Know Your Coach: Brady Hoke

Usually, this post topic is reserved for Know Your Foe, detailing the non-X's and O's things you might not know about Michigan's weekly opponent.   But with the hiring of a new football coach this week - on the 19th in Michigan's 131 seasons of playing intercollegiate football - we thought you, the loyal MZone reader, would like to get to know your new coach just a little bit more.


HOKE'S PLAYING DAYS

Born in November, 1958 in Dayton, OH, Hoke graduated from Fairmont East High School in Kettering, OH and went on to play linebacker for Ball State where he was a four-year letterman.  He was the captain of his squad senior year and a second-team All-MAC selection.  He graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice, something that will come on handy when discussing the Ohio State team with his players.

According the Wikipedia link above, his dad played for Woody Hayes at Miami of Ohio but Brady always was a Michigan fan growing up which much have led to some interesting discussions around the dinner table.

EARLY COACHING DAYS

According (again) to Wikipedia (let's face it, there aren't a whole hell of a lot of other Hoke sources out there...yet!), Hoke began his coaching career in 1982 as the defensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Yorktown HS in Yorktown, Indiana.

Hoke's college coaching career started as the D-line coach for Grand Valley State in '83.  The following year he took the same job at Western Michigan where the coach was a guy by the name of Jack, father of Jim, Harbaugh.  Hoke stayed at Western until '86

Hoke then went to the University of Toledo and Oregon State before joining...

MICHIGAN

As you probably know by know, Hoke was part of the Michigan coaching staff from '95 until 2002.  But what you might not know, which I didn't, was that Hoke was hired, not by Lloyd Carr, but by Moeller in February of '95.   When Moeller was fired, Carr kept Hoke on his staff.  He was defensive ends coach in '95 and '96 and D-line coach from '97 until 2002.  That final year, Hoke was also Michigan's assistant head coach.

During those years, Michigan won 5 Big Ten titles and 1 NC.  Hoke still wears his NC ring each day and, to the best of our knowledge, has not sold any of his Big Ten title rings nor traded them for tats.

While at Michigan, Hoke was known as a great recruiter and was in charge of recruiting California.  One of the players he recruited was some QB you might have heard of: Tom Brady.

BALL STATE AND SDSU

In December, 2002, Hoke left A2 to coach his alma mater, Ball State for $125,000 a year (or as they call that in the SEC, "Back-up tight end money").  Taking over a team that hadn't won since '96, Hoke's first three teams struggled as well.  But in his 4th year, they went 5-7, then went 7-6 and finally 12-1 when Hoke was hired to coach San Diego State.

At San Diego State, Hoke signed a 5-year contract worth a guaranteed $3.5 Mil (or as they call that in the SEC, the waterboy's buy-out amount).  He took over a 2-10 team that hadn't had a winning season since '98.  They went 4-8 his first year and 9-4 this past season with a Poinsettia Bowl victory over Navy.  This was the Aztecs' first bowl victory since the Beatles were still together.

COACHING POTPOURRI

Coach Hoke was one of 10 finalists for the 2008 Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year and was named Mid-American Coach of the Year in 2008 and American Football Coaches Association Football Bowl Subdivision Region 3 Coach of the Year.

His overall coaching record, as all the folks already bitching will tell you, is 47-50 (of course they always neglect to mention he took over two corpses and brought them both back to life).

PERSONAL LIFE

Hoke is married to the former Laura Homberger, who is also a Ball State alum, and they have one daughter.  His younger brother, John, is the secondary coach of the Chicago Bears.

He is said to look like Fred Flinstone, Jeff Garlin from Curb Your Enthusiasm, Steve Schirripa from The Sopranos, and a tad like the deceased Penn brother.

His Facebook page is pretty empty and he is not (yet) a Tweeter.  He got his dream job, pounds the podium when he speaks and refers to Tosu as the most important game on Michigan's schedule and "that school from Ohio."

Those who worked with him and played for him say he's a great guy and one heck of a coach.

Hell, yes: I'm excited!

Go Blue!

(Hoke Hope pic on the right via HSR)

And for cryin' out loud, if you haven't watched it yet and want to get pumped about both Michigan football and our new head coach (to hell with the naysayers), watch his introductory press conference: