Keith

Sat, Jan 15, 2011 : 5:51 p.m.

I think this is a smart move by DR. If you stay you will have the supporting cast. If you leave it becomes ground zero.

JGS

Sat, Jan 15, 2011 : 9:23 a.m.

A coach in the 80's once told me a very simple phrase that's remained with me to this day: "IF THEY DON'T SCORE, THEY DON'T WIN" Simple enough right? No catchy phrase, but if you think about it the message is crystal clear. I've borrowed this phrase throughout my life coaching kids (no I am small fries and have no affiliation with any university in the state of Michigan). Too much rambling...sorry - In short, GO Coach Hoke and show us that great defensive background you have!

1st Down

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 6:55 p.m.

Dusty is clairvoyant. He can talk to Bo beyond the grave.

Cilantro84

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 6:32 p.m.

I'm actually interested to see how Devin Gardner fits into Brady Hoke's system. He looked pretty decent when he hit the field during the Bowling Green game. Granted, the degree of difficulty factor is pretty low if you use that as the only reference point. I think Shoelace is a phenom, no questions asked. In reality, he's the most dynamic player Michigan has had on the roster since Mario Manningham. You can even make a case to say since Charles Woodson. As for his mechanics, that comes with good coaching. As much as people are bashing Rich Rod, which is understandable, he was one of few coaches that believed in Shoelace enough to coach him as a Quarterback. That's commendable. A lot of "smash-mouth" or "pro-style" offenses would've recruited him as a gadget back, or slot receiver, because he has "quick feet". SMH. Gotta love conservative coaches. The same conservative coaches in the Big Ten that got demolished by a dominant SEC team, or even a great Pac-10 team. It's time for the Big 10 as a whole to realize that these offensive schemes have become archaic. Didn't the BIG 10 only go 3-5 this bowl season. That screams out overrated. I hope for the sake of the Michigan "Tradition", and the respect of the conference, that The Wolverines find a way to utilize their skill players properly. Let's be honest, outside of the Capital One bowl victory against Florida, The Wolverines haven't won a bowl game almost a decade. Oh yeah, I forgot the Outback Bowl, against Florida in 2002. Not to mention their record against BCS Conference teams this past decade has been pretty sub-par. HUGE blowouts against Oregon, USC, and a "middle of the pack" SEC team like Mississippi State. The demise of Michigan Football has been a slow process, with great Big-10 victories, but no bowl victories to cap off the season. With that said, we'll see what Brady Hoke can do. I hope he isn't just another yes man, that wants to satisfy the alumni and boosters. As for Denard, we have special player, and it's the JOB of the coaching staff to create a scheme that can best fit his skill set. Do we need him to throw 60-yard fade routes and 20-yard frozen ropes on a slant route? I don't think so. His mobility is his primary threat, and if one of the many capable tailbacks can emerge as a consistent running threat, Denard won't be forced have 20-25 carries a game. BUT..putting the shackles on this man's raw ability is a big mistake. I end this with saying, GO BLUE!!!! But...it's time for a system re-evaluation.

Blu-n-Tpa

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 5:21 p.m.

Dusty you were saved by the censor. Sorry you missed it. If you check the timing most recent post vs the MCiMFH are rebutals. So if you write something suspect you can count on someone jumping in with both feet. So let's put on some music by Josh, dim the lights, open a bottle of fine wine and ignore the last 3 years, together. Isn't that better already.

Chilltime

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 5:19 p.m.

Denard, God Bless you for loving Michigan, being loyal to the university and wanting that degree that reads the University of Michigan. If you ask me you should get out while you can. Welcome back 8-4 and 9-3! Big Ten Champs every 3-4 years and blowouts losses in the Rose Bowl! I'm excited! RichRod wasn't the answer! I don't believe Hoke is either! But I'm just a fan, what do I know

Dusty

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 5 p.m.

And by the way, Bo would be embarassed by the way you people are speaking about a Michigan Man like Rich Rodriguez. And make no mistake: Rich Rod was a Michigan Man by Bo's very own definition.

Dusty

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 4:53 p.m.

1st Down: You can't believe we're still talking about him? Have you noticed how many people are still BASHING him? What's the difference?

Amaiz'nblu

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 3:59 p.m.

Yeah Urban Meyer would be great for osu.. he only had what..30 players arrested during his tenure at UF? LOL! GO BLUE!!!

1st Down

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 3:44 p.m.

I cant believe that the small hand full of Rich Rod slappies are still here talking about him... hmmmm you know, come to think of it..yeah I can believe it... they cant let it go, he failed.

AceDeuce

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 3:26 p.m.

Thanks D-Rob! Ann Arbor's got your back. GO BLUE!!!!

kidmich

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:57 p.m.

