Failure of the Michigan Family as Brady’s support network
One thing that has really bugged me (even before this Morris mess) is that we have heard from many people in the Michigan Family who support and some who endorsed Brady for the HC job, but publicly seem to have done nothing to help him succeed. Granted, I don’t have access to Brady’s phone to check if he is getting some informal counseling, but I would assume we would hear about any trips with the staff outside of the visit to the Lions (you can debate the merits of watching Schwartz run a team) to provide insight and help a person like Brady who is in a “stretch role” as our HC. I would find it unusual if nobody in the Michigan Family had any prior reservations about Brady’s ability to run a program of our size and honestly didn’t think that maybe the guy could use some help.
· Where was Lloyd in getting him, Mo and Brady together for a weekly roundtable to talk about running a program? Mo also knows a thing or two about designing offenses, might pick up some good ideas. I bet Bo counseled Lloyd when Lloyd became the HC.
· Where was Mattison, who served under Urban and John H, in thinking that the program at UM might not be functioning at the same level as other successful programs he has been associated with. Maybe, some sharing with John’s staff might be a good thing to coordinate, I doubt John would have turned him down. Hell, maybe stop by to see Pagano for some tips, not like our guys are never in Indy.
· It is great that Brady and Hutchinson stopped by for autographs, but what about arranging a visit to Belichick to see how he runs his team? Did Hutchinson not notice anything that could be improved during the practice he went to last year? Nothing that he might want to share with his friend regarding the offensive line?
· Where is his brother John, who works for the “Quarterback Whisperer” in Chicago and also has Aaron Kromer on the staff who is an OL savant, in arranging some exchange sessions to gain insights in areas Brady is admittedly not strong in. Again, not like Chicago is an unusual travel destination. I don’t know Trestman personally, but he seems like a really nice guy in every presser, I am fairly certain he would do a favor for someone on his staff.
I will give Jim and Les a pass for not doing any favors for the alma mater if they truly don’t like Brandon, but the above is a small subset of all the people that could have been providing some guidance or advice to help Brady succeed. I would have been thrilled to see any of it happen and not see any attempt at learning as a negative toward the program. Again, maybe all of the above did occur, all of it behind closed doors and none of it sunk in or mattered. The only thing I do know, which is public, is that the active guidance Brady was getting was from the Pizza Man who sat in meetings and I am sure offered his two cents. If that is the case, the Michigan Family has failed just as badly as Brady. It is all water under the bridge at this point, I’m just dumbfounded how one of our best assets never became one
October 1st, 2014 at 5:02 PM ^
Should probably not be a diary.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:07 PM ^
Have you considered that maybe Brady Hoke would not welcome advice and counsel from others?
My opinion is Hoke is in over his head at Michigan. That doesn't mean he's incapable of having success. But stubborness is a trait of his. I doubt very much he has reached out to the people you cite in your diary. I doubt very much he would accept unsolicited advice, even if offered from well-respected people in the profession.
And that's a shame, because very few people succeed in this world without a least some mentoring from those who went before them.
At this point it's probably too late. But had Hoke come into Michigan in 2010 with a more open attitude about soliciting and taking mentoring from others, he may well have transitioned better to the role of Michigan HC.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:16 PM ^
is telling. Brady's position coaches on that side of the ball are terrible. Kenn reached out, even though it wasn't a personal visit, he stated, "everything being taught to those linemen are wrong." Hanlon said as much prior to Kenn's interview. Stubborness, as you say isn't synonymous with loyalty and I think neither one is going to advance you too far in today's cutthroat business.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:37 PM ^
Apparently the best two of three DTs are a walk on and a true freshman, so the problems aren't unique to offense, though they are greater. Sadly, the environment appears to be so toxic that there will be no quick fix.
October 5th, 2014 at 9:24 PM ^
October 1st, 2014 at 5:41 PM ^
He says that everything that's been taught to every lineman, everywhere, for the last 10-20 years has been wrong.
That's probably not a particularly useful perspective for Hoke or his staff.
October 1st, 2014 at 6:06 PM ^
Our best OL is a true freshman? Sorry, but Mason Cole has done some good things and some bad things, just like everyone else.
He'll be a good lineman. But he's pretty much par for our OL, if not subpar (in non-golf terminology).
October 1st, 2014 at 7:27 PM ^
Isn't that just as much of an indictment though? It says that despite yrs of coaching "in the system", none of our OL has improved enough to beat out an incoming freshman.
October 1st, 2014 at 8:23 PM ^
In what system? Borges' incoherent, identity-less nonsense?
October 1st, 2014 at 8:38 PM ^
three years each in that incoherent, identity-less nonsense and parlayed it into NFL draft picks. But in any case, it remains that an 18 year old true freshman, without any college experience, bested a number of older players with years of college experience.
