Coaches Meeting With Players All around the Country
Was just informed via an email from Brady Hoke,(I'm an ex manager, so I'm on the list) that he and the coaches are traveling the country to meet with all the ex players. There are about 15 meetings around the country.
Spouses aren't invited. (I thought that was interesting, maybe it shows the seriousness of their commitment?)
Anyway, I sure as heck don't want to get into an argument about RR VS BH, but I've never seen this done before under Rodriguez, Carr or Moeller. Or, maybe it was done, but I wasn't on 'the list'.
I'll update after the meeting in May.
It sure seems like they are committed to be connected with the former players (and managers!)
Awesome to get info like this though, I freaking love MGoBlog for that.
Are there many former players turned coaches out there if so I can see that being a main objective of this?
Just off the top of my head:
Thomas Wilcher - Cass Tech
Ricky Powers - Akron Butchel
Tyrone Wheatley - Syracuse
I'm sure there are more, but that is all I got for now.
I don't understand why this is necessary or a valuable use of the coaches' time. I understand the perceived need to "mend fences" or whatever, but if this is true, it seems to be overkill.
Spring practice is over, recruiting season is pretty much in a lull right now, fall practice is, what, 4 months away? If Brady Hoke and the coaching staff want to take some trips and get the former players pumped up, I don't see anything getting in their way.
It's a waste of time. How about study some film of opponents, of previous Michigan games, etc. To go on a whirlwind tour of the US to talk to old players... Is a complete misappropriation of time, energy and money.
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<br>What a surprise bando thinks it's a great idea!
the real bouje?
Yes.
So Ann Arbor is the only place a coach can watch film?
I guess I'm trying to follow your logic here, and I don't understand how you can assume you know better the use of a coach's time than, say, said coach.
Yes, it is. You can catch the film at the Michigan Theatre on Liberty every weekend and the coaches are signing autographs at the end of each film session.
/s
You know what else is a waste of Hoke's time? Eating. Sleeping. Hugging his wife. Going to the bathroom. Driving to Schembechler Hall. Looking for his phone in the couch cushions. Going to Hawaii for a week to get away from message board posters that think he should be working 24/7/365. Telling his daughter he loves her. Calling 911 on the guy that keeps exposing himself on his front lawn. WHY WOULD HE DO THESE THINGS HE SHOULD BE WATCHING FILM!
Couldn't Larry Harrison have just waited until the ex-player's meeting to say hello?
When Coach Hoke takes a dump, that's a dump for Michigan. When he buys groceries at Trader Joe's, he's shopping for Michigan.
I mean this is the most loving way possible towards Hoke: he's not eating Trader Joe's or Whole Foods stuff.
even free range, fair trade organic grass fed beef can make you chubby! It's just a healthier, fairer chubby.
As previously stated, he can watch film on a plane, in the limo, in a hotel room, etc. Misappropriation of money, maybe. But I think one of the most valuable assets to our program is successful alumni being all about Michigan. We have a great deal of alumni and former players that are wildly successful and heros to many that are not Michigan fans. Who doesn't love to see Charles Woodson wearing a Michigan shirt on ESPN or Tom Brady rocking a Michigan hat?
These guys do a great deal for charities and the university and act as ambassadors to our university. Not only in a marketing/PR way but in recruiting. Having guys come back and sit in the crowd at basketball games or on the sidelines for football games can be a big deal when they get camera time. It creates excitement when you are attending these events and for those outsiders, they begin to piece together the huge web that is the University of Michigan.
This isn't a direct parallel but it's close enough so bear with me:
Look at your upper-level A-list movie star. His "job", as an actor, is to act. He's getting paid $20 million dollars to do his "job" of acting.