sameollions says... "With Denard back, the pressure is on Coach Hoax. Now he has to have at least the same record as Rich Rod's last year, or bust! No excuse." Excuse me, and exactly who are you, again? No excuse for what? Who are you Judge Judy? Like your, or my, opinon carries any weight, with the University of Michigan. What happens if Mr. Hoke goes 3-9. Does that mean you will stop posting here? At least that would be a nice consolation, for a horrible season. You are just a little too self absorbed, lighten up. And on a completely unrelated subject, I want to give my support to Dusty Haupt. I am totally for Brady Hoke, but I respect RR very much. I'm not so much of an offensive guy, as I am a believer, in a dominating defense. I've said it a million times, defense wins championships. I feel RR had an insurmountable job, installing a completely foreign offense. And I think this led him to initially neglect the defense, plus the fact you start the youngest defense, probably in the country. I don't think even the harshest RR fan can find much fault, at what the Michigan offense was able to do, this year. I realize that it wasn't perfect, but it put up enough points to win at least three more games, Iowa, Penn State and Wisconsin, and quite possibly a fourth, if you consider the rivalry between UofM and MSU. But I digress, my point is that I liked RR, and still do. Do I think Michigan will do better with Mr. Hoke, yes. But fans need to let go of the ill feelings towards RR, and move on. What I don't agree with Mr. Haupt on, is Tate Forcier. I say if Tate wants to remain at Michigan, that is great news. DR has not proven to anyone, he can remain injury free. And I see many fans have already pulled out their crystal balls, from the attic, and have predicted that somehow Denard is not going to be injured, next season. To all those fans that are predicting the future health of DR, please post your Powerball numbers, so we can all get rich, or not. Tate is more than capable enough, to be the back-up QB. And even though Mr. Hoke took over SDSU, as Tate was enrolling, at Michigan, I'm sure Mr. Hoke knows a little something about Tate. So I feel,(and yes no crystal balls, just my opinion), Mr. Hoke can use Tate effectively, if the need should arise. The individual I worry about, is Devin Gardner. If I'm wrong, please correct me. He was recruited to run RR's offense. I'm pretty sure he was a red-shirt, last season. So is Mr. Hoke going to change his offensive philosophy, and tailor his offense to Mr. Gardner, for the next three years? Does Mr. Hoke already run the spread offense, and it will be no problem, keeping Mr. Gardner? Or can Mr. Gardner adapt to the style, of offense, Mr. Hoke wishes to employ? I admit I am ignorant, as to the style of offense, Mr. Hoke wishes to employ, at Michigan.

johnnya2

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:47 p.m.

"I DON'T support all you freaks who continue to bash a guy who gave everything he had for the school for 3 years only to be toyed with for a month and then cut loose." Toyed with? You can;t be serious. The guy had a CONTRACT and a JOB. Mr Brandon told him from DAY ONE. You will be evaluated AFTER the season. So the boss did EXACTLY what he said he was going to do and somehow RR has been "toyed" with. Intelligent men like Dave Brandon wait until ALL the facts are in before making a decision. It's possible if Brandon saw tremendous progress on and OFF the field he might have considered giving RR another shot. RR again failed miserably at the challenge of one game. It was not even a competitive game. This vaunted offensive genius was shown to be a fraud. I also take exception to the term "he gave it all he had". No, he gave his professional life to it. He still had time for his wife and kids as he should. He was COMPENSATED quite nicely to "give it his all". I am waiting to hear about a single football coach in America who only gave it partial effort. If I had an employee who did not give his/her all professionally I would fire them. You seem to confuse efforts with results. The results are, RR was a miserable failure AND a CHEATER. I can live with losing football games. I have said from day one, that I would not support a University that allows cheaters to coach the team.

Smiley

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:37 p.m.

Excellent news! Denard is the man!!

GoBlue13

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:35 p.m.

Denard stays great! Now Coach has four things left to do 1 Help Tate Forcier get his head on straight. Coach Hoke says it about the team. Michigan is a family and he needs help. Say what you want about him, but he helped the program and is an asset to Michigan. He could of transferred but he didn't. He's a Wolverine!! Tate is a kid not a professional. 2 Go get D. Hart I don't care what you have to do. 3 Get a Kicker, either keep the recruit we have or FIND ONE! 4 Keep the recruits we have. I know I'm probably the only one who likes or sees promise in Tate, but I think Coach Hoke can help this kid. At some point Michigan will have to return to a pro-style offense. I'm NOT saying replace Denard with Tate but something needs to be figured out at least between Denard and Devin at some point one of them should be a slot guy ie Percy Harvin. If not, how do we get these two on the field together. Devin isn't going to be on the bench for 2 years. Any thoughts of what will be done with these 2 or three guys?

Ryan Seeley

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:28 p.m.

@superbuck remind me.. what is urban meyers record against UofM

superbuck

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:20 p.m.

We only have until 2014 until Mr. conserVESTive retires. That is when the second wave of terror rains down on Mich. after Urban Meyer comes out of retirement to take the head coaching job of the Buckeyes.

umgoblue47

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:10 p.m.

superbuck... you wan't to talk about unfair... your 5/ncaa violator's should not have played in the bowl game! teflon tress did it again! (if it don't stick, look the other way quick)GO BLUE...

missionbrazil

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 1:17 p.m.

superbuck "RR would still be head coach if he would have only won 1 game last season. If he would have beaten OSU all would have been forgiven" Perhaps it would have been a better long term strategy on Tressel's part to lose that 1 game, and then beat up on RR again for the next few years. Too late now.

superbuck

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:46 p.m.

The other thing I feel about your schedule for next season. It is not fair to play SDSU you hired the guy that knows everything about these players and the program this game should be switched out with another team. The only thing that would be great would be to see them beat Mich.

superbuck

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:34 p.m.

RR would still be head coach if he would have only won 1 game last season. If he would have beaten OSU all would have been forgiven

Ryan Seeley

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:26 p.m.

"My hope is that we can run both offenses based on what the defense is giving us. I have always wondered why Lloyd Carr didn't use the offense all season that he unveiled against Florida in his final bowl game." i wonder that same thing myself. We had so many great recievers and that look just made it to difficult to defend everybody, especially with Hart still in the backfield. Moving on, I really do not think the defense is going to be all that bad. Most of it is the lack of experience, lack of defensive coaching, and Greg Robinson (who is not a good coach to begin with)being forced to run a system he is not himself comfortable with. For more on my take on the 11' Wolverines, mainly the defense, read my blog http://sportsnation.espn.go.com/fans/TStormy022#/fans/thebiggesthouse2010/blog

missionbrazil

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:14 p.m.