October 2nd, 2014 at 12:02 PM ^
Nuss's offense is offering the fundamental training that our current OL didn't get when they were growing up under Borges. In the same way, the years under RR likely offered the same thing to Lewan and Schofield.
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October 3rd, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^
Look at the roster, man. All the offensive tackles on the roster right now are true freshman or redshirt freshman. Cole beat out a group other 18 year old true freshman. I'll admit that that fact speaks to a whole other problem, but your point here doesn't really make sense.
October 3rd, 2014 at 6:01 PM ^
One has to be a tackle to play tackle? Does it then follow tackles can't play guard? Should I introduce you to offensive tackle Eric Magnuson who until last week was playing LG? Or how about Graham Glasgow who is a guard but has repped at tackle? There's nothing chiseld in stone that says player A may only play position X, especially on the OL.
October 1st, 2014 at 7:14 PM ^
I think the linemen with the highest upside is Cole, but nobody on the line has really distinguished himself. Also, most of them wouldn't be starting if the program hadn't had such depth issues on the line before Hoke arrived. I'm not defending him by any stretch, but going into this year nobody expected this line to be great.
October 1st, 2014 at 5:45 PM ^
You cannot be honest with your boss about problems in his department when his boss is in the room.
Of course it's possible to have the conversation somewhere else, and they probably have, but a very natural place for it to happen for the whole staff has been taken away.
The value of the trust that Hoke and Mattison (and anyone else on the staff) have built among themselves is nullified whenever Brandon is in the room. And he won't leave the room.
October 1st, 2014 at 6:08 PM ^
This is why I want Brandon gone first. Can Hoke be successful without Brandon? I want to know.
He hasn't quite been successful with Brandon.
October 1st, 2014 at 6:09 PM ^
...is a visit from Russell Crowe.
October 1st, 2014 at 6:14 PM ^
is actually very funny you brought that up, I completely forgot about that bromance with Lloyd.
October 1st, 2014 at 7:38 PM ^
To paraphrase Brady himself, this is a Big Boy Business.
Did Bump stay and help Bo? Hell no! He went to Iowa and hired Hayden Fry.
October 1st, 2014 at 7:57 PM ^
Maybe no one offered any help because Hoke was 11-2 in 2011 and he appeared to know what he was doing. In 2012, Hoke's record would have been better if Denard had not been injured at mid-season. 2013 was the first year when the cracks were more obvious.
October 1st, 2014 at 11:18 PM ^
He's being paid $4 million/yr at one of the highest-profile jobs in his profession. Am I supposed to feel sorry for him that he took this job unprepared for it and needed/needs help as you imply?
October 1st, 2014 at 11:41 PM ^
It's not his fault that the players can't execute, he can't see the plays, can't diagnose boo-boos, and he can't wear a damn head set to communicate crisply.
/s
He is obviouly a stubborn person who is over-empowered for his capabilities. Time to move on. There is now overwhelming evidence that shows he is missing too many essential skills that are must-haves at a prominent program. He knows it: you can detect his mental meltdown happening right under the surface of his media responses. You don't groom people at his level. You expect the whole package.
/not s
October 2nd, 2014 at 1:58 PM ^
Hey now, how is Hoke suppossed to effectively clap when he has one of those heavy ass headsets on. Clapping is really difficult.
October 2nd, 2014 at 10:08 AM ^
Staffs frequently visit other coaching staffs to learn about various nuances of a particular offense, defense, play, etc. (Generally, these visits don't happen with teams that will face each other in the coming years.) The issue, as was pointed out previously, is that Hoke is beyond stubborn. Given that trait, he is unlikely to be open to suggestions.
In the last week, it became painfully obvious, that Hoke's inability to communicate helped contribute to a concussed player being put on the field. (Unless the Brandon Statement was a total lie, but that is impossible. /s) At his presser yesterday, Hoke again stated he would not be wearing a headset.
Hoke at his post-game presser Saturday discussed how they were giving up too many yards on punt returns, but he firmly refuses to use a clearly better approach to covering punts.
Hoke after last season indicated that there were no anticipated staff changes, implying year 4 for Borges. The evidence clearly suggested that Borges was not good at designing a coherent offense.
I'm sure there are many other issues that we don't get to see publicly where he has dug in his heels contrary to all evidence. (Funk comes to mind.) He is incapable of accepting advice and making changes. And that is going to be his undoing.
October 2nd, 2014 at 10:57 AM ^
Does Urban Meyer need that kind of help from the Buckeye Family in running his program? Does Gary Anderson? Barry Alvarez? C'mon. I get playing Devil's advocate but this is unworthy.
October 2nd, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^
A Michigan Man is above professional development. A Michigan Man has completed his development as a professional.
/s
October 2nd, 2014 at 1:14 PM ^
At this point, the dysfunctional "Michigan family" is now telling the coaching staff "KMAG-YOYO."
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