Brady Hoke: Using the Past To Predict His Future at Michigan

Now that it is official and our rivals to the north have secured their next head coach, it's time to try and figure out if the Hokester is for real. 

Honestly, it is humorous to see the reaction of Michigan fans, most of whom have chosen one of two extremes. 

On the one hand, some of the faithful are crying out in anger, frustrated that they couldn't hire a big name to lure five-star talent to Ann Arbor from Day One.  In their minds, Michigan is still an elite top-ten program and they consider Hoke a joke. 

At the opposite end of the spectrum are those who are comparing the new coach to Jim Tressel, as if they got their own version of the Sweater Vest. 

Rob Oller of the Dispatch quickly squelched that notion in the following article that actually called Hoke the anti-Tressel. 

Most reasonable scUM fans (all three of them) realize that Brady Hoke is a step up from RichRod, and are adopting the same "wait and see" attitude most in Buckeye Nation took a decade ago when Tressel was announced as the main man. 

So the question arises, can we predict with any accuracy whether the new guy will be successful?

I believe that a brief look at the past may hold some potential for answering our question.  So who is Brady Hoke, and what does his resume look like? 

The 52-year-old was born in Dayton, Ohio, graduating from Fairmont East High School in 1977.  His dad actually played for Woody Hayes at Miami (Ohio), and like his father, Brady wound up at a a MAC school, playing linebacker for the Ball State Cardinals. 

After serving as an assistant at a number of places, he eventually wound up at Michigan in 1995 where he coached the defensive line, winding up as the Associate Head Coach in 2002. 

Hoke was then hired as the head coach at Ball State, where he remained seven years, before taking over at San Diego State in 2009.

Two things immediately jump out from this brief bio: 1) He is, indeed, a Michigan man, in the sense that he coached there for eight years, and 2) He cut his teeth coaching defense (mostly defensive line), which has to be welcome news to the ears of all Wolverine fans. 

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While it is impossible to predict how someone will do when they hit the big stage and face the scrutiny and pressure of the bright lights, Hoke's reputation as a program builder is well earned.  Consider his record each year as a head coach:

Ball State:
2003: 4-8 (Tied 4th in MAC West at 3-5)
2004: 2-9 (6th in MAC West, 2-6)
2005: 4-7 (5th in MAC West, 4-4)
2006: 5-7 (Tied 3rd in MAC West, 5-3)
2007: 7-6 (Tied 2nd in MAC West, 5-2)...lost in International Bowl
2008:12-1 (First in MAC West, 8-0)...lost in GMAC Bowl, though Hoke did not coach that game

San Diego State:
2009: 4-8 (7th in Mountain West, 2-6)
2010: 9-4 (Tied 3rd in Mountain West, 5-3)...won Poinsettia Bowl

A cursory look at his record shows a coach who has taken weak teams and helped them improve. 

When he returned to his alma mater Ball State had long been the joke of college football (thanks partially to alum David Letterman) and Hoke was able to turn them around, in part due to recruiting quarterback Nate Davis. 

And, he was quickly working his magic at San Diego State as well.  Hoke is a hard-nosed competitor who told everyone Michigan was his dream job, and it won't be a circus atmosphere in Ann Arbor any longer. 

He likes to close practices, and his teams feature physical play, all of which ought to go over well in his new locale.  

Personally, I think he has his work cut out for him, trying to appease a mostly spoiled, unrealistic fanbase while attempting to win recruiting battles with Jim Tressel, among others. 

However, I do have a feeling Hoke will wind up being a good coach.  Will Michigan get back to the top?  My guess is not on a regular basis. 

But I think this blue-collar coach will bring old-fashioned Wolverine football back to Ann Arbor and will make the Maize and Blue relevant again. 

Honestly, that would be good for the Big Ten and for the rivalry, even though it wouldn't upset me if we duplicated the last decade and won nine of the next 10.