cc: Brady Hoke - opinions?
Since the assumption seems to be that RR is gone, and Harbaugh is going to have a tough decision between M and the NFL, it is a non-zero possibility that we will end up with Coach Brady Hoke. I have always liked BH (as I will now refer to him). From his days in the mid-1990s, the guys I knew on the team loved him. Seems that his current players do, as well.
His rep is as a good to very good recruiter. And, while I think that the whole Michigan MAn thing was blown way out of proportion with RR, in these times of a factured fan base, having someone with ties to better times couldn't hurt.
But, the common opinion on this board is Hoke = DOOM, please no.
Can anyone please tell me the reasons that Hoke wouldn't be a good choice?
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:55 PM ^
Keep in mind dropped passes, a true sophmore QB and the lack of a viable run game outside of Denard.
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:21 AM ^
........as our HC. If he is named the coach, then fine, I will support him. But I believe even without JH that there are many better coaches out there that UM could have.
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:34 AM ^
I understand everybody has different opinions on Hoke, but we need to trust DB. I'll support whatever he decides because he wants to win worse than we do. As painful as today was, it was worse for him, I'm sure. I wouldnt want to be the AD right now.
January 2nd, 2011 at 1:51 AM ^
Hoke is tied to Carr, who many see as a big part of Michigan's problems. Don't see how that is going to solve diviseness.
And why the hell are people mentioning Hoke as the de facto choice if Harbaugh goes to the NFL? We don't need someone with Michigan ties. Make a splash, hire a rock star. Gruden would be a name I'd call if in a pinch.
January 2nd, 2011 at 2:28 AM ^
You could call Gruden, but he wouldn't take the job. Hoke would. Fans underestimate just how difficult it is to get a coach to leave what he's doing and move hundreds of miles away to Ann Arbor. A guy like Harbaugh coming is like winning the lottery - most schools couldn't dream of landing a coach of his caliber.
Hoke is well thought-of in Michigan circles. He produced some excellent D-linemen. If he hadn't left for Ball State, he'd have probably become our DC after Herrmann left. As it was, he turned around BSU - it took a little longer than we may have liked, but he did it. And he seems to be turning SDSU into a quality program as well. Yeah, he wouldn't be a candidate if he hadn't coached here, but that's the point - he has worked here, so he's familiar with the school, the program, and its challenges and strengths. He knows what fans/alumni expect. He wouldn't be caught off-guard by things like the #1 jersey. Does this mean we should hire him now? Well . . . I would probably still say no, because I'd like to see where he can take SDSU, but sometimes you don't have the luxury of waiting. There are rumblings that the braintrust really likes him.
January 2nd, 2011 at 2:38 AM ^
So shit like knowing the #1 jersey is now a big prerequisite to coaching here? And our standards are so low that "hey, he'd take the job" is now seen as a big plus for a candidate? Sorry, I don't buy that and won't.
There is no reason Harbaugh can't be ours. The Yorks are cheap and plenty of college coaches make more than what they are willing to pay a coach. Harbaugh could be worth Saban money to Michigan. And with the NFL labor issues, it's not exactly an optimal time to enter the league. Imagine trying to introduce yourself to your new team when the union is going to tell players to break off all contact on March 7.
The time for Harbaugh is NOW. Accept nothing less, especially not a slob like Brady Hoke.
January 2nd, 2011 at 3:05 AM ^
Yes, Yes, and Yes, except JH may still say No. That's the whole point of this thread.
January 2nd, 2011 at 10:54 AM ^
This whole #1 jersey thing, for starters, is a self-serving bunch of crap put out by this drunk SUV-driving, pass-dropping, taunting, can't-play-in-cleveland, "I'm on the committee to fire RR" moron on the Jets. Forget it. No one made that big a deal out of it before him. It is the freaking Anthony Carter jersey.
For those of you who don't recall Braylon Edwards asked for the AC #1 jersey early in his career at Michigan only to be told NO by LC. He did eventually get it later on but only after shamelessly pleading.
Can we please stop with this nonsense?
January 2nd, 2011 at 2:46 PM ^
I half-agree with your point re persuading top coaches to move to AA. With the NFL guys, yes, that would take some real snake-oil. They're used to a certain big-city lifestyle.
But with college coaches, I do think M remains a very desirable job -- one of the top 10 or so in the NCAA. The team is struggling, yes. It will require some heavy lifting. And, not least, the money ain't quite the same (though that may change somewhat). But still. Michigan is a huge "brand." It gets the most national exposure (after ND); it has the biggest stadium, terrific facilities, and a still-great tradition and reputation. And it's not as if the program has been in some endless death-spiral. It's only been a few years.
Any good coach thinks of himself as more than up to any job, if given the right resources and opportunities. Michigan affords huge advantages over most other programs. The Michigan name will automatically get him in the door, at least, with many or most top recruits. M is a pretty easy sell when the program is stable and on a winning track.
Finally, don't discount the ego factor. Places like TCU, Boise State, and Utah remain backwaters. Most fans still don't know jack about those teams. Coaches want recognition and exposure and branding. They want to show what they can do on the biggest stage. Granted, some may stay loyal to their current perches; some, like Schiano, may hold out for some other pie-in-the-sky job. But most are careerists. They want the big-ticket programs. I think many would love nothing more than to be the guy who brings M back to greatness.
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
It's because we don't have time for a coaching search and because everyone knows Hoke would jump at the opportunity
January 2nd, 2011 at 9:20 AM ^
People, please. Here's a thought exercise I suggested to another person yesterday:
If we were just now saying goodbye to Lloyd after three years of eight wins, would Brady Hoke even be in the conversation?
He's 52 (not young) and has a handful of good seasons to his credit in the minor leagues of college football. He's not Urban Meyer in 2001 (for example). Far from it.
He did not "turn around" Ball State. He had a single good season there.
- - -
Here's what happening: People are starting to panic. They're desperate (understandably) to get rid of Rodriguez and they'll take *anything* (e.g., a coach who is, based on the evidence, second-tier at best) in his place.
Michigan, its alumns, and its fans are capable of better thinking. Let's see it.
January 2nd, 2011 at 9:30 AM ^
Hoke is not the answer. I would think (hope) he would be near the bottom of the list.
January 2nd, 2011 at 9:43 AM ^
I simply cannot believe a rational person would rather have Brady Hoke as head coach over Rich Rodriguez. Unless that someone is a columnist for a Detroit paper trying to stir up shit.
January 2nd, 2011 at 6:55 PM ^
Give me RR and a new DC who can bring in some of his own position coaches over Hoke any day of the week.
January 2nd, 2011 at 10:20 AM ^
was the lack of improvement over the season. Yes, there were a lot of freshman on defense, but by the end of the year, they were essentially guys who had started 10 games. There was no perceptible improvement. Perhaps you can blame GERG, but who hired him -- and retained him.
January 2nd, 2011 at 10:37 AM ^
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:25 PM ^
As a Blue Hair ('84 was the year of my graduation, not birth) I feel like the most compelling reason for Hoke is the mobilization of the alumni base.
A lot of boosters I know have taken to sitting on their hands. I know everyone likes to toss out the claim we're sabotaging RR, but I haven't really seen evidence of that. What I have seen a lot of though is simply sending off a check and nothing more.
Recruits, or more often their advisers/parents, will reach out to alumni groups and ask us about Michigan. The campus, the academics, social life, etc. You'll get worried mothers asking us things like "Will my 300 pound, 5 Star offensive line recruit be safe in Ann Arbor?" (Answer: Yes, unless the owners of the all you can eat places band together to take him out.). These people can pick up that a lot of the alums aren't enthralled by RR. I've never heard anyone say anything bad about him to the adviser or parent of a recruit, but I've heard a lot of people give bland, stock answers that don't get anyone excited.
Hiring in a Carr assistant and marketing him as a one of Lloyd's boys returning home would mobilize a lot of people. His coaching record doesn't impress anyone, but the the alums moving in lockstep behind him might mean something.
Nothing against RR, but after tOSU, the Bowl, the sanctions, the lawsuits over the condo deal (a big issue for many blue hairs) I just don't think you can get the alumni base all in for him at this point. It's just the reality of the situation.
January 2nd, 2011 at 12:45 PM ^
Hoke would be a decent hire if we were in Florida's position - to simply pass the torch. Unfortunately we are in a Miami position where we need someone to turn the program around. That requires a guy with an established name in my opinion. Hoke would not be the best fit given the current state of the football program in my opinion. I will be estatic if we get harbaugh and very disappointed if not.
January 2nd, 2011 at 2:11 PM ^
Harbaugh knows the M community is now, for the most part, dying for his to come. He loves Michigan. This we know. He doesn't need the M offer as a bargaining chip, since he'll likely have multiple fat NFL offers. Something tells me that, if he were disinclined toward the M job, he would have somehow let that be known already. I don't see why he'd want to set-up his alma mater (and David Brandon, whom he knows) for huge disappointment. That would serve nobody's interests, including his own.
January 2nd, 2011 at 2:59 PM ^
He's given about all of the indication that he's interested that he can.
"I'll only talk about the job I have now"
"We haven't even discussed it"
"maybe he mis-spoke"
No coach want to create distractions for his team about to play a BCS bowl, and given our recent coaching hire fiasco DB probably contacted him directly and wants to keep it all airtight until it's released. Really, there isn't much else he could say. All signs certainly seem to point in his direction, though I was hoping for a different resolution myself.
January 3rd, 2011 at 6:46 AM ^
+1 for your signature, that's tremendous.
January 2nd, 2011 at 7:53 PM ^
Just my opinion but if we weren't willing to give JH a chance back when we were hiring a new coach 3 years ago because there weren't established enough coming out of SanDiego State then why would we choose Hoke coming out of the same situation over JH (saying he wants to be in AA)