When it was clear that Brady Hoke was the choice by Dave Brandon to lead Michigan into the 2011 season, I turned to some colleagues and expressed my disappointment. “You have to question a coach who leaves his alma mater (Ball State) for the next big thing,” I stated. If memory serves me correctly, the last coach to lead the Wolverines was another guy who left his alma mater (in that case West Virginia) behind. No matter where they may have come from or where they head after, it’s all about winning at Michigan. Brady Hoke’s six year contract won’t mean one thing unless he wins and wins in a hurry.
When the San Diego State Aztecs head to Michigan Stadium next year, their temporary leader will be wearing the colors of the enemy. Hoke barely had enough time to unpack his things, when Indiana and Minnesota came calling a few weeks back to lead their squads. It should have been Michigan also on the search at that time, but Brandon decided to take the higher road and pluck his coach after the bowl games. Hoke must now decide which of RichRod’s recruits he wants to keep and which ones he thinks he can bag in these final days.
My impressions of Wednesday’s news conference were nothing short of a bland presentation that seemed properly stated for the current state of affairs for Michigan football. Coach Hoke is not going to blow away anybody for his public speaking, and I’m starting to think that Wolverines fans like it better that way. He was brought in to coach student-athletes and bring a defensive philosophy that hasn’t been seen since… himself. He may lack BCS conference coaching experience, but by the look of an exhausted supporting section, he seems to have turned some heads back to the university. Since he’s not Les Miles or Jim Harbaugh, his recruiting tool will have to be winning and winning alone.