Blu-n-Tpa "So, let's look forward to getting some recruits THIS year and with DRob and MMartin providing leadership on the student level and DB, BH, FJ, the new OC, ABorges, providing leadership by the AD and coaches, things are already much better than last week." I say amen to that! Let's go forward... we have many reasons to have a positive outlook, especially with what has happened in the last few days. It would be great to not have to hear all of the wacky conspiracy theories or any more talk about our last HC... what was his name? It's a new era in UM football.

Blu-n-Tpa

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:05 p.m.

@ LS It is indeed a new world order. I agree. Is Trgovac intrested? Ex-DC at he pro level at Carolina and has college experience plus he's an ex-Michigan player. (Note:did NOT use the term "Michigan M--") I hope with the money DB saved on hiring BH that UM spends some of it on experienced, proven assistants. (BH who's the BEST STs coach available/willing to move? GO GET HIM!!) @Cash Knew Coach Jackson would land on his feet. Especially when DB took BH as the new HC.. Knows him and knows his work. Great recruiter and brings continuity over the past 20 years of Michigan football. Coach Jackson is a great example of being a "Michigan Ma...Guy" Michigan guy, that what I mean. I believe FJ was the assistant HC under LC and BH was a assoc. HC under LC. And that was back when Michigan football won games. A lot of games. So, let's look forward to getting some recruits THIS year and with DRob and MMartin providing leadership on the student level and DB, BH, FJ, the new OC, ABorges, providing leadership by the AD and coaches, things are already much better than last week. Go Blue!

missionbrazil

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:04 p.m.

Portage "Your all full of yourselves" That's the way Portage, keep working on unifying everyone for the sake of the UM program.

missionbrazil

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:03 p.m.

Portage "RR was the real deal..." If the "real deal" means the following, then you are correct: * worst HC in the long long long history of UM football * a "real deal" career losing record in the BT of 6-18 * has a "real deal" best BT finish of 7th place in 3 years. * winner of the "real deal" award for the worst UM bowl loss ever. * a "real deal" losing record of 0-3 vs OSU * a "real deal" losing record of 1-10 vs Wiscy, MSU, PSU, Iowa "now we sweep him under the carpet." I believe everyone here wishes you WOULD sweep him under the carpet and get over your obsession with him already. But you keep going on and on and on and on about your man crush friend. Get over it Portage... your guy is gone! And he left with a "real deal" losing record and a "real deal" horrendous BT record.

Lorain Steelmen

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 11:54 a.m.

I still don't understand those that still want to bash Rodriguez, or the 'spread'. When you critize him you hurt Michigan, you hurt our unity,and you hurt our image, to those prospective coaches and recuits outside. I supprted him, for many reasons. He brought in some great kids, and tried to change the culture of entitlement here. Ask Brock Mealer if he was a bad guy. He was distorted to fit posters agendas. I always felt we had two Carr's. Carr 1, from '95 to '00, and Carr 2 from '01 to '07. But during the entire 13 years here, I supported Lloyd, even in '06 and '07, when the fans turned against him. But he was responsible for much of the problems we have now. Lets' hope that Hoke gets the time needed to rebuild this program before the bashers, and haters start to rip him apart. I for one am excited by what I see and hear. If he uses a blend of pro-style and spread, then more power to him. Im not saying that Hoke is perfect by any means, but I think his pros outweigh his negatives, and he WANTS TO BE HERE! It will be good to see UM get physical again on defense. With the exception of '06, it's been 10 years since we've seen that around here. Let's get to work, and start working on title number 43.

Lorain Steelmen

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 11:31 a.m.

tulsatom. I am also pleased that Drob is back. But for all his obvious skills, I think he will thrive under Hoke, BECAUSE, at his core, DROb is just a great kid! He has the knack of being a competitor, but also being a 'team first' guy. IF Hoke, is as genuine as he appears to be, these two will strike it off well. Here's a thought. I understand Scott Leoffler may be available. Turning to the defense, my biggest concern is, WHO,Hoke brings in as DC and the various postion coaches. His DC at SDSU is staying there as HC. Whoops! I remember durign the search that Mike Trgovac's name was mentioned. I know he's involved with the Packers right now, but would he come back? Would Hoke even want him? There are a lot of decisiosn to be made. But lets' not overlook that these kids have put in a lot of foundational work. They may be closer than we think, to becoming a decent defensive unit. Food for thought, and commentary, over the next few days and weeks.

Papabear151

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 11:26 a.m.

Chiro19 Hoke doesnt run a pass heavy offense, he prefers run heavy. Use the backs to set up the pass. You are right, this requires deep passing as well but rr never was able to get the backs and everything else working right to get denards abilities working (mid to late season). Throw in some power backs, increase denards passing performance some, and overall increase in team size... I'd say this offense isn't going to rip up weaker teams like it did last year but it'll be way more solid against the brunt of the conference.(yeah i know, another hyped strength coach, but he has been making monsters out of the players he had).

walter

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 11:20 a.m.

Denard's decision shows that he is truly a "Michigan Man"

PortageLkBlu

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 11:04 a.m.

Blu tpa Keep trying son at least it's good to know you can laugh at yourself by trying to keep up with me. Go Blue!

discgolfgeek

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 10:59 a.m.

I am forced to comment on Murrow's stats. 1) Offenses and particularly spread offenses require more time to get back up to speed after a long layoff. 2) For what it's worth, during the season, Oregon's spread offense won the battle against Stanford's pro offense. My hope is that we can run both offenses based on what the defense is giving us. I have always wondered why Lloyd Carr didn't use the offense all season that he unveiled against Florida in his final bowl game.

Blu-n-Tpa

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 10:51 a.m.

