The Hoke Factor

This hire is starting to sink in and I'm trying to make the best out of it. 

For example I am trying to figure out how David Brandon just hired a coach with a career record of 47-50.  I guess the only requirement for the Michigan job was to either have coached or played for the Wolverines.

• Brady's OC has a good reputation:   Al Borges, a two-time nominee for Frank Boyles Assistant Coach of the Year, who most recently helped lead Auburn to a 42-9 record and four bowl game appearances from 2004-07.  The SDSU Defensive Coordinator is expected to replace Brady as the head coach.  Al is expected to come to Michigan with Brady.
• Calvin Magee and Tony Gibson have already gotten jobs at Pitt.  So they are out as options for the new Michigan staff.
• RR is expected to take at least a year off. 
• I would expect that Mike Barwis will be retained but that is just my opinion.  Which will help keep the current players happy.
• I would also expect that Fred Jackson will be retained.  Since they both coached together at  Michigan.
• The players seem excited about Brady.
• It seems Tom Brady, Charles Woodson and Steve Hutchinson recommended Hoke.
• Overall former players seem happy at the Hoke hire.  Which clearly was not the case in the RR hire.
• Keeping the recruiting class together is job #1 (maybe job #2 after keeping Denard happy).   Here is what Tom Lemming had to say about Brady:  "Most people don't know that Hoke is a great recruiter," Lemming said. "Hoke has more ties than someone like Les Miles in the Midwest. I would imagine (he) would keep Fred Jackson.
• Brandon said that Miles and Harbaugh weren't offered the head coaching job at Michigan. 

I have to admit after researching and writing this post, I feel better about the hire.  I would prefer a big name hire as Michigan's Defensive Coordinator someone like Randy Shannon, as an example.  It's also very key that he does a good job at keeping players from transferring, mostly Denard.

The next priority is to work non-stop these next 3 weeks on trying to keep the 2011 recruiting class together while adding some missing pieces as well.

If he can do those things, I think the Michigan faithful will go a long way in accepting him as the new leader of our historic program.