SI.com article up now "Is Hoke Michigan's Mr. Right"

Oh, good, my favorite "journalist"...

Fuck this clown

Of course Rosenberg likes him, he's a "Michigan Man" who talks in cliches about toughness and smashmouth football, and he's not RichRod.

He's not classically handsome, sure, but he's a reliable guy with a good sense of humor.  And you just want to cuddle him. 

Why would ANYONE care about what that PRICK Rosenberg says??? Why are you making me click on FRIGGIN' Rosenberg piece? At least warn us!!!!

I especially liked the ending. 

Hoke is Mr. Right for Michigan this year. Little reason to discuss future years.

I think most of us know that Hoke will be shown the door if he loses six games again this year. I think Michigan will lose three at worst.

Nice work Rosenpuff.  Changing hearts and minds.

I haven't read Rosenberg in years.  Won't even go to SI or Freep because of him, but I read this article.  And I liked it.  For those that don't wanna click through, here's some good points:

Regarding people suggessting Brandon hiring Nuss:

They are wrong, in both the macro and micro sense. Hoke is his own man. He tried to hire Nussmeier once before, when he coached at Ball State, and he and Nussmeier share the same agent. The idea that Brandon chose Nussmeier is silly, as Brandon would be the first to say. As for Borges: Hoke’s greatest strength is understanding the need for coaches to connect with players. Borges was not connecting anymore. It was clear on the field. That was not entirely Borges’ fault, but something had to change.

Hoke was asked: Have you talked much to Borges since January?

“No.”

At all?

No response. Not a word.

Regarding Gibbons:

It can be hard to balance everything and stay true to himself. Last year Hoke was in the middle of a strange, and frankly tragic, firestorm. In November 2009, when Hoke coached at San Diego State, Michigan kicker Brendan Gibbons was accused of sexually assaulting a fellow student. The school did not take action for four years, for reasons that remain unclear. On Nov. 20, 2013, according to The Michigan Daily, the university found Gibbons responsible for sexual assault. Gibbons played at Iowathree days later, but missed the following game, against Ohio State, because of what Hoke described as a “muscle pull.” Gibbons then missed Michigan’s bowl game because of what Hoke called a “family issue.”

Hoke has been told not to comment on the case. Still, when asked if he spoke the truth, he said, “Yes.”

So, Gibbons had a muscle pull?

“Yeah.”

And was it right to call it a family issue?

“Yeah. I think it’s a family issue.”

Sorry for the lack of block quotes.  Not well versed in that stuff.

if he was on fire.

...at least this time he's taking a "wait and see" attitude before trying to sabotage the program.

I understand why many readers won't click on anything Rosenberg writes. But I really liked the article. It underscores the atmosphere that Hoke has brought back to Michigan.

For those of you who can hold your nose, it is worth reading. For those of you who refuse, I'm block-quoting chunks of the article.

Here is a key quote near the end of the article (part of which was referenced above.)

After a 7-6 season at a place like Michigan, it can be hard to find a fan who supports the head coach. But one exists. His name is Ted Spencer. He is the admissions director at the school. It is common for coaches to tussle with their admissions directors; many coaches believe that 4.4 speed is an acceptable substitute for a 4.0 GPA. Michigan is no stranger to those tussles, though they are usually kept private. But Spencer says Hoke is different. “He is looking for kids who will both academically be successful and whose character is strong enough to participate in Big Ten sports and represent the university very well,” Spencer says. “I’m very pleased with the kind of young men he is bringing to us. I give him an A-plus in that area. “I don’t think Michigan can do any better than Brady Hoke. He really is the kind of person you want your kids to play for.”

Some comments on how Hoke views last season:

Asked if the seniors failed to set a daily example for the young players, Hoke said, “I would say I didn’t set the daily example. That’s not them. That starts with me. It always does.” He failed to win enough games, but he also failed to get the best out of his players. That gnaws at him.

Hoke on character, and why he coaches:

Coaches coach for all sorts of reasons: ego, an obsession with winning, innate competitiveness, the desire to outsmart the guy on the other sideline. Hoke takes his greatest joy in getting through to his players. He says things like, “Character wins in life, and character wins out there,” pointing toward Michigan Stadium. He says he takes his greatest pride in 69 out of 69 seniors graduating in three years. He says his team is like having “115 sons.” “Look, we want to win every doggone game," Hoke says. "Those losses hurt, but it never hurts as bad as when you can’t save a kid, or you can’t get him to understand what you’re working towards for him.”

On who Hoke is, and how he runs the program:

Hoke is as comfortable with himself, and as sure in his beliefs, as any coach in the country. He looks people in the eye when speaking to them. He says what he means. There are questions about whether his way works, but he has never wavered in his belief that it does. He tries to run the program that he thinks his school deserves, and that means putting the university first, players second and his own self-interest third. Unlike some prominent coaches, Hoke does not run players off his team because they aren’t good enough or arrange phony medical redshirts to get another scholarship. “Running guys off, all that, that’s not us,” he says. “Have we had guys who medicaled? Yeah. But they really medicaled. Have we had some guys who left during the transition? Yeah. But I don’t think we’ve ever run a guy off.”

There also is a fascinating section where he talks a bit about what happened with Gibbons. Bottom line: this article expresses very well many of the reasons I believe Hoke is the right man for Michigan. I believe he will succeed, and that under him, Michigan will be the right kind of program.

EDIT:  Some mgobloggers need to learn to let go of grudges, to forgive, and to move on. You know, Rosenberg may never be your favorite writer or columnist. But for crying out loud, we all do things we regret. I wouldn't be surprised if Rosenberg has regrets. In the same way that York needs a second chance somewhere else, I'm glad Rosenberg got a second chance somewhere else.