It's an outrage! How dare they suggest Hoke is on the hot-seat? :-)
At this point including Hoke on such a list is an exercise in repetition. That he's under pressure to succeed in 2014 is obvious. The only question is where he falls on the list, and that's a function of how much latitude he has.
I think Hoke has more latitude than the #2 on that list suggests. He's definitely lower on the list than Muschamp. But I think he's also lower than Holgorsen.
I'm looking forward to 2014 to see *how* Michigan plays ... not merely what the record turns out to be. 2013 showed Michigan poorly -- poor execution and poor heart. I'm hoping 2014 shows Michigan with better execution and an improved sense of commitment.
Hoke is absolutely on the hot seat. It's his fourth year, and he has yet to show that he has the program going in the right direction, he has yet to show that he can get top-flight on field production from all of the talent he's recruited. Quite a few other coaches have stepped up major programs in four years, so Hoke and his staff are really out of excuses.
The people arguing that Dave Brandon won't fire Hoke after 2014 no matter what, are assuming that he still gets a reasonable result, like 7-5/8-4, and in that case, they may be right (though I'm not so sure), but the fact is that Hoke is in a position now where a bad enough season WILL get him fired. 5-7 would certainly see him gone. On the other hand, for guys not on the hot seat, like Meyer or Dantonio, there's probably no one season that would be bad enough to get them canned after 2014. If MSU went 5-7 this year, people would be pissed and wonder what the hell was going on, but Dantonio has done enough good things in his tenure there that he'd keep his job.
I think he is definitely under pressure, and a season at 6-6 or lower could most certainly get him canned. Even if Michigan ends up with a good record (say 9-3), how Michigan plays and how well we play against MSU, Ohio, and ND will be key factors. To say he is on the proverbial hot seat is an offseason tool to generate more clicks. Yes, he is under more pressure than Meyer and Dantonio. And the next two seasons (maybe 1) will determine his future at Michigan. However, given his recruiting classes are just coming to maturation, we just added a top-end O-Coordinator, and the 2015 season returns the entire offense sans Gardner (and maybe Funchess if things go well this year) and most of the defense (losing Taylor, Ryan, Morgan, Clark, and Beyer, but adds a lot too), I think we can expect big things coming. Hopefully that will cement his position with the program.
He needs 1 more year to truly see the full fruits of his labor but I don't think he gets it. This is his last season as Michigan Football Head Coach. This is predicated on the belief that the team will go 7-5 with losses to all three major rivals. I just don't see enough out of this team to really hang with the cream of the conference much less in hostile territory.
He would have better chances if he had only replaced some more of his assistant coaches from new Youngblood upgrades. Funk, Jackson, and Mallory and Smith are not the A Team and I think a younger, more aggressive, and tested group would have been preferable. I hope Hoke pulls it off with the changes in positions and a new OC because I really like his love for the university and the players.
Agreed..Funk should have been gone after last year, but Borges ended up taking the fall for a poor offensive performance. Fred Jackson just seems to hang around forever, for reasons which escape me. We could use some fresh blood there, too.
I think 8 wins or more gets Hoke another year. 7 wins might be enough if the offensive line looks like it's headed in the right direction and none of the losses are embarrassing. 6 wins or fewer, I think he's out unless there were extraordinary circumstances such as an unusually bad run of injuries.
I think if UM changes coaches every 3-4 years, we will have seen the last of a good recruiting class
ReplyDeleteThese are better choices than your typical fare!
ReplyDeleteIt's an outrage! How dare they suggest Hoke is on the hot-seat? :-)
ReplyDeleteAt this point including Hoke on such a list is an exercise in repetition. That he's under pressure to succeed in 2014 is obvious. The only question is where he falls on the list, and that's a function of how much latitude he has.
I think Hoke has more latitude than the #2 on that list suggests. He's definitely lower on the list than Muschamp. But I think he's also lower than Holgorsen.
I'm looking forward to 2014 to see *how* Michigan plays ... not merely what the record turns out to be. 2013 showed Michigan poorly -- poor execution and poor heart. I'm hoping 2014 shows Michigan with better execution and an improved sense of commitment.
Hoke is absolutely on the hot seat. It's his fourth year, and he has yet to show that he has the program going in the right direction, he has yet to show that he can get top-flight on field production from all of the talent he's recruited. Quite a few other coaches have stepped up major programs in four years, so Hoke and his staff are really out of excuses.
ReplyDeleteThe people arguing that Dave Brandon won't fire Hoke after 2014 no matter what, are assuming that he still gets a reasonable result, like 7-5/8-4, and in that case, they may be right (though I'm not so sure), but the fact is that Hoke is in a position now where a bad enough season WILL get him fired. 5-7 would certainly see him gone. On the other hand, for guys not on the hot seat, like Meyer or Dantonio, there's probably no one season that would be bad enough to get them canned after 2014. If MSU went 5-7 this year, people would be pissed and wonder what the hell was going on, but Dantonio has done enough good things in his tenure there that he'd keep his job.
I think he is definitely under pressure, and a season at 6-6 or lower could most certainly get him canned. Even if Michigan ends up with a good record (say 9-3), how Michigan plays and how well we play against MSU, Ohio, and ND will be key factors. To say he is on the proverbial hot seat is an offseason tool to generate more clicks. Yes, he is under more pressure than Meyer and Dantonio. And the next two seasons (maybe 1) will determine his future at Michigan. However, given his recruiting classes are just coming to maturation, we just added a top-end O-Coordinator, and the 2015 season returns the entire offense sans Gardner (and maybe Funchess if things go well this year) and most of the defense (losing Taylor, Ryan, Morgan, Clark, and Beyer, but adds a lot too), I think we can expect big things coming. Hopefully that will cement his position with the program.
DeleteHe needs 1 more year to truly see the full fruits of his labor but I don't think he gets it. This is his last season as Michigan Football Head Coach. This is predicated on the belief that the team will go 7-5 with losses to all three major rivals. I just don't see enough out of this team to really hang with the cream of the conference much less in hostile territory.
ReplyDeleteHe would have better chances if he had only replaced some more of his assistant coaches from new Youngblood upgrades. Funk, Jackson, and Mallory and Smith are not the A Team and I think a younger, more aggressive, and tested group would have been preferable. I hope Hoke pulls it off with the changes in positions and a new OC because I really like his love for the university and the players.
ReplyDeleteAgreed..Funk should have been gone after last year, but Borges ended up taking the fall for a poor offensive performance. Fred Jackson just seems to hang around forever, for reasons which escape me. We could use some fresh blood there, too.
DeleteI think 8 wins or more gets Hoke another year. 7 wins might be enough if the offensive line looks like it's headed in the right direction and none of the losses are embarrassing. 6 wins or fewer, I think he's out unless there were extraordinary circumstances such as an unusually bad run of injuries.
ReplyDelete