Thursday, November 28, 2013

Brandon's Vote For Hoke

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  I hope you get to relax and spend time with family today.


The Brandon vote of confidence:

Brandon's Blog: Hoke is the Right Leader for Michigan Football
     
Brady Hoke is our coach and will be leading our football program well into the future. There is no question about it. Brady has done a great job rebuilding the program and reshaping the culture to the level it was under coaches Bo Schembechler, Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr. Anyone making efforts to stir up a coaching controversy at Michigan is ill-informed and is likely promoting a personal agenda that is not in the best interest of Michigan Football.

We don't make excuses at Michigan when we fail to reach our goals, and we never will. We recognize areas we need to address and improve -- and we will. We also know how to hold people accountable for the roles and responsibilities they have as part of the privilege for being a part of Michigan Football -- and we will. However, it is valuable to occasionally step back from the disappointment and frustration that occurs when things don't go as well as expected and consider a few facts that may help put things into proper perspective.

Is our program where we want to be? No. We want to consistently compete for championships. That is the expectation at Michigan and that has been Brady's stated expectation from day one. When we don't meet those expectations there's disappointment -- and that starts with Brady, the coaches, players and everyone else that represents our football program. If you saw how hard everyone inside Schembechler Hall works every day, you would understand why they are disappointed. They pour their lives into developing these young people to prepare them to compete at the highest level and consistently win.

Many don't remember that Alabama finished fourth in its division during Nick Saban's fourth year with the Crimson Tide. At present, Alabama seems to be doing pretty well!! Stanford had 4-8, 5-7 and 8-5 records under Jim Harbaugh before reaching its current string of consecutive BCS appearances. This shows that it takes time for the right leader to build a consistent winner. We have the right leader, and despite the fact we have lost three very close games (and WE ARE ALL feeling the pain that comes from it!) the consistency will come. There have been speed bumps along the way and unforeseen obstacles that have hindered our progress this season, but the resiliency of this team has been remarkable.

Our coaches are recruiting nationally from New Jersey to California, from Michigan to Florida, and continue to bring in the type of young men that can compete on the field and in the classroom at the University of Michigan. The depth that this program needs to be a consistent winner is coming, but it doesn't happen overnight or in one or two recruiting classes. It takes time and probably a little more time than we all anticipated. However, the only threat to our continued success in recruiting is the same old, tired tactic being used by some who wish to see us fail -- to try and scare young recruits into believing that our coach "is on the hot seat" -- which simply isn't true. In fact, this is the same guy that was Big Ten and national coach of the year two seasons ago.

Brady inherited a team during his first season that had many juniors and seniors who played key roles in previous years. The senior class was recruited by Coach Carr and had some terrific talent that had simply been underperforming. We only had one freshman crack the depth chart on the offensive and defensive lines during that Sugar Bowl winning season. Right now, this year's team is counting on 11 freshmen or redshirt freshmen in the trenches. Not to make excuses, but to point out the obvious, this shows how much we are investing in young talent that will make huge contributions to our future success.

I'm really proud of how the players have bought into the new direction. Our coaches are changing schemes, and that requires a different recruiting philosophy and asking current student-athletes to adapt to a different style than previous years. The transformation and improvement of our defense under the leadership of coach Greg Mattison has been outstanding. Our coaches have worked hard to blend and develop schemes that bridge the gap between what was previously done and what they ultimately hope to run on both sides of the ball.

I have seen firsthand what Brady and his coaching staff are doing to make this program better. It takes time and sometimes patience by all of us before we can build the consistent winner that meets our expectations. I can assure you that our student-athletes are working hard every day to get better on the field, in the classroom and in the community. That hasn't changed at any point during the season; this group is fighting through obstacles. I know and see the drive that Brady, his coaches and players have to win -- and win for Michigan.

