Despite Poor Record, Michigan Needed Brady Hoke Era to Happen

If we lived in a perfect, sun-shiny world, Brady Hoke would be remembered for being a tremendous mentor and father figure to hundreds of Michigan football players.

If it were all about doing the right thing, he’d be remembered for graduating 69 of 69 seniors prior to 2014. If life were just grand, he’d be celebrated for emphasizing the core, dyed-in-the-wool values that built 135 years of Wolverines tradition.

But we don’t live in that world.

We live in a world in which coaches at high-profile programs either win or find a new employer. That’s the nature of business—and it’s a big, multi-million-dollar business.

After going 5-7 this past season, Hoke was asked to vacate the premises, prompting the historic hire of Jim Harbaugh—he may not be the “savior” but Harbaugh is certainly qualified to incite rapid change for a team that hasn’t tasted a Big Ten championship in more than a decade.

In hindsight, Hoke, who was 31-20 overall and 18-14 in the league, wasn’t the right man for the job. But he was far from the wrong one.

Following Rodriguez’s ouster in 2010, Hoke went 11-2 and won the 2012 Sugar Bowl. It turned out to be a tease, but it was more appealing than the previous three years under Rodriguez, who went 15-22 (6-18 B1G) and was constantly bashed for straying from the status quo.

The hand-holding, Josh Groban stuff just didn’t make the grade. Wolverines supporters had enough, and Hoke, who wasn’t the first option, seemed like a logical and improved fit.

If even for a moment in January of 2012, Hoke had Michigan back in action. There would be no more embarrassing and heartbreaking losses to Michigan State. Ohio State would learn to again respect That Team Up North.

Things were going to change.

Of course, the next three years all but disproved that theory, but Hoke—along with former star quarterback Denard Robinson, who is another story for another day—found ways to thrust the Wolverines back into the spotlight in one way or another.

He recruited as well as anyone in the country. According to 247Sports, his classes ranked among the best for three consecutive years: The 2014 class was ranked No. 20, 2013 was No. 4 and 2012 was No. 6. He went to great lengths to sell the Michigan brand, leading to droves of pledges from elite recruits and a happy fanbase on national signing day.

He said coaching at Michigan was his “dream job” and that he’d walk from San Diego State, his former post, just to accept the position in Ann Arbor. His work ethic and pride in the program made that clear.

Hoke needed Michigan. Taking the job was a smart, financially sound career move. But Michigan also needed Hoke, who was a defensive assistant with the team from 1995 to 2002. He knew the lay of the land better than any outsider ever could.

He understood the idea of restoring glory and genuinely wanted to make it happen; he just couldn’t execute. But that’s not because he didn’t try. Given the circumstances following the dreadful stretch from 2008 to 2010, he was probably the only coach in all of football who saw the Wolverines as more than a gigantic paycheck.

Again, his heart was always in Ann Arbor—asking him to walk was quite difficult for interim athletic director Jim Hackett, who formerly cut ties Dec. 2.

“I met with coach Hoke today [Dec. 2] and informed him of my decision to make a change in the leadership of our football program,” Hackett said, via Sports Illustrated’s Zac Ellis. “This was not an easy decision given the level of respect that I have for Brady. He has done a great job of molding these young men, making them accountable to their teammates, focusing them on success in the classroom and in the community.

I wanted to make sure that Brady received adequate time to exhibit the results that would come from his effort and I believe that Brady and our coaching staff had enough time to produce those results and unfortunately they are not there. In the end, I feel that moving in a different direction is the right decision. I wish Brady and his family all the best in the future.”

During his introductory press conference on Dec. 30, Harbaugh showered his predecessor with praise, saying the transition would be easier because of the foundation set in place by Hoke. That wasn’t merely fodder or a way to play nice on the part of the new guy. 

Harbaugh meant it.

That same day, sophomore quarterback Shane Morris said that he and other players “loved” Hoke and were sad to see him leave. But they understood why he was replaced. Jack Miller, a junior center, and Drake Johnson, a redshirt sophomore running back, echoed similar thoughts, thanking their former coach for his time and honesty. 

By hiring coordinator Greg Mattison in 2011, Hoke helped restore a powerful Wolverines defense that's ranked among the top 15 during the past two seasons. Evidently a home-run hire by Hoke, Mattison was retained as a defensive line coach by Harbaugh. 

It must have been an odd feeling for Hoke—knowing that his days were numbered. His final two seasons were especially rough, giving more reason for Michigan to part ways according to the masses.

This past September, he left Morris—who was clearly concussed—in the line of fire versus Minnesota, which ended up winning at The Big House for the first time in three decades.

Afterward, Hoke claimed that he wasn’t aware that Morris was concussed. While later addressing the topic with the media, he said that he’d never intentionally jeopardize a player’s health. But his misstep helped promote positive change, as more eyes have been placed in the sky and along the sidelines all in the attempt to prevent another Morris-like disaster. 

The year prior, he was less than transparent while Brendan Gibbons, his star kicker, was investigated for an alleged sexual assault, a case stemming back to December 2011. Due to "family" issues, Gibbons left the program prior to the 2014 Buffalo Wilds Wings Bowl. 

However, Hoke wasted little time with Frank Clark, the team's top pass-rusher who allegedly beat his girlfriend at an Ohio resort this past November. Shortly after learning of the incident, Hoke released Clark, just days before playing the Buckeyes.

If anything, his tenure encouraged a stronger focus on player conduct away from the field, an issue that impacts every school, not just Michigan. 

Hoke was far from perfect when it came to handling delicate matters, and his negligence can't be defended. But he didn't publicly collapse under pressure. He didn't unravel at press conferences or play the blame game. 

He quietly sat there, absorbing the criticism all in the name of protecting his players and his program's brand, for better or worse. 

It’s difficult to look past Hoke’s inability to deliver on the field—he was the coach, and his job was to coach winning teams. 

Fans weren’t out of their minds for expecting league championships and future contention for more. Their very much likable coach set that bar, boldly proclaiming that anything short would be a disappointment in his eyes. 

But that didn’t happen.

He couldn’t assert Michigan as a conference power and he couldn’t get the best of Ohio State and Michigan State, the clear owners of the Big Ten.

Coach	OSU	MSU	Highlights
Rodriguez	0-3	0-3	Came close to beating MSU in 2009 (L, 26-20).
Hoke	1-3	1-3	Beat OSU in 2011, came close in 2013, hung for three quarters in 2014

If even just barely, Hoke inched Michigan one step closer to actually scoring victories over rivals, which was never possible under Rodriguez—his teams just didn’t show up for those Saturdays.

Hoke was a Band-Aid thrown over a deep and painful gouge. Harbaugh will be the one to stitch the tear, but credit Hoke for at least prepping it for surgery.

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references were obtained firsthand by the writer via press conference, post-game access or press release.