Thursday, December 1, 2011

Michigan Thursday: Brady "Big Ten" Hoke

Some people (including me) questioned the Brady Hoke hire when it happened.  We were wrong and it wasn't because he went 10-2.  It was because Brady Hoke is a smart leader and knows that a good leader is only as good as the people around him.  Brady brought Al Borges from San Diego and pulled Greg Mattison from the Baltimore Ravens.  Both guys either have some gray or no hair at all, they understand football and how to teach it to young men.   Desmond Howard last week on ESPN said, the two best hires in college football last year were: Brady Hoke to Michigan and Greg Mattison to Michigan.  I have to agree.

Brady yesterday won the Big 10 Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year Award he also won the media's version of the award as well.   This is a real honor for Brady and really points to the great job he and his staff has done this year to turn Michigan into a BCS caliber Bowl team.

Brady in the last 4 years has won coach of the year awards in the MAC, Mt. West and now the Big Ten conferences.   That is a pretty good streak and huge sign we have a good coach here.  I have never been so happy to have been wrong in my life. 


  • Ron English won the MAC coach of the year and is being considered for some BCS schools head coach openings.

  • RR let SI follow him on his first 48 hours on the job with Arizona.  It is clear he learned from his Michigan first press conference mess up and got the proper "schooling" from school officials and coaching.  What I think is strange is, I haven't heard that RR has hired any assistant coaches yet.  By the time hea lot hit Ann Arbor he had  of his staff already with him.  The story talks about Barwis joining him in AZ, but I am also hearing he might not go and loves Michigan and his new venture.

  • The BIG Championship game is on Fox this weekend (because Fox owns 50% of the BTN) but ESPN now has the BCS games.  Here are the announcing crews for Sugar and Citrus:  Sugar Bowl :Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe. The Citrus is Joe Tessitore, Rod Gilmore and Quint Kessenich.

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