We recognize what makes Michigan so special is the passion and enthusiasm that our fans have for the team. However, those individuals who are spreading inaccurate rumors and saying inappropriate things about our coaches, players and recruits don't know what's happening inside Schembechler Hall or on that practice field. They are only trying to hurt the program and the progress our coaches and student-athletes are fighting to make on Saturdays. Sometimes that progress takes a little bit longer than we all like, but we know the long-term success that it's going to bring.

The 2013 season is far from over! We have two more big games to play, and we should all be looking forward to the opportunities they represent for our program. It is important and exciting for our young team to have the opportunity to experience an additional 15 practices, heal up some injuries, and compete in a bowl game at this stage in their career. And, for our seniors, these last two opportunities to play for Michigan are very special.

I know that Brady Hoke will finish his career at Michigan as one of the most successful coaches in our program's storied history. And, thanks to our many loyal fans and supporters who will be along for the ride because they care so much about Michigan Football for all of the right reasons!
Happy Thanksgiving and Go Blue!


Thoughts:
  • Vote's of Confidence are never a good thing.  1) it means your team is struggling and you need your boss to take the heat off you.  2) In the NFL, Votes of Confidence are considered the last thing you get before your fired.     I don't believe Hoke will be fired in the next year or so, but coaches "not on the hot seat" don't need votes of confidence.    The best thing for Hoke is to win on Saturday.  If Michigan loses by 60 on Saturday, this "vote" becomes completely irrelevant.

  • Brandon's long note supports Hoke and Mattison, no mention of Big Al.  

  • His examples of Alabama and Stanford are a few successes in a ocean of (3 year) failures.  There are hundreds examples of coaches failing after 3 years.   Brandon might be familiar with one, Rich Rodriguez. 
 

8 comments:

Big35Hurt said...

Everyone needs to pay attention, I've said this here before....Brady Hoke is NOT the problem. In all honesty, he's the solution. If/WHEN the OLine improve, this entire team will look exponentially better in every important aspect of the game. The QB(s) will look much better, the RB's will look better, the WR's will look better too. The defense will look better from not being on the field for 2/3 of the game. Borges will be let go, that's pretty clear in my eyes.
Everyone's 1st inclination is to hang onto the whole "vote of confidence = kiss of death" type of philosophy, but I prefer to think that what Brandon said about not being too far away from consistency has truth to it. We have a lot of youngsters getting playing time, that will be a benefit in the long run, and as stated already, this team is close to being consistent because all we need to fix is 1 thing.....just my 2 cents from a glass is 1/2 full perspective. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. God bless!

Scott K said...

If u want to see a Michigan win over Ohio, quick tune into the Big Ten Network.

Scott K said...

If u want to see a Michigan win over Ohio, quick tune into the Big Ten Network.

In Harbaugh we trust said...

First off to all my fellow wolverines I wanna wish u all a happy thanksgiving from north of the border..Toronto, home of the world famous Rob Ford....I can only hope somehow we can find a way to change this "funk" lol...
I can hope that guys from the D...Gardner I'm talking to u...Mayby use the words that Kirk Cousins used when beating us.."WALK DOWN THE STREETS OF MICHIGAN WITH MY HEAD UP HIGH" he knows how important this rivalry is.... He knows what this means..I hope he knows he is the key to this years game...GO BLUE

Brian S Hall said...

Under Hoke, Michigan has gone in one direction: down.
Down, backwards, regressed; however you want to call it.
The "vote of confidence" is a stop the bleeding measure, nothing more.
Brandon had absolutely not expected to be in this situation, and doesn't want to make a change on short notice, so I've now changed my mind: Hoke not out this year, but next, and Brandon will have time to find a big name (who hopefully can turn this mess around).

Voice of Reason said...

I agree ... the need to give a vote of confidence is usually the kiss of death for a coach even in college sports because it also tells the world that the boss has also smelt the same smoke and see the same fire that everyone else sees and now they feel the heat from it.

With David Brandon’s denial notwithstanding, this officially places Hoke (or staff) on notice, especially from David Brandon because as you remember, Brandon gave a short rope to Rich Rodrigues and then he cut that rope after three years, which is normally considered premature. Then Brandon conducted this national search for a coach revealing Brady Hoke, and so now Hoke is HIS man. He can’t blame this on the previous AD. He’s placed own his stamp of approval on Hoke. Therefore, when he felt the need to make a public defense of coach Hoke, he's not just speaking to the Michigan faithful; he's speaking to his own bosses. His neck is on the line and you can best believe that he has had some sort of conversation with his superiors about this embarrassment on the field, and you know he’s spoken to Hoke about the direction that this ship is headed.

The success of an Athletic Director from a school like Michigan is graded in part on the coaches that they bring into their respective sports to represent their athletic programs. Winning, helps the alumni feel good about the sizable donations that they make that fund programs, pay salaries and build buildings. Michigan is a brand name and it is worth some significant dollars for many reasons but when that brand has difficulty in beating the Appalachian States, the Toledo’s and is never in the conversation to play in or win the Big Ten Championship in football, then the brand name is placed in jeopardy.

If it weren't the case, then there would be no reason for David Brandon to say anything at all, because public sentiment doesn't change what happens on the field of play. Plus, the Wolverine Nation as a whole is so loyal that they will continue to buy and support all things Michigan, i.e., the stadiums will always be full and they will always purchase the memorabilia. However, if the golden goose that promotes that brand name is struggling with the likes of Akron and the UConn’s of the world, then it doesn’t bode well for any Michigan Athletic Director and Michigan football coach.
Look for something to change at the end of the season……IMHO

Kid Adorable said...

I'm sorry, but I think this is much simpler than the conspiracy theorists are making it. It's a vote of confidence from his boss. He specifically mentions games people play to discourage recruits. This is Brandon's personal effort to shut up news and blog know-it-alls and keep the work Hoke's recruiting team has done firmly together (i.e. keep Peppers on board--he did mention he opened up his recruiting out of concern over rumored coaching changes, did he not?). Any more speculation is exactly what Brandon calls it: negative energy from misguided, passionate fans or haters.

Honestly, I cannot figure out which it is much of the Wolverine blogosphere is anymore, but I find myself more and more turned off by it and all its commentators, and I did read it through the Rich Rod years. I'm near my limit though. The impatience and unrealistic expectations is just too tiring to absorb anymore. We're adults. We're alumni. We're not the team. We're not the athletic department. Those parties have been around and winning a lot longer than any of us. All this access to data in all its forms of stats, videos, and weekly media press conferences (which I am repeatedly dumbfounded how any of you still expect anything other than press-speak to come out of those things and then manage to draw inane conclusions from what wasn't said, as if any coach worth his salt would open up about the issues you want direct answers about) has saturated your brains into thinking you hold individual and collective answers that somehow the former parties (team and athletic department) are blind to seeing. You're all drunk on your own kool-aid. I enjoyed it all when simple blogs reported on games and players' seasons. The disgusting heavier and heavier coverage of high school recruiting has made national icons out of kids. We're all as responsible as Rivals, Scouts, 24/7, and ESPN for that. This obsession culture of college football is as bad as the monetizing of college football; it's just a different side of the same sickness. I'm out. I won't participate anymore. I'll be a fan; I won't further feed this monster we've created.

tho0505 said...

I agree with Brandon for the most part. But his statement that he will be counted as one of the all time great coaches at Michigan is a little pre mature. Of course he supports him, he singlehandedly chose him.

I agree that he is the coach that should be there, but Al needs to go and so does anyone who is teaching the OL (I hope this isn't Hoke). I just watched UW vs WSU today and their halfback Sankey average nearly 6 yards a touch, how on earth UW can average that when we have the talent that we've signed the last several years is beyond me. It comes down to coaching, bottom line. Look at Auburn this year, Chizik knows how to coach offense.