Reader71

October 22nd, 2016 at 9:19 AM ^

Yep. I'm a Hoke guy, and he certainly wasn't given much to work with. As the poster said, they just don't even pass the eye test. No question the talent isn't there, but a good coach still maximizes what little talent there is, and when you're ranked 127th, you're not maximizing anything. I think Hoke could improve that D over time, mostly by evaluating talent (his strength on defense) and recruiting them himself (another strength). But he needs to earn more time, and 127th doesn't buy you an extra second.

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aratman

October 22nd, 2016 at 10:26 AM ^

I am going to preface this by saying Idon't know if he is a good or poor DC.  These are observasions not excuses.

They play fast on offense.  This becomes an issue when you aren't playing well.  (See Michigan 2008-2010) .  Puts the D on the field forever, they get tired and yards and points add up.

He Richrodded the D.  By that I mean he was unable to adapt to coaching the talent he had.  He changed the defensive scheme without the horses in the barn to run the new scheme.  A better course of action in my opinion is coach to your teams strengths, recruit to your schemes needs. 

 

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abolden05

October 22nd, 2016 at 6:29 AM ^

I think he should have waited for either another MACtion opening, or he could have went back to d line coach. Even though he was a failure as a big time head coach, he loves him some Michigan just like all of us and I'd like to see him do well long term

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LSAClassOf2000

October 22nd, 2016 at 8:22 AM ^

I kind of questioned why Hoke believed that being the DC at a school like Oregon was the logical next step when this step - either back down to a MAC-level program or back to being a position coach - was so much more logical for him. We'll see at Oregon, I guess, but my thought is that Helfrich's days are seriously waning, and by extension so are his - I could be wrong, of course.

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PopeLando

October 22nd, 2016 at 11:50 AM ^

I'd derail my career for millions of dollars too. Hoke's had two jobs he wasn't qualified for, and now doesn't HAVE to work ever again. I have no doubt that he loves football, is convinced that he knows the right way to coach it, and thinks he will be successful anywhere. It's a shame that the latter two seem to be incorrect.

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GoBlue519

October 22nd, 2016 at 6:58 AM ^

I feel bad for the guy but he took another job where he is probably in over his head.  He probably should have tried to put together a staff and gone after a MAC opening.  He will be getting the Doug Nussmeier treatment in Oregon - one and done when the staff gets fired at the end of this season. 

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Real and Spectacular

October 22nd, 2016 at 7:02 AM ^

This was just not a good fit from the start. I almost feel like people here are delighted that he is failing and I don't understand that line of thinking. Hoke might have done a good job out there if he had time to build something, but Oregons defense was already awful and they tasked him with switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 with out the personnel to run it. If they were patient it might all work it, but Oregon might win 4 games and clean house.

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mGrowOld

October 22nd, 2016 at 8:28 AM ^

And to some degree it's vindication. FWIW i also think Hoke is a pretty decent human being who LOVED Michigan and could recruit very well. But it was clear to me and many others he just couldn't coach. But lest we forget there were a LOT of people, both here and on the team itself, who said we were crazy. That Hoke was a very good coach and just needed more time to turn things around. I can remember many threads where things got pretty heated between the anti-Hoke "muggles" (remember that?) and the keep Hoke group.

So while I'm not going to start any threads about it I will admit there's a small part of me that enjoys being right about him.

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Reader71

October 22nd, 2016 at 9:28 AM ^

I was in the keep Hoke camp, but there is a qualifier -- we didn't think Harbaugh was even a possibility. I had already given up on Hoke as the solution at halftime of the Minnesota game, but would still have preferred to keep him instead of going outside the program to someone like Cutcliffe (remember that rumor). If I'm to be honest, I can't believe how convinced I was that Hoke was the new Bo after that 2011 season. First and only time I've ever been wrong about anything in life.

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Reader71

October 22nd, 2016 at 5:09 PM ^

My reason, if you can call it that, is that although I was sure Hoke would never lead a great program, he might be able to get into that 8-4 groove and keep us into a holding pattern until Harbaugh decided to return. I realize now that this is crazy, that I was open to the idea of a lame duck coach for an extended period. But I am also 100% convinced that an outsider cannot succeed at Michigan, which is why I was all about Harbaugh or bust.

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AlwaysBlue

October 22nd, 2016 at 12:03 PM ^

any consideration for circumstances is all that's required for vindication? Hoke's record at Michigan was 31-20, with 3 Bowl appearances and two second place conerence finishes. He built a defense that had been neglected for years. Rodriguez' record was 15-22, with 1 bowl appearances and his conference record was never better than Hoke's worse year. It's not clear at all that "he just couldn't coach."

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1VaBlue1

October 22nd, 2016 at 8:03 AM ^

I agree - it was a very poor decision by Hoke to take that job.  Helfrich was already on the bubble, and switching a defensive scheme without the people to run it...  It's not like Oregon had a cupboard of decent defensive players - they've sucked on defense for a LONG time.  I was hoping he'd get 2-3 years to see what he could do when able to recruit some players.  But it sure doesn't look he'll get more than a year.  He'll follow Helfrich out the door...

But it doesn't make sense to bash him for it.  Same with Rich Rod.  Both were failures here, but they are decent people.  Unlike scum like the Kardashian's, Brain Kelly, etc...  Those are the ones that deserve ongoing scorn!

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GoBlue96

October 22nd, 2016 at 7:20 AM ^

Hoke is a good guy that was in way over his head. I don't get laughing at Hoke's failures. Brandon is the one that deserves to be bashed for the hire.

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Don

October 22nd, 2016 at 7:42 AM ^

and Hoke was dumb taking it.

Oregon's defense was horrible last year, and anybody with a lick of sense knew that Helfrich was on the hot seat and had to win NOW to keep his job. Their defensive problems weren't solvable in one season, and for the life of me I can't figure out why Hoke thought it was good for his career to step into that no-win situation. If he honestly thought he could fix their defensive problems in his first season ever as a DC, that's Dunning Kruger right there.

Brady fundamentally a really good guy, but courtesy of David Brandon he's far wealthier than all but a tiny percentage of Americans and didn't need to step into this Oregon clusterfuck.

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JTrain

October 22nd, 2016 at 8:05 AM ^

Brady Hoke is a Midwest guy. I'd like to see him take the Purdue job. (Not that he'll get offered). I think with the right staff he could build a decent team. Maybe even make them competitive. It would take a while...but I think Purdue is the type of team that would be patient enough as long as they see progress.
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EGD

October 22nd, 2016 at 8:20 AM ^

I mostly agree with this take, but we've seen at UM how quickly a good coach can turn a seemingly hopeless unit into a competent one in a single year. Mattison built a good 2011 defense out of the ruins of the 2010 team. Harbaugh, Drevno, and Fisch turned the moribund 2014 offense into a solid attack in 2015. So I don't really see any reason Oregon couldn't have at least an average defense if they'd hired a strong coordinator. I can understand if Hoke overestimated his own abilities. But for Helfrich to take a chance on a coach who'd never been a DC before when Oregon really needed a proven turnaround artist was beyond foolish.

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