@PnLk Oh, I thought you would have figured it out. WCiMFH=Worse COACH in Michigan Football History. Worse bowl loss EVER, even after knowing that his job was on the line. Even after two back-to-back losses that demostrated a rollover defense, nonexsisent special teams, and a underperforming offense, which was suppose to be his strenght. I'm sorry you have a problem understanding this but keep at it, I have faith you will get it, eventually.

chiro19

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 10:44 a.m.

Oregon ran a spread more similar to Michigans old offense, based on the option read. Auburn ran plays here and there with it. The style of football that the option read is, is very difficult to run in the big ten when you have smaller athletes running it! The case and point is this last year when michigan started getting injured when they went up against bigger, stronger competition. That does not mean you should eliminate it completely from your play book. The RR era was an era of non-adaptation (sorry if I just created a word). He had no ability to adapt to the personel he had. I.E. Threet running the option read! RR will not get a big league shot at another school in the near future. Look for him to become a OC somewhere first. It goes beyond his inabilities as a coach on the field. He may go to the mountain west or MAC, I doubt the big east as a HC but the other major conference teams I seriously doubt will pick him up as a HC! Especially if they have to transition from a traditional offense to a spread. And to think he will come back and put it on Michigan is silly. I think at this point if RR took over a program Brandon and Hoke would like to schedule him for all 13 games! You can count on no D, a speradic offense, and horrendous special teams. Imagine this last year if Denard was not a special runner and Tate was the starter. This team would not have been bowl eligible. I would imagine Hoke will go to an offense similar to Auburns and away from Oregons to keep DR healthy and move more towards a traditional offense. The whole thing with Tate and DR and Devin is weird. If you look back at michigan QB's all three are major downgrades in the passing game! None can read defenses and hit secondary receivers in routes more than 5 yards off the line of scrimage on a consitant basis. There has only been about 5 qbs in the last 20-30 years able to run well and throw in a complex system. (Steve Young, Mike Vick, Charlie Ward, Donovan McNabb, John Elway) What happened when DR went to his secondary read downfield this last year? Double cluch pick! It is something he has to get better at if he is going to succeed in a heavy pass offense. I think he can and will it just takes time and good coaching. Devin is so young that he has the ability to grow and be more like a vince young. Tate I just dont see it, he is a great back up and compared to the others because of his experience. He needed to go to a pro style system to really work on his footwork and reads and not the system that RR had in place. Hopefully he grows a bit and succeeds somewhere else! GO BLUE

Amaiz'nblu

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 10:40 a.m.

And to clear up any misunderstandings about my RR never stood a chance cause we didnt give him a chance comment.. i was refering to when he was first hired the an base divided on him just like they are for hoke... as of right now..cause hes not the big name evryone seemed to want.. I am not one of those people! im glad we took a relatively nameless coach over money hungry "top" coaches..or hot names.. we all saw how that worked out last time.. good bye rich.. hello hoke!

tulsatom

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 10:39 a.m.

I'm also relieved that Denard will be back. Although his talent was well suited to the spread offense. he should also thrive under Hoke, who promised to tailor his offense around Denard's abilities. With that said, look for recruits who are bigger and stronger to start coming to Ann Arbor in upcoming years. Combining the existing speed and finesse with a strong run game that can get you 3 yards and 3rd and 1 should allow for a more balanced offense and will keep defenses guessing. However, the biggest challenge will be on defense where they need a lot more strength and skill at almost every position. The defense is another story. It will take longer to fix because it was neglected so much over time but Hoke's specialty is defense, so it might get better sooner than I thought.

PortageLkBlu

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 10:35 a.m.

Blu tpa could you say that again in English? I might be able to use some of that for my next act if I could understand what the heck your trying to say?

GettingBluer

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 10:31 a.m.

Theo's Brother ended with: "...while our beyond porous defense can be retooled." It wasn't even that it was JUST porous. Remember the bowl game? They didn't even know that they were SUPPOSED to be on the field at times...well, at least one of them who shall remain nameless as I see that as a coaching issue.

Amaiz'nblu

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 10:29 a.m.

Dang my first time ever posting on here and i already have haters! I must be doin something right.. obviously, Gettingbluer, you didnt read my full statment or second post..i suggest you do that before reading the rest of this.... ok then notice i said "OFFENSE" and "effectively".. not perfectly. It was effective in the sense that we were able to put up over 500 yards on iowas top 5 defense at the.. yeah we couldnt finish drives but that falls on ST also.. Im a michigan man and that man WHOEVER the coach is i will be behind em... read full statements before commenting please.. so you dont look foolish... thanks my man! GO BLUE OR GO HOME! is on my front door of my house!

newlander

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 10:16 a.m.

Yawn.Maybe he can stay healthy for more than 1 full game this year. Kid is a china doll: too small and not smart enough to tie his shoelaces.

Theo's Brother

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 10:09 a.m.

Hoke will take us back to glory, The King and G. Robinson were a different story, They dug a hole, Lied, cheated, and stole And made our bowl game red and gory. My brother has blind loyalty to the King and I bought it too, but I see the 15-22 record and it calls for a drastic change. However, the King left us in good hands with the offensive personnel. Robinson staying means we have a great chance to score with on offense while our beyond porous defense can be retooled.

Blu-n-Tpa

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:58 a.m.

PnLk "We will never know"! You mean YOU will never ADMIT that in 3 full years the TEAM was led by the WCiMFH. DB gave him the rope, 5 weeks to get ready for a bowl game, vs a single opponent, with a healthy UM squad, and how did he do? The WCiMFH pulled the lever himself. Football suicide! @ the brother of "Theo's brother" That's COACH Hoke to you. Show some respect. (And the cheater is GONE.) COACH Hoke is doing it all. And doing it right. Now go get some great assistants and recruits. Give all those "has beens" and "hangers-on" nothing to complain about, at least in the REAL world. Go Blue!

