By Mark Wilson
December 2, 2014

There was no other logical conclusion.

Michigan is a hoity toity American institution of higher education that thrives on logic. Its brand new president is a former provost at Ivy League central, Brown University.

U-of-M prides itself of being “leaders and best.”

Four years of Brady Hoke as the “J Ira and Nikki Harris Family Head Football Coach” came to a screeching halt.

Hoke got canned.

Hail to those victors valiant.

I kinda hate it when a guy gets axed, whether its college football or the local sandwich shop, and people do a happy dance.

They’re dancing in Ann Arbor.

Interim athletics director Jim Hackett brought the hatchet down on Tuesday. He replaced David Brandon during the season to make THIS kind of move.

His name should be… Jim “Hatchet.”

The press conference at 4:30 confirmed the firing.

Indifference was always at the top of the list when Hoke was hired away from that bastion of football integrity, San Diego State back in January of 2011.

His two year record with the mighty Aztecs was a less-than-mighty, 13-and-12. SDSU’s biggest win was a 35-14 blasting of Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl. It was played in the team’s home city of San Diego.

The irony of hiring Hoke away from SDSU is that the head basketball coach there is banished Michigan hoops coach Steve Fisher.

No one cared about that in 2011.

They just knew Hoke WASN’T Rich Rodriguez.

To be honest, Michigan could have employed Attila the Hun and it would have been cool with the Wolverine alumni.

A.B.R.

Anybody… But… Rodriguez.

That’s how bad, and quickly, things sank in A-squared following the retirement of Lloyd Carr. In three years, Rich Rod had managed to turn the Michigan football program into a laughingstock; dotted with the loss to MAC school Toledo.

Plus, Rodriguez wasn’t that acclaimed and annoying “Michigan Man.” Ugh.

Even though he was born in Dayton, Ohio and played linebacker at Ball State— Hoke WAS a “Michigan Man.”

His eight years working under Carr qualified him for his “MM Card.”

Hoke was a defensive whiz from 1995 through 2002.

Only the allure of being a head coach at his alma mater was good enough to leave the rarified air of hallowed Schembechler Hall in ’02.

The six years he spent at Ball State earned him the gig in Southern California.

Uh, wait.

It was ONE year that earned him that job.

He wasn’t even very good at Ball State.

First five seasons in Muncie, Indiana, Hoke was a combined 22-and-37. FIFTEEN games under .500.

In 2008, the Cardinals busted out with a 12-and-1 campaign, 8-and-0 MAC ride and a spot in the GMAC Bowl.

It even got Hoke a trip to New York for a “Late Show with David Letterman” appearance.

Letterman, famous BSU alum, was SO impressed with the job Brady did that season he updated his CBS viewers weekly on how Ball State was doing.

Hoke didn’t coach the bowl game since he was hired prior to the bowl game by SDSU.

But, he got on “Dave.”

Basically, Brady returned to Michigan on the heels of TWO good years as a head man.

His record when Brandon introduced him four years ago?

47-and-50.

Why didn’t we pay more attention to that overall mark at two stops?

Why didn’t someone say, “Hey! This dude is UNDER .500 at a couple of schools where winning should have been easier!”

Ya know why?

A.B.R.

Anybody… But… Rodriguez.

Hoke sold himself as Maize and Blue through and through.

He didn’t wear the color red, he called Ohio State… “Ohio.” He had disdain and outright disgust for those people in Columbus and he couldn’t wait to beat the damn Buckeyes ASAP.

Problem was… he didn’t beat Ohio State nearly enough.

Oh, he got ‘em once.

He can always say that.

That first season was a gem.

Brady won his first six games including a tight one against Notre Dame and a blowout of his previous home, San Diego State.

Just to twist the knife into them a little bit.

A loss to Michigan State in East Lansing was unnerving and the look he gave when the Spartans walked off with the ugly Paul Bunyan Trophy was priceless.

Mark Dantonio beat Hoke convincingly in their first ever meeting, 28-14.

On the road to knocking off the Buckeyes, Hoke forgot about “little brother” up the road.

MSU fans loved it.

Undaunted, Michigan won three of the next four; the only loss coming in Iowa City.

The Wolverines were 9-and-2 motoring into the home game against hapless OSU.

Yeah, Hoke got lucky.

He got to face the Luke Fickell NCAA sanctioned Buckeyes instead of a real version of THE Ohio State University.

Even so, Michigan needed a late Brendan Gibbons 43-yard field goal to ice a 40-34 victory. It was OSU’s sixth loss of that terrible suspension-riddled season.

Better to be lucky than GOOD, eh Brady?

It was painfully obvious the first rodeo that Hoke was benefiting from the recruiting done by his predecessor.

Rich Rod got it right when it came to putting players in place for a fourth season which Rodriguez didn’t get.

Hoke wrapped up his 2011 gala with an overtime win over Virginia Tech at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans almost a year to the day of his hiring.

He was a hero in Ann Arbor.

Mission accomplished.

11-and-2, W’s over the Irish and Buckeyes and a big BCS bowl whoop-dee-doo.

The only thorn in the side was the defeat in Sparty Land.

But, he’d get ‘em next year. Michigan people were confident of THAT!