Except that's not true AT ALL. He is getting $20 million dollars to travel around the country, around North America, around the world promoting his movie. He's getting paid $20 million dollars to be charismatic at 8 AM with a reporter he can barely understand when most of us just want to open up chrome and read MGoBlog for an hour. He's getting $20 million dollars to deal with the same BS questions from idiot reporters and walk down red carpet after red carpet in LA, London, Tokyo, etc. and pose for countless pictures and sign countless autographs. He's getting paid $20 million dollars because all of this, plus a huge number of other responsibilities I haven't mentioned yet, helps to generate buzz and interest that will sell movie tickets. He's getting paid to let a movie studio control every waking moment of his life for 8 months in a row.
Coach Hoke is paid to coach football, sure. But that's not the only job responsibility. I'm not sure what Hoke's perogative may be for these meetings, but I can tell you with certainty: coaches of every major program like Michigan travel around the country meeting with alumni, fans, and the media to sell their program to more fans, alumni and recruits.
I don't see how a NEW coach traveling around spreading M and his message as a person during a dead period in practice/recruiting really equates to a waste.
Hoke has seen the very negative impacts of having alumni players sniping at a head coach, or distancing themselves from him, and he's making sure that isn't a problem during his tenure.
How is this any different than speaking for boosters all summer, like most coaches around the country do?
For what reason do they need to travel around the country and "get the former players pumped up?" I'm not being a smartass. I really don't see why it's necessary. I'm not saying they need to spend all of their time watching film like has been suggested above.
I'm not sure why everyone is jumping on you. After I read the OP, I actually had a similar reaction. It's great that former players (and alumni, in general) are feeling re-connected to the program, but it strikes me as overkill. Coaches do more than physically over-see practice and contact recruits, so it's not like they don't have anything to do until fall.
Also, equating a country-wide tour to visit former players to demanding he not sleep or eat is a ridiculous. There's a big difference between jet-setting around the country and working on campus a normal amount of time. (The argument that he can watch film and do work on the road is a legitimate one, though, which is why I think this whole this is just weird and unnecessary rather than actually detrimental.)
EDIT: I'm bad at speling.
that former football players will not be the only attendees. I would think that there will be several wealthy alumni at these events as well. So fund-raising will be a large component of this
and FUNraising, amirite?
But really, why is this controversial? They're taking a trip. Whether positive or negative, the effect on winning football games will be very small.
Bando beat me to it: recruiting.
See Rodriguez (2007-2010).
Whether his fault or not there is a divide in Michigan nation that needs to be bridged, lest we suffer more immature internal squabbling that tarnishes our program and impacts our ability to recruit.
No, I'm well aware of the last four years, thanks. As I said above, I just think this is overkill. I don't think that's that controversial of an opinion.
for assistant coaches. Hoke, however, is not allowed to participate in evaluations at high school campuses. I could easily see them lining up meetings for Hoke with former players in various spots while the assistants are doing the evaluation stuff at local high schools. Makes perfect sense to me.
Brand Mgmt. Rebuild the network to rebuild the brand. Hoke has a boss who might be familiar with things like Marketing and Brand Mgmt.
rlew, you don't see how this move could drum up support of football alumni to all be on the same page to help "encourage" local high school player to attend UM by being more vocal, becoming mentors, having a unified voice, etc?
This isn't just about mending fences. It's about heading off any potential issues down the road. He's giving the ex-players an audience and makes them feel connected/important, whether or not they really are. In return, he will expect these players to speak well of the program and to alert their contacts in the media (if they have any) to give the program a little buzz.
This is another very canny move by Hoke from an organizational standpoint. He's displaying a real knack for dealing with people, and that is huge in terms of the managerial aspects of being a head coach. I don't know whether he's going to be successful in wins and losses, but knowing how to motivate people and get them on your side is an absolute necessity in all kinds of ways. I can understand why Brandon thought highly enough of him to hire him.
It's masturbatory. Coaches should recruit when not sleeping.
Thanks for the information, but, boy, do I wish you hadn't included the part about former coaches not doing this.
It's not like he said "RR discontinued this and I'm glad people care about alumni again" all he said is that this is the first time a M coach had done this, to his knowledge.
I was coming from the most recent main page post, and I think I read that portion with a different tone than was intended.
I didn't neg you, just FYI. The sentiment is noted, but I just didn't see a problem here.
Considering the context, I don't see a problem with including it. It is a good point. I think it is a really great and sincere move by Hoke.
This is awesome. Not because I think not doing it was a problem with the previous coaches, but because i just think it's awesome.
Don't a few former players have stud football player sons that will be up for recruiting in a few years?
this is a networking opportunity to recast the world wide (in this case nationwide) Michigan football web. any armchair QB can speculate certain points, however at the center is a reconnect of the disconnect! i see a ton of positives coming from Hoke & Co. through thier efforts!
Go Blue! beat wmu!
I like it. It seems that Hoke and Brandon want to change or boost the Michigan image. How can it be a bad thing. If they get more former players involved, more money for michigan. I would love to see Brady back hanging and talking to the QB's. woodson with the DB's. The more back the better. Now all he has to do is win.
Hoke is putting all his chips into the "Michigan Tradition" basket and doing everything he can to bring as many people together and into the program as possible. I think it's smart for him to do that because it plays to his skills.
I mean, hopefully Borges is working on the offense on the flights, haha. But I like it. It rings true for Hoke.
One of the major assets we have a UM grads is indeed the large alumni network, if we choose to tap into through local alumni assocations etc. Will there be a large football specifici component here? Of course, and what I mean by that is that the benefits of doing this and hopefully really getting football alumni fired up about their connection to UM and calling on their loyalty, can range from helping mentor a young football kid, to just being a resource for questions about the program, to actively steering young kids our way. But how about the advantage that some kids might see in the networking for jobs for the many players (most) who don't make it into the NFL? And of course getting more and more ex-players, coaches, managers, etc to Ann Arbor on a more regular basis so the kids on the team and recruits get to really feel what it means to have such a huge nation-wide family that they are truly a part of? This is as much Dave Brandon IMO as Hoke, but Hoke is up to the task I believe. Brandon has more clout thouhg as AD, alum and player under Bo if you ask me. Brandon is very very shrewd.
Great post, but watch the typos.
April 19th, 2011 at 11:04 PM ^
lay off on the typos comment. you should've stopped at "great post". Typos? Really?
For all those criticizing Hoke about this, did you criticize Rich Rodriguez for making appearances at Alumni Association local club events throughout the country during the offseason?
I don't really have a problem with what Hoke's doing. But your comparison does not apply. Pretty much every D1 football and basketball coach does these sort of Alumni Association events. Fundraising is part of their jobs. Touring the country to meet with former players (sans spouses) doesn't seem like it's the same thing, unless he is doing it as a very specific fundraising drive.
This is exactly what Brandon does with national alumni groups and donors; he flies around the country, gives talks, strokes some egos, drums up support and excitement, maybe some cash. General good-will tours.
If the coaches can combine it with national "scouting" (as opposed to national "recruiting" out of season), so much the better.
I suspect it is, in part, the recognition of a problem, and an effort to correct it. I also think that there is a vast silent majority of past football letterwinners, especially the ones out of state, that never had much of an opinion about the coaching changes at all! My conversation with one past President of the Football alumni went something like this: "I've met Rodriguez a couple of times; he seems like a pretty good guy. I just don't know much about him. Some of what he's doing looks really interesting. I'm not sure if we should have been as bad as our record was in '08. I hope he turns that around. I don't have any other strong feelings about the guy; I hope we don't see any more blowouts. Mostly, I've never much discussed Rodriguez specifically with anybody else..."
Hoke is smart to get out in front of all this. We all have seen what lack of support can do to a program. And for enyone that says this is a waste of the coaches time, well, guess what, we as alums did this to ourselves. Hoke has to do this before he coaches one game, he doesn't want to end up like RR before he coaches a game.
I could see it being a couple things. This could be a mechanism for easily soliciting donations (However, I'd think wives would be invited). Another thought I had is that w/ Tressel/Tatgate, etc., he might want to clarify all the rules on boosters and/or experiences people had in getting compensated in the past. I'm just trying to think of reasons other than the obvious, "I'm going to reunite UM country," philosophy.