anywhere he's been! Get Fred Jackson out of here while we're at it too.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:39 PM ^
With the RBs' inability to run through the right hole, I would not be upset to see Fred retire. He was going to retire when his son graduated. Well...?
October 2nd, 2014 at 8:18 AM ^
There usually has to be a hole to run through in order to run through the "right" hole.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:39 PM ^
October 1st, 2014 at 5:41 PM ^
October 1st, 2014 at 6:12 PM ^
You know, Al's offense didn't permit a great support of teaching of the fundamentals. But he scored.
Nuss's offense does permit support in teaching of the fundamentals. But he hasn't scored.
If scoring is the point of offense, Borges's offense was more successful.
If development is the point of our program, Nuss's will be more successful.
October 1st, 2014 at 8:04 PM ^
Seems like Borges painted himself in a corner. He kept mixing things up to make up for the poor fundamentals, which just made the fundamentals worse.
I never played the game, so a question for those here with knowledge: Who is responsible for developing the players? How much of that is on the coordinators vs. the HC and other coaches?
October 1st, 2014 at 6:25 PM ^
October 1st, 2014 at 5:31 PM ^
trying to revive an offense that sucked. I don't get why everyone is writing him off already. Previous stints at Washington and Alabama don't count anymore?
October 1st, 2014 at 5:34 PM ^
Is definitely weighted more towards the end of the season compared to now to get more of a handle on the offense. My point was that up until now he has shown absolutely nothing that makes him be the head coach if Hoke gets fired during the season.
October 1st, 2014 at 6:04 PM ^
Al Borges was fired for having a bad offense that could score points, 32 ppg average. Nussmeier was hired to "fix" that offense and he's managed to turn a bad offense that could score points into a horrible offense that can't score points, 20 ppg average with a shut out and near shutout to his credit.
Got it now?
October 1st, 2014 at 6:12 PM ^
Because all coaching transitions are complete within 2 months tops
Borges offense also laid spectacular eggs 3 years into his tenure. Including a run last year of
- 6 pts vs MSU
- 13 vs Nebraska
- 9 vs Northwestern (in regulation)
October 1st, 2014 at 6:47 PM ^
October 1st, 2014 at 6:18 PM ^
we don't even know how Nuss might be playing it if left to his own devices. Tranquilo.
October 1st, 2014 at 6:57 PM ^
I love this idea that Nussmeier has some secret plan for a dominant offense tucked away in drawer and everytime he tries to pull it out Hoke comes into the room and grunts "moar Manball!" and Nussmeier shakes his head and reluctantly tucks it back away.
Face facts. This is Nussmeier's offense. The idea that Hoke or Brandon or some secret cabal of Bo acolytes are some conspiring against Nussmeier for fear of the abomination of a spread offense invading Schembechler hall is start to reach Illuminati levels of wackjob conspiracy.
It's Nussmeier who designed this offense, its Nussmeier who calls the plays, its Nussmeier the "QB" guru that has spent the last 4-5 months working with Shane and Devin Gardner. Nussmeier is not responsible for the players he inherited, but the offense is 100% his. If you think that he's earned a promotion then let's just say that we have very different standards of job performance.
October 2nd, 2014 at 12:31 AM ^
Careful. Trust me, Trust Blue, do NOT point out the divots in the grass that's always greener on the other side of the Blog...Big Al must be THE reason and, now that he's gone and Nuss is here, only a conspiracy at the highest levels has kept coach Nuss from revealing the greatness of his offensive genius. I mean, what was Alabama before him...if you don't count the rings, that is.
October 1st, 2014 at 7:13 PM ^
Obviously because he's never been successful anywhere else.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:34 PM ^
You could replace Hoke with some random Mgoblog user and you'd be hard pressed to get worse results than what we've been seeing. Something has to be done; then at very least you could say you tried...
October 1st, 2014 at 5:39 PM ^
Give Brandon tickets to the next USC road game. Stick him on the team bus heading back to LA. Then pull that bus over and fire him on the side of the road, don't even let him get his luggage back.
It's the only way.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:57 PM ^
and it does. We should stop saying that thing
October 1st, 2014 at 6:36 PM ^
It can't get better.
October 1st, 2014 at 9:18 PM ^
If this starts to get better you can have the credit. Logged in just to upvote this.
October 2nd, 2014 at 12:34 AM ^
And that, dear bloggers, is EXACTLY the rationale that got Morris the start Saturday. I think we all saw how that went...
October 1st, 2014 at 5:38 PM ^
the first series against Utah and scored. We reverted to Brady's beloved manball after that and zilch. I have no idea if Nuss is a problem or not, but I do know Brady is a Dline coach at this level and has no business being the HC (Hand Clapper?) at the University of Michigan.
October 1st, 2014 at 9:10 PM ^
Yeah I have to agree... I'm glad John U sees it as a likely scenario that Brandon is gone but I have no faith that Hoke will perform any better in the wake of his departure. Unfortunately I think the program probably needs a complete enema.
October 2nd, 2014 at 12:38 AM ^
And, since you've been here at least since 2009, you certainly KNEW that Hoke was a pure Dline coach and not a HC, but a Hand Clapper, by the 5th game of 2011, Right??? Maybe you could find that old post when you revealed that back in 2011 during the 11-2 season.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:42 PM ^
I wonder again if what we're seeing is the product of Funk more than Nuss. I see it as a probable combination of
1)Nuss hasn't had enough time.
2)Hoke interferes
3)The position coaches are not competent.
I'm completely on board with the first. Not sure about the second but I could be convinced very easily. Feeling that a scrubbing could help the team as far as the third one goes.
October 1st, 2014 at 6:01 PM ^
The way I looked at at it the Nuss hire was universally lauded on this message board as the coaching coup of the off season. And now a few games into the season people want to pull the plug? Seems foolish to me. We knew two things going into the season... that there was going to be a transition on offense and that the offensive line was going to be young and problematic. Both turned out to be true. I think there is a lot of up side in letting Nuss establish himself and his offense.
October 1st, 2014 at 9:44 PM ^
October 1st, 2014 at 5:33 PM ^
You are not alone. Fire them both yesterday, then hire DB again just so you can fire him a second time.
October 1st, 2014 at 7:38 PM ^
They will probably fire Hoke, but ask him to coach the rest of the regular season. This is of course barring a blowout loss to a team other than Sparty.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:09 PM ^
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October 1st, 2014 at 5:11 PM ^
Proud of you Groot, you're learning words. Vocab up to 5 words.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^
He also knows "Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad"!
So that's 12 words (13 if you count the ampersand).
October 1st, 2014 at 5:33 PM ^
plus, it's probably safe to assume he knows the words "I", "am", and "Groot"
October 1st, 2014 at 6:20 PM ^
Five words. He can do the english, you do the math.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:09 PM ^
October 1st, 2014 at 5:31 PM ^
Brian and Bacon for regent!
October 1st, 2014 at 5:32 PM ^
Brian and Bacon for regent!
edit: I dun goofed
October 1st, 2014 at 5:45 PM ^
this ain't Chicago.
October 1st, 2014 at 8:06 PM ^
They'll get things sizzlin' in no time.
October 1st, 2014 at 9:35 PM ^
October 1st, 2014 at 8:03 PM ^
Of meeting John. Yes I can call him that, at a corporate event this past summer at Boyne Mtn. As I was in charge of the event I had some quality time to talk and get to know him. I found him to be highly intelligent, LOVES Michigan, very insightful and a total as they say truth teller.
I found him to be very objective and we talked alot about the current state of affairs of various Michigan teams.
He sought out my opinion on what I thought of all these things that are being discussed.
Bottom Line..I trust him and I believe he knows what hes talking about.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^
Sounds good to me. I'd prefer Hoke to finish the season over an interim HC.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:15 PM ^
Why? Isn't he a dead man walking right now? How is he supposed to recruit with all this going on around him? Wouldn't it be better to can him now to send the signal that we are looking at all available options for a new HC.....one that can get the job done?
October 1st, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^
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October 1st, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^
The fact that you'd still have the head coach there that recruited them for 2 months to make his pitch for them to stay at Michigan vs. no one. It's a lot easier to go 2 weeks without a head guy in december than to fire him now plus you could lose the team and players could quit. I'd rather we just keep him if we're not going to be good anyways.