Bye, Bye Brady Hoke

Arguably the best coach in the history of the Ball State Cardinal's football team will be departing...  Because Jo Ann Gora disrespected the entire staff.

Brady Hoke has a 34-38 record (before this years bowl game) in his six years at Ball State, but that doesn't tell the whole story.

Hoke took over a program that was THE joke of college football.  A program that was once considered the worst in the country by David Duffey.  A program that wouldn't have been this good without the recruiting skills, eyes for talent, and ability to work with the student athletes had Hoke not been able to hand pick and select his staff.

You can call me Jason Whitlock Jr., but that’s OK with me.  On the issue of whether or not Gora is the worst thing to ever happen to Ball State Athletics, Whitlock is 100% right.

Reportedly, after receiving an offer for a raise, Hoke asked about his assistants.  Gora refused.

Hoke became a finalist for the San Diego State job this week and traveled out to California to interview.  According to ESPN, he has accepted.

The problem with all this is that Ball State had the opportunity to lock him up.  All it was going to take is a raise for the assistants, and an office.

When you have a coach that is willing to be dealt a poor deal (the deal was reported around just $350,000 per year) and has proven he can recruit, you give him what he wants.

The biggest problem here is that since Hoke is all but gone, it’s almost a certainty that you will hear Nate Davis’ name on day one of the NFL draft.  Davis won’t come back without Hoke, not that I thought he was coming back anyways, but now you can almost take it to the bank.

So much is lost now that Hoke departs from the university, but this is more about the administration.  There is a lesson here for other smaller universities, and it’s give your winning coach what he wants, especially if it’s just a raise for the assistants and an office.