Michigan football coach Brady Hoke surprised by sanctions leveled against Ohio State coach Jim Tressel

By Pete Bigelow AnnArbor.com

Posted on Wed, Mar 9, 2011 : 2:35 p.m.

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel.

Suspended for the first two games of the 2011 season and fined $250,000, sanctions leveled by Ohio State against coach Jim Tressel on Tuesday were the talk of college football.

Michigan coach Brady Hoke declined to address specifics of the case - which involved Tressel’s players selling memorabilia - but he seemed genuinely seemed surprised his rival had been caught up in the aftermath.

“I’ve known Jim Tressel a long time,” Hoke said. “He’s a quality guy.”

Hoke spoke Wednesday at Schembechler Hall, where he outlined the Wolverines’ upcoming spring practices, introduced assistant coaches to media members and talked about his first two months on the job.

“He’s a dag-gone good football coach,” Hoke said of Tressel. “You know, I don’t know that situation, and I do know what we’re focused on here at Michigan.”

Pete Bigelow covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2551, via email at petebigelow@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.