The Ben

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:57 a.m.

Murrow's Ghost: "Nope. Didn't miss the game. You, apparently, missed the final score. I saw two spread offenses score a grand total of 41 points between them. Stanford and with that old-fashioned discredited smash-mouth offense scored 40 points against Va Tech." Edward, your posts are usually rock solid, but it seems like you are reaching a little bit here in an attempt to prove a point. Pointing at the score of the Championship game between the two best teams in the country and saying "see, the spread was shut down!" is... a little odd. Those teams were in that game for a reason. Both offenses were highly effective all season long against both good and bad defenses. The fact that a championship game evolved into a defensive struggle doesn't really say much about the spread offense one way or another. It was two teams giving 110%, and that is all.

belboz

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:53 a.m.

8-4. That was my expectation for RR next year. Same for Hoke. If he gets more, I'll be impressed. If not, then it will be disappointing. Wonder if he'll feel the same RR venom. No free passes at UM, right?

lugemachine

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:53 a.m.

He's staying, but he must be protected. I hope that that Hoke/Borges will use the backs more wisely. Vincent might be quick and determined, but Big Ten backs should not be so easily arm-tackled. Need a larger, more punishing back to take the pressure off of Denard. Shaw/Cox/Toussaint/Hopkins.. someone has to emerge and allow Denard to limit his rushing attempts to 10 or 12 per game. The way he rips off yardage, that could still equal a triple-figure yardage average. The O-line should be solid. Roh and Martin anchor the defense up front.. Demens is coming into his own. Woolfolk will be back, the d-backs will have matured (right? tell me they'll be better!).. Hoke and his DC will hopefully understand each other...and a kicker. Find us a kicker, Brady!

PortageLkBlu

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:34 a.m.

Your all full of yourselves, RR might very well have worked had he stayed. Your only point is that we will never know and in that you are correct. Just like at this point I can not tell you whether Brady Hoke will be a good fit for Mich. At this point I can only project that he should be as good as LLoyd Carr. For me to say he will be bad or good is as silly as saying RR was going to turn our program around starting this year. I think Brady has a decent schedule to work with this year can't wait for the Nebraska game.

David Vande Bunte

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:33 a.m.

To everyone bashing the spread and RR: Did you miss the National Championship game? Two spread offenses at the top of the national rankings... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- And both of those teams played much better defense all year than Michigan. There was nothing wrong with Michigan's spread offense, RichRod got fired because of the defense. Michigan gave up 33.8 points/447.9 yards a game, Auburn gave up 24.5 points and 362.2 yards, while Oregon gave up only 18.4 points/331.6 yards. Look at those numbers a second...Look at the differences in points given up, and the huge differences in yards given up. Are you really trying to suggest Oregon and Auburn didn't get to the national championship game partly because of their defense? Having a spread offense is great, but if your defense is as porous as Michigan's was, your only chance to win games is to simply outscore everyone...this isn't the NBA of the 1980s, defense means something, and RichRod hadn't the slightest idea about how to build a defense. I have absolutely no problems with RichRod the offensive guru. I had huge problems with RichRod, the defensive moron.

NoBowl4Blue

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:33 a.m.

Breaking News Rich Rod has got a new job at 7-11. Theo you can visit him there.

GettingBluer

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:25 a.m.

Amaiz'nblu wrote: "RR never stood a chance at UofM because nobody was gonna give him a chance! I believe he did everything he could to get the OFFENSE to play effectively." We gave him three years. Do you think he might have reached the middle of the BT pack if we gave him another ten or twenty? He DIDN'T get the offense to play effectively against ANY good team. Are you happy with the points they put up against PSU, MSU (Michigan or Mississippi), Wisconsin, OSU? EVERY good team shut them down after the first drive or two. And how about that defense? An amazing turn-around to go from a top 10 defense to a bottom 10 defense in three short years with obvious degradation every year. But, I am not insensitive to how much you seem to miss RR and I know he did try. If it makes you feel any better, you can pick up some RR-UM memorabilia at your local Salvation Army Store (or was it Goodwill?)...anyway the story on the news yesterday was that RR dumped his UM stuff at one of the two.

PortageLkBlu

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:21 a.m.

Dusty your on the money man. RR was the real deal now we sweep him under the carpet. Most likely will come back someday and bite us in the butt but, not today. Some folks seem to like this coach we shall see if they turn on him in lean times, the fickle fans of Mich, here today and gone tomorrow. Watch your back Brady these fans can be vicious.

Amaiz'nblu

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:18 a.m.

@MichFanTex- I was on board for RR being cut.. he wasnt ever gonna make it work here.. My point was bing made to the Hoke haters trying to defend RR and slamming Hoke already... let it go Hoke is an immediate upgrade, if you couldnt tell from his first 3 days, hes did more with the current players then RR Had done in months cause he was stuck in his ways when hired and couldnt adjust to talent... sorry for any confusion, i am not grieving for richrod, I am a HOKE-A-MAINIAC! Any real michigan fan will stand behind their coach no matter who it is (as long as there is improvement in all 3 aspects of the game).. thats what i was trying to say...

michboy40

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:17 a.m.

There seem to be a few players on this team that are thrilled to see RR gone. Tate, Cox, Gibbons, Stokes, and probably a few others I'm forgeting. I supported RR all the way through, although I critisized him from time to time for various things, I always felt like his players loved playing for him. Now that he is gone, I am starting to see that there were still divisions within this team. Even after 3 years!! Unacceptable! I draw the natural conclusion that he was great with the kids that fell in line, and marched to the steady beat, but did not know how to handle the kids who were having problems, whether it be grades, talent, attitude, whatever. So my conclusion?...He was not a good Coach. He came here in a way that rubbed many the wrong way, he brought the NCAA to our door (which I don't blame all on him, but none the less), one of his players was suspended by the BIg Ten for the first time ever, and he appears to leave the straglers behind. You just can't do that, "This is Michigan for God's sake!" -Hoke

Blu-n-Tpa

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:13 a.m.

MacSun For the last week it seemed that everytime I was going to post an insightful note you beat me to the enter key. No harm, no foul. I also agree that keeping DRob is a great first step, not just for this and next year's teams but because it will improve Michigan's recruiting posture nationwide. Running backs and WRs will want to be a part of a DRob offense. Having a offense built around DRob and not ON TOP of him will increase overall production and save DR from unnecessary contact. That could keep him healthy. Everybody's got to love that. TF's dad get's it. Hopefully TF is rounding the corner to getting it also. I think he was trying, even going back to last summer, but he seems to try to do the right thing at the wrong time. And don't under estimate his value to the team. Michigan needs him. Anyone who watched the Gator Bowl had to notice that DR wasn't taking off like during the season. DGard is going to be a very good QB in his own right, maybe as early as this season. Right now he's got to be #2 on the depth chart at QB. Think about this: In 24 hours BH helped save the QB position for the next two years. Gotta love that. The WCiMFH is GONE. For all the wasted words here about his offense not a single person can provide ANY data that the other two parts of the TEAM were getting any better. It's really simple. Look at the last three games, offense, defense and special teams, and answer me the question for each. In those last games were they better or worse after three years under that coach? So the bandwagon is starting to roll and there's plenty of room for everybody. Get on, try to get on, or just watch it roll past you. And if you're waiting for a different type of ride, there's some extra room in the moving van that's leaving town soon. Be on it.

Terrin

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:09 a.m.

I like DR. He, however, was hurt for a good chunk of the season because he was the only real offensive play maker who ran the ball. His passing abilities, especially with the deep ball is mediocre. Maybe that will improve before the new season. I hope Forcier comes back to. Everybody deserves a second chance at growing up.

azwolverine

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9:01 a.m.

What's all this talk about the previous coach? To follow the precedent he himself set, we should only talk about coaches who coach for Michigan. Go Hoke!

Blue

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 9 a.m.

Sorry. Not you Robert. I have a sense you get it. GO BLUE

Blue

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 8:55 a.m.

Go auction your WOLVERINES stuff to the salvation army. I hear they give away buckeye gear.

Robert

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 8:52 a.m.

To everyone bashing the spread and RR: Did you miss the National Championship game? Two spread offenses at the top of the national rankings... You people are dense. If the spread works in the SEC (a MUCH more talented conference than the Big Ten this year) then it can and will work in the Big Ten. All RR needed was a year with his seniors and to do a hell of a lot more defensive recruiting. He would have won 9 games next year. There is no question. Now feel free to call me RR's pet or whatever but all I'm doing is thinking logically... He may not have been a good fit for Michigan('s alumni base) but he is an offensive mind like none Michigan has seen before.

Blue

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 8:46 a.m.

The article is about a good kid makin a good decision. I don't have a clue what most of you are reading. T E A M! Most of you rant about traditions and how it used to be and Michigan Man this. You know how it used to be? We used to all cheer for the maize & blue every Saturday in the fall. I know this and I'm barely old enough to remember BO. You know what I do remember about BO? We were a T E A M! And if you weren't on the bus, you got ran the eff over. GO BLUE!

magnumpi

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 8:45 a.m.

First of all, it's rare to read something on a computer that actually makes me laugh out loud, but that "Theo's Brother" post and avatar sure did! Next, I am glad DRob is staying, it puts to rest all the predictions that all RR's players were loyal to him and not UM and would migrate with him. There is definitely way more to the story with Tate and RR but like Mick said, "can't divulge". And like Mick says, if he screws up again then it will all be on him.

JoeGillis

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 8:38 a.m.

cwoody297 responded to Dusty thusly: "...'RR pioneered an offense that has won multiple national titles at 3 different divisions of NCAA football, and nearly won another one this year" first of all 3 different divisions of football' isn't anything close to the Big Ten and second..How the hell did he almost win another this year!!??!! Makes no sense and his coaching style most likely belongs in high school. And if RR "is a Michigan Man" would he be putting over 400 different UM apparel items up for auction on the at the salvation army? He doesn't want anything to do with the university and I doubt he will be seen anywhere near AA." I do believe that Dusty was referring to the spread offense, not RR, when he said that "[it] almost won another [championship] this year." I do believe he was referring to Oregon there. But I don't particularly feel the need to defend Dusty, so.... Let me just say, though: I am a bit sick of the term "Michigan Man" getting tossed around like a clunky cliche. I agree that RR never fit at U-M, but Bo Schembechler wasn't a Michigan Man, either. In fact, he'd been an assistant coach on two separate occasions with Ohio St. That said, I like the Hoke hire. Les Miles seems a bit oily off the field and a bit kooky ON it. Seems like he's used these past 2 U-M wooings to procure extended contracts and more money. And Harbaugh was headed to the NFL eventually, regardless. Did we really want to have to deal with yet ANOTHER transition in 2-3 years or so? Carr -> Rodriguez -> Harbaugh -> whomever? Would have been an even bigger mess.

MichFanTex

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 8:20 a.m.

Amaiz'nblu, We understand the grieving process has many stages, when you feel up to it read the question below. I think that question will answer why RR was let go. Take a look at your first three sentences below. Okay, now look at sentences two and three..how do you jam that square peg into the round hole of sentence one? This is what you said: "RR never stood a chance at UofM because nobody was gonna give him a chance! I believe he did everything he could to get the OFFENSE to play effectively. But the same attention he gave offense he ignored the defense with.."

cwoody297

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 8:19 a.m.

