Message for Brian
January 13th, 2011 at 12:28 PM ^
I have to agree that the support being thrown Hoke's way astounds me, and makes me question whether I'm looking at the same things that are out there. Then I read Brian's write-up and it makes me actually feel better.
I support Coach Hoke. I believe that the hiring process was so incredibly fouled up as to really cause one to question how Brandon was the CEO of a major organization. I also believe that many out there have really high expectations for Coach Hoke. I don't see the schedule being that much easier than this year really. I think that 5 wins is probably doable, but I'm not sure about more than that. And then the next years after that will be tougher as well as this recruiting classes flaws become more apparent.
So part of what Brian is doing is an analysis of who is coming in. Hopefully you all are reading them. Let them temper your expectations. Hoke has great passion, but hasn't coached in a top conference at a level higher than a line coach. As a head coach he has never dominated that conference for more than 1 season. (This is in argument to the Tressel record, I think we all agree that Tressel was a winner at Youngstown State for more than one year.)
This has rambled and I apologize. However, Brian is pointing out relevant facts about the staff that apparently is coming in along with facts about the hiring process. Many supporting Coach Hoke are highlighting how his speech makes you feel. So when football is about running through brick walls with no pads, then Hoke's passion will be more important. But as I see it, that passion is only one aspect of a successful program. The other aspect is a strong system that allows the atheletes you have in place to succeed and hopefully dominate the other teams they face. That aspect is what people like Brian are questioning, and I hope he keeps it up.
January 13th, 2011 at 12:44 PM ^
Under RichRod, Michigan was no longer a STATE power. Whatever schematic advantage RR was supposed to bring in evaporated against good defenses.
Yeesh, we can't be having this conversation right now. Michigan can't even pull the top in-state recruits anymore because RR broke local recruiting ties and couldn't beat MSU. All top "national" programs are regional powers first and throw recruiting lassos around their areas. BH gets this.
January 13th, 2011 at 1:14 PM ^
Rodriguez broke local recruiting ties? You mean like Cass Tech? Seriously, he would probably have pulled in Anthony Zettel if he had more job security. He recruited Gardner from Inkster. If you're upset about him breaking local recruiting ties with Detroit Southeastern, well, ask The Other Brian about Michigan's chances there, regardless of the coach.
Did Rodriguez lose out on Ronald Johnson? Did Rodriguez lose Joseph Barksdale?
Not every local kid goes to the local college. Some are bound to slip away. But Rodriguez didn't do much/any worse in-state than one could have expected.
January 13th, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^
While I think RR was a failure here on the whole, I don't buy the argument that he didn't/couldn't recruit in-state. Maybe State got up to "even" with us for in-state recruits, but much of that had to do with previous coaching or family ties. It wasn't RR's fault that someone's dad played at State or that their HS coach hated Michigan. RR deserved much of the criticism he got, but not with regard to in-state recruiting.
January 13th, 2011 at 1:16 PM ^
for rational. informed analsysis, and that is what I get, on the front page anyway.
The difference between the Freep and geriatrics bashing RR from day one and Brian's analysis is rationality. His opinion is backed by data and analysis and nothing he says about Hoke is personal. If you want to pollyanna the hire, that is your business, but Brian isn't telling you to have the same opinion as him or he will kick you off the board and by the same token if Brian feels a certain way about the hire, he can post whatever he wants.
I like Hoke, a lot, and am extremely happy we ended up with him over Harbaugh or Miles. However, I am not psyched that we are now staffed by an SDSU-level group + whatever DC they can find that would take the job. I had hoped we would keep trying to modernize and compete at an elite level, but I think instead we are now focused on being a force in the Big10/midwest again and while some find comfort in that, I don't. True, anything can happen and perhaps BH can win NCs at M, but any rationali look at the data would indicate that this is a stretch and that a return to a lot of 9-3 seasons with 10-2/8-4 outliers, bowl and out of conference losses and a continuance of being dominated by OSU (who DOES endeavor to compete on a national level), are far more probable. That is not an irrational opinion based on the data at hand.
DB is smart enough to create a positive PR campaign to surround whoever he hires and has done that, but that should not cause us to to cease analyzing things.
Will I support Hoke? Absolutely and with everyu fiber of my being. Will I have blind faith in the long-term viability of the hire? No. The Alabama game in 2012 will be very, very telling for me.