Brady Hoke
After Brady Hoke's first press conference, we knew he was right for Michigan. After his first season at the helm of the winningest program in college football history, an 11-2 season with a Sugar Bowl victory, we knew he was right for Michigan. But after tonight, I am 100% positive he is right for Michigan.
I sat a section over from all of the football coaches and recruits, and I have NEVER seen a head football coach, at a university of this size, be so into a basketball game like he was tonight. He yelled at the refs on about all of the terrible calls, was the only person standing up in his section clapping, cheering multiple times during the game. If I didn't know who he was (like my girlfriend) I would have thought he was just a regular, maniac about this basketball team. He truly loves this university and what it stands for, and you could see it in his actions.
AND, you add on the 6 commits he was able to reel in today, the man can flat out recruit. These sports programs and this university are on the uprise even though we are already at the top.
GO BLUE 
February 19th, 2012 at 1:26 AM ^
and I believe it now more than ever. I think Hoke's affection for the school rubs off big time on recruits and their families. It seems like it's infectious. Kids don't just agree to play for Michigan, they are excited and they try to recruit other kids to join them
February 19th, 2012 at 1:29 AM ^
It's really nice knowing we have a head coach that's not using the position as a stepping stone to the NFL. It's also really nice knowing that we have a head coach that not only wants to win games but also teach his players how to be accountable and to be good people. Nice bonus that he can recruit!
February 19th, 2012 at 1:31 AM ^
Not only is he bringing in good talent, he is bringing in good kids that share his enthusiasm for Michigan, and he is really establishing a band of brothers type atmosphere here. January 3rd was just a harbinger of things to come. The future is indeed bright with him here.
February 19th, 2012 at 1:48 AM ^
big fan of RR and was bummed when he was treated badly and let go.
I was NOT a fan of the Hoke hire and thought we "settled" when we could not land Miles or Harbaugh.
I am much harder to win over than most. All Hoke has done so far is win with RR's players and the most dynamic player in CFB ( Denard of course ).
I am fully convinced RR would have had a great season too had he been kept on.
As for recruiting....Hoke has done well as far as "on paper" and star rating if you believe in those. The proof as to him being a great coach and recruiter is a few years away yet.
Lets not deify him just yet. If he really is the next Bo....we will know soon enough.
With all that being said.....is it possible i was just totally wrong about the Hoke hire?
It sure as hell is looking that way.
He seems to be a totally capable coach and a first class person.
Sometimes being wrong does not hurt all that much. And crow....with the right seasoning....is not that horrible either.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:09 AM ^
RR wasn't going 11-2, no effing way, he sucked, pure and simple.
Yeah Hoke did it with RR recruits, now imagine what he will do with his recruits.
You were way wrong about Hoke, we're lucky to have him, there isn't a coach like him in the country. We'll never have to worry about him being wooed away or retire due to health like the UM who coaches ohio.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:25 AM ^
classy guy are you Mick?
Its not been proven i am way wrong about Hoke.
And you have some serious reading comprehension problems.
February 19th, 2012 at 5:30 AM ^
didn't mean to come off like a jerk. I just hated the RR era so much, I knew halfway thru the 08' season that he was the wrong hire and it killed me to think about how long it was gonna take to fire him, I got my wonderful answer last year and early too.
I'm just mystified by you for saying that you are/were an RR fan, why? How? If you have been an M fan long enough, how could you be a fan of someone who was making a mockery of our program?
We lost our toughness, recruiting aura, weakened in every season towards the latter half of those seasons, I could go on for a while. What did he do that was so promising, please don't say Denard, it doesn't make up for our failures under RR. I think we woulda been fine at QB, Denard still has a lot to prove in the QB department but I believe in him and hope he can light it up next year.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:20 AM ^
Omit everything after "just yet. If he really is..." and that's my friend's perspective. To me it seems ignorant to not even acknowledge what he accomplished on the field last year and the turnaround he made with that defense while staying about even with the offense (410 pts scored this year compared to 412 last year), not to mention the success he's had on the recruiting trail for 2012 and now 2013.
February 19th, 2012 at 1:52 AM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 1:56 AM ^
is the best thing to happen in the history of ever
February 19th, 2012 at 2:03 AM ^
I love that he can recruit, but he definitely puts players in position to win as well. I have tremendous confidence that he and the assistant coaches are going to be able to put this talent to great use over the next 4 or 5 years. It's going to be quite a run, especially since Borges is able to be create an offense around the talent he has.
February 19th, 2012 at 3:10 AM ^
but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need!
Rolling Stones
and it surely applies to Brady Hoke and Michigan. Thank God we got Brady instead of Les Miles or Jim Harbaugh!!!!!!!!!!
February 19th, 2012 at 3:11 AM ^
Cant say enough good things about coach Hoke and this staff. What a day!
February 19th, 2012 at 3:18 AM ^
an Alabama on the recruiting trail today.
The good kind of Alabama, not the sleezy kind.