After all, big bad Brady was only just beginning.

Oops!

Funny thing happened on the way to the coaching Hall of Fame.

2012 brought a quarterback controversy with Denard Robinson, who is now showing his star as an NFL running back in Jacksonville.

As a QB, Robinson was much maligned.

The season opened with a brutal loss to Alabama at Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

Michigan lost to Notre Dame in South Bend.

He rolled into the MSU rivalry 4-and-2 and without the benefit of a touchdown, derailed Dantonio’s Spartans 12-10. Michigan State was having an awful year with Andrew Maxwell at quarterback and Michigan capitalized.

Lucky than good, remember?

But… I don’t diss winning and Hoke got that “W” he missed out on in 2011.

For the moment, Wolverine Nation was happy again.

It was also the 900th victory in Michigan school history; becoming the first college football team to hit the 900 plateau.

The ugly Bunyan would reside at Schembechler Hall for the first time since 2007.

Uh oh.

Michigan followed up that game with a bad loss to Nebraska in Lincoln.

However, he was able to ride the 2012 rollercoaster to three straight wins before the Ohio State game in Columbus.

8-and-3 wasn’t terrible but it wouldn’t match year one no matter what happened.

Urban Meyer was now the coach at OSU and didn’t take kindly to the way Michigan played it in the press the week of the match up.

Meyer was going for his own crown jewel; a perfect 12-and-0 campaign in a year when Ohio State, due to the NCAA sanctions, couldn’t play in a bowl.

The Michigan game WAS Urban’s bowl.

Leading 21-20 at halftime, neither team could cross the goal line in the final 30 minutes.

Two Drew Basil field goals held up for a 26-21 Ohio State victory.

Robinson became Michigan’s all-time touchdown leader (passing and rushing) with his 90th. A 91st would have won the football game.

Instead, Meyer had his precious 12-and-0.

It bothered Hoke greatly.

He wanted so bad to beat OSU both home AND away his first two seasons.

With Robinson leaving, he probably should have been more focused on the future because now his future would be tied to Devin Gardner.

Gardner was a stud recruit coming out of Inkster High School and prevailing wisdom was that D.G. would be a stud in college.

A loss to Steve Spurrier and South Carolina in the Outback Bowl finished an 8-and-5 twirl.

It wasn’t 11-and-2.

A three game drop for anyone is significant. At Michigan, it’s downright lethal.

There were already grumblings in the Huron Valley.

Luckily, 2013 started terrific.

Gardner seemed like the right guy at the right time. Michigan rolled off five in a row including 41-30 over Notre Dame. Wearing Tom Harmon’s mythical Number 98 looked weird but worked for D.G.

He had 376 yards total offense. Only Robinson and John Navarre had more in a single game at Michigan.

115,109 watched that game at the Big House; largest crowd to ever attend an American (pro or college) football contest.

Sweet.

Things were cool with the Hokemeister.

5-and-0 after a blowout victory over Minnesota and heading to Penn State.

The Nittany Lions were still feeling the effects of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse fiasco and the death of longtime coach Joe Paterno.

So, imagine Michigan’s surprise when Bill Belton scored the TD in the fourth OT to upset the 18th ranked Wolverines, 43-40 in the longest game in Michigan history.

Uh oh.

The bottom dropped out.

Just like that… the bottom literally dropped OUT.

Despite a 63-47 win over Indiana the next Saturday, a game in which Gardner threw for 509 yards and Jeremy Gallon had 369 receiving yards, something wasn’t right.

The Hoosiers scored 47 points on Greg Mattison’s defense.

It was then that Hoke started getting roundly criticized for not wearing headsets on the sidelines.

Yes, Michigan broke all sorts of offensive records that day including most total yards in a single game with 751, but THAT DEFENSE!

P.U. Smelly.

They gave up 29 the next week to MSU in a 29-6 loss to a much improved Spartans’ squad led by Connor Cook. It was a Michigan State team that was on its way to a Rose Bowl victory and eventual #3 ranking in the nation behind Florida State and Auburn.

Double ouch.

A three overtime triumph at Northwestern is the only “W” Michigan would get the rest of the season.

Playing tough versus Ohio State, the Wolverines fell at home to Meyer, 42-41.

Again, Mattison’s defense was putrid.

It got NO better in a 31-14 dump to Kansas State at the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe, Arizona.

Making it that “double ouch” was having to see the Spartans dork all over Stanford to hold roses in their teeth.

11-and-2 had tumbled to 8-and-5 and now… 7-and-6; 3-and-5 in the B1G.

More irony.

7-and-6; 3-and-5 was exactly what Rodriguez delivered in his third and final chance.

Would Hoke’s fate be the same?

Now the grumblings in the Huron Valley were an all out SCREAM.

Many thought that Brady deserved no more a fourth year than Rich Rod. Since Rodriguez didn’t get a fourth with the same exact result (including the losses to MSU, OSU and bowl) why should Hoke?

Brandon ended ANY talk of a Brady Bunch dismissal with a nice fat vote of confidence after the loss to the K-State Wildcats.

Hoke also got a nice fat check to the tune of a million and a half dollars.

It was his BONUS for surviving three seasons and making it to a fourth.

Lucky than good, Brady.

The biggest move of the off