This is great news for our football program and the school itself. There is no reason Brady won't use the new offense in a way that it will help Denard and the other position players we have here. @Dusty...I was a RR supporter and will continue to be if he coaches a new team..but he did not belong at UM and is not a Michigan Man..The amount of points he scored against top teams like OSU, MSU, Wisconsin and Mississippi State showed that its not a great as everyone believes...good defensive game plans can shut it down, especially with no power running game..."RR pioneered an offense that has won multiple national titles at 3 different divisions of NCAA football, and nearly won another one this year" first of all 3 different divisions of football isn't anything close to the Big Ten and second..How the hell did he almost win another this year!!??!! Makes no sense and his coaching style most likely belongs in high school. And if RR "is a Michigan Man" would he be putting over 400 different UM apparel items up for auction on the at the salvation army? He doesn't want anything to do with the university and I doubt he will be seen anywhere near AA http://www.freep.com/article/20110113/SPORTS06/110113057/1354/sports/Rich-Rod-gives-away-his-U-M-items

Amaiz'nblu

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 7:59 a.m.

RR never stood a chance at UofM because nobody was gonna give him a chance! I believe he did everything he could to get the OFFENSE to play effectively. But the same attention he gave offense he ignored the defense with.. With coach HOKE coming in all the TRUE Michigan fans need to rally behind him to give him a chance to win.. I feel bad for the way RR was treated here and felt the relieved for his family when he was released. Please haters dont turn him into RR.. hes already got a good start retaining DROB..and jackson.. and hayes is staying and says hes doin some recruiting on his own!

81wolverine

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 7:55 a.m.

This is great news. Denard is a class act and pretty dang good football player. Hopefully, Hoke and his staff will work with him to expand his passing skills, while cutting back on his insane runs up the middle. I'm amazed D-Rob wasn't seriously hurt this season while he was playing running back/QB. Hoke needs to re-tool our running game to bring other backs into the mix to carry the load. Hopefully, he'll find the right combination this season. But, Robinson will need to learn some new skills like playing under center more often, especially if he wants any chance to play in the pro's. Go Blue!

dowel

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 7:35 a.m.

Dusty, I don't mean to be all that argumentative, I actually think RR is a good coach. He just wasn't a good fit for the BIG ten. BTW if he's so great why haven't I heard of a long line of big name schools tripping over themselves to hire his services?

Blue

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 7:09 a.m.

Great kid, great decision. He IS special. We should all be gratefull for him. GO BLUE! Hi haters.;)

JoeGillis

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 6:49 a.m.

Dusty typed: "Macabre, yet again you show just how little you know. Did you ever once see a WVU game while RR was there? His offense is the real deal." Funny, but in your blind devotion to RR, you never mention his DEFENSE, which actually got WORSE over his tenure. And no, I never watched a WVU game, because I -- like most college football fans -- don't have much interest in Big East football. RR's gimmicky/midgety offensive & defensive schemes may work in a conference of that quality, but they don't work in the Big 10. Even the offense looked little more than ordinary against the stouter defenses in the conference (and the bowl game). I, for one, will not be shedding any tears for Mr. Rodriguez. He can whimper his way all the way to the bank.

Cash

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 5:44 a.m.

Thrilled to read in the Detroit papers that Fred Jackson will be back! Twenty years and counting.....one of the good guys and great recruiter.

lawrencelaundry

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 5:13 a.m.

I believe Les was shafted out of coming to AA by the desire of Carr wanting Brady. I also believe if chris Landy was giving true info, Les was insulted with a 3 million yr offer. I support BH and think he will succeed if he brings in top notch DC and assistants. Im hoping chuck heater and loffeler would be great. BH is growing on me and think he could be great with right staff. But still annoyed by this coaching search circus hoax.

Dusty

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 5:06 a.m.

Macabre, yet again you show just how little you know. Did you ever once see a WVU game while RR was there? His offense is the real deal. And yes, he pioneered the read option offense. He tutored Urban Meyer, Chip Kelly, and Jerry Moore... you know, the Jerry Moore who used it at App. State to beat Michigan in 2007... Crazy irony right there.

lawrencelaundry

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 3:58 a.m.

I believe Les was shafted out of coming to AA by the desire of Carr wanting Brady. I also believe if chris Landy was giving true info, Les was insulted with a 3 million yr offer. I support BH and think he will succeed if he brings in top notch DC and assistants. Im hoping chuck heater and loffeler would be great. BH is growing on me and think he could be great with right staff. But still annoyed by this coaching search circus hoax.

XTR

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 3:39 a.m.

Haha Dusty be a good sport now bro. Your hero just got kicked out of the program because of incompetence. He manned his own ship bro, his team could'nt win against a decent team. See the Miss State game as an example. He was given his chance to shine and he blew it. Nobody to blame bro but RR himself.

Mick

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 3:18 a.m.

@Dusty, so we're freaks? Not cool man, no one is calling you names like that, even tho you seem to have this affinity for RR that mystifies me. BTW, just cause we won 7 games this yr doesn't mean we were gonna win 9 next yr if RR was still coaching, ok? It wasn't gonna be an autamatic slam dunk. Our sched for 2011 is pretty tough. Our 2012 sched, whew, that's gonna be hell to deal with. Bama in Dallas, at ND, at Neb, at OSU just to name a few. I think DB saw that and decided hey, I want my new coach to have a year under his belt before that brutality. RR woulda stunk up the joint w/that sched.

Macabre Sunset

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 3:05 a.m.

Dusty, your boy was an unmitigated disaster. And he did not invent the spread concept. He designed a playbook based on one tiny piece of it, and put together an offense that scored a lot of points against mediocre competition, but laid an egg against good defenses.

Dusty

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 3:01 a.m.

I do support Brady. I DON'T support all you freaks who continue to bash a guy who gave everything he had for the school for 3 years only to be toyed with for a month and then cut loose. Like it or not, Rich Rod is a Michigan Man. He did everything he could to make our football team succeed, and for whatever reason he couldn't do it quickly enough to appease people.

sameollions

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 3 a.m.

With Denard back, the pressure is on Coach Hoax. Now he has to have at least the same record as Rich Rod's last year, or bust! No excuse.

Mick

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:54 a.m.

Dusty, dude, what's up man? Why the seemingly angry post, bro? It's a fact that they scored more points, that's all 1st Down was stating. All things are relative also, by that I mean you're downplaying the MWC, but their champs beat our champs, no? Their conference doesn't get the players across the board that the B1G gets. So that's what I mean by it's all relative. Also, will you please fall out of love with RR already, he blew chunks in AA, that's a fact jack! If you are indeed an M fan you should support BH, give him a chance and don't be stubborn cause you wanna be right more than have U-M be elite again. Introspection can really heal.

Dusty

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:37 a.m.

Don't give me the "SDSU scored more points than Michigan" crap... unless you're telling me defenses in the MWC are on par with the defenses in the Big Ten. Is that what you're telling me? If you're being honest with yourself, you can't possibly suggest that Al friggin Borges is anywhere near RR's level when it comes to his knowledge of offense. Jesus, RR pioneered an offense that has won multiple national titles at 3 different divisions of NCAA football, and nearly won another one this year.

Mike

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:28 a.m.

Don't sell out Tate as the short straw. I know him out here in San Diego- he cares about Michigan and the program. He screwed up- who else out there has not done the same. I am a Michigan alumnus and recognize the damage that Tate caused to himself and the team. But it can be repaired if Brady Hoke can repair the damage. I saw out here in San Diego what Hoke did for SDSU- people will be surprised. So mock him all you want- I bet you will be at least happy if he beats MSU this coming season, and maybe OSU.

Mick

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:20 a.m.

@Theo's Brother, that's hilarious! How good are you at poetry? Hopefully better than Theo himself, see, he seemed to be inspired by a false king, I know, I know, it didn't make any sense to me either. Anyhoo, what have I been telling everyone about Mr. Hoke? How can you not already love the guy? To convince Denard to stay that quickly is pretty impressive stuff. He gets it, he's not self-absorbed and knows what the big picture is all about. BH has an infectious personality and I get this feeling that people will start mimicking alot of his persona in how he says and does things, I wouldn't doubt that Brady Hoke stories will become famous and fun to talk about. Tate was treated like crap by RR, I know things that I can't divulge, sorry. Maybe Tate's attitude left a lot to be desired, sure, but he's a kid who needs guidance and not be forsaken. Maybe if he puts in the right effort, he can get a chance to redeem himself. Hoke is the kinda guy that can do that, I sense. If that happens and Tate screws it up, well then he will have only himself to blame, we shall see. Also, BH is gonna be the "Motha" of recruiting! Players are gonna love this guy, parents are gonna love this guy and in turn, we're gonna love this guy, I already do!

1st Down

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:14 a.m.

Yay...this is the difference between a good coach and a system guy...brian cook and the rest of the RR slappies can go away forever because they were wrong and we were right. Fundamental football will win at Michigan, just as it always has. In the 40s the mad magicians were tricky...but guess what THEY WERE FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND and WON...people like brian cook who think the spread is the only way to go are stupid...Al Borgess RULES and the SDSU offense scored more points than RRs offense did last year.... DRob is our QB I guess we have RR to thank for that one thing....any criers or haters go away...Michigan's offense will smash mouth and win, no more manby pamby spread...

Dusty

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 2:01 a.m.

I don't know why people are saying it's great that Tate wants to come back. He has been publicly called out by his own teammates for not working in the off-season, he somehow got himself sent home two days before the bowl game, and he is nowhere near Denard on the depth chart. If Hoke manages to keep Denard from losing playing time due to injury, Tate will never need to see the field. So in a perfect word, Tate might as well redshirt and hope he can beat out Devin Gardner in 3 years.

golfer

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:38 a.m.

i am glad he is going to be back. i am glad tate is trying to come back also. second chances are already out. msu and that team from ohio has and is doing it. so if tate can get his stuff together. with all three of the qb's would be great. redshirt medical will save hoke from looking for a qb this year. maybe next. i think everyone is looking towards a good season. i just hope they can put up some good defense players. hoke still has time to pu some good players. if he can get a good 2011 class we are off to a good start. glade all is working out for uofm.

Theo's Brother

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:36 a.m.

Denard will remain in the castle vacated by our former King. Hopefully Hoke will utilize him in the right way and keep the offense rolling because we have plenty of weapons on that side of the ball.

blusage

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:30 a.m.

Btw, Brandon also tweeted that DR is staying, for those who want added confirmation.

blusage

Fri, Jan 14, 2011 : 12:28 a.m.

Great news! Considering DR was hurt for much of last season, I think he will do better with Hoke who'll probably use DR more for passing and less as a running back. At least he'll get less banged up. We all know what's going to happen if the pocket collapses and DR has to scramble! I also just read that Tate's dad says, Tate wants to play football for Michigan. That would be an added bonus. Things are looking up. Go Blue!

garrisondyer

Thu, Jan 13, 2011 : 11:48 p.m.

Fantastic news!

jalittle12

Thu, Jan 13, 2011 : 11:34 p.m.

Excellent choice Denard. You won't regret it! Big Ten Championship here we come!!!! Go Blue!