February 19th, 2012 at 10:44 AM ^
Yep. This sort of day is why I enjoyed NSD...no drama...UM didn't pull off any last-minute surprises, but the kids who said yes all came, Hoke and Co. didn't lose a soul, and they had already started on building the next class, from the ground up both in football and personal terms.
February 19th, 2012 at 12:51 PM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 12:57 PM ^
It's so much better to secure a class as early as possible -- bird in the hand and all that. But just wait. In a few months, after M has secured 95 percent of its top-five class, we'll start seeing threads bemoaning M's "lack of momentum" and "failure to close."
February 19th, 2012 at 4:17 AM ^
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oja8RXz6wb8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
February 19th, 2012 at 5:38 AM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 6:10 AM ^
I really believe what we're seeing are the fruits of Hoke's genuine and authentic commitment to integrity, responsibility and accountability. That message rings true to a lot of recruits ... and to a lot of parents of recruits.
The word is out ... Michigan is not just a football factory, it's a school in life's important lessons. Young men of character yearn to fight the good fight ... to test and prove themselves with honor.
I love Hoke ... I think he's the real deal ... a genuine man of authentic character.
February 19th, 2012 at 7:12 AM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 7:32 AM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 10:12 AM ^
February 19th, 2012 at 11:26 AM ^
I attendned his speech at the Detroit Athltetic Club a month or two after his hire. Any doubts I had going into that night were quickly erased. As many have said, he "gets" what he means to be at Michigan. He has an uncanny ability as a speaker to express this on a level that leaves his intended audience nothing short of ready to run through a brick wall for him. I can't imgagine what it would be like to be a 17 / 18 year old kid again and hearing this one-on-one. Throw in Mattison and you can see why yesterday happened. It'g going to be a great ride over the next few seasons to see what he and his coaches can do with these kids. As the saying goes..."It's great....to be...a Michigan Wolverine!" GO BLUE!!!
February 19th, 2012 at 11:47 AM ^
He has an uncanny ability as a speaker to express this on a level that leaves his intended audience nothing short of ready to run through a brick wall for him.
+1 ... you hear this from the players ... he inspires players not based on BS "rah rah" but by appealing to a deep sense of commitment and honor. I'm sure the young players soak this up and the fire in the belly is lit.
February 19th, 2012 at 12:10 PM ^
First off I'm not in favor of the lil bro comment as would prefer it not having been said. However it is harmless silly sports talk that should not have garnered nearly as much scrutiny as happened. Some have prescribed way too much consequence to Mike's offhand comment. Dantanio's supposed curse is world class BS. If Dantonio knew we were going to hire RR and spend the next 3 years in the Big Ten wilderness he would have written a book foretelling such and made millions then and every year on the sports talk curcuit. I am so tired of people giving this" bogey man fairy tale dribble" legs until I could just puke hot purple foam.
Brady Hoke will end this so called curse in 2012 and completely bury it with a national championship! Long live Brady Hoke.
February 19th, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^
Yesterday was a sensational recruiting day, no question. But it didn't occur just because Hoke et al are suddenly magicians (although they kind of are). Since the Carr Era, recruiting has changed so much. Until recently, there weren't a zillion blogs and fans monitoring recruiting on a minute-by-minute basis; teams did feel compelled to make big PR splashes at various points in the recruiting cycle.
Now recruiting is the same as political campaigning; it's turned into a daily horse-race. Ten years ago, at this point in the cycle, we'd hear nothing about recruiting, largely because the team hadn't really started yet. So you can't compare the old days with today. Apples, oranges.
February 19th, 2012 at 1:01 PM ^
I'll admit that I was a little skeptical about Hoke in the beginning, but knew after watching his press conference that even if he wasn't a big name hire, he was the right guy. He truly wanted to be here and would have accepted any salary for it. We would have had to lure Harbaugh and Les here with a ridiculous contract and likely break the bank for them.
What I love about Hoke is that he is Michigan and nothing else. No matter if or many NFL teams may court him in the coming years with promises of a lucrative contract, he will always turn them down. This is where he wants to be, and wouldn't trade it for anything else. Hoke will coach this team until he physically can't anymore.
February 19th, 2012 at 2:10 PM ^
There is a lot that's genuine and positively infectious about Hoke. It's not just that he loves winning, and loves leading his players; he is not only a Michigan Man, he's a Michigan fan.
Early on he was interviewed and asked what it will be like to lead the team out of the tunnel, and he said he didn't really know for sure because he always came out early to see and hear the marching band do its opening performance.
That told me right away, he loves the school, he loves its traditions, and he's a pretty interesting guy. What I wasn't sure of was whether all of that enthusiasm and energy would translate on the football field. I'm so glad it does.
Here's a guy who's not afraid to eschew the headset; he doesn't want to hear the chatter. He does things his own way, and isn't worried about what people might say about it.
The man is 100% real. I'm so glad he represents Michigan and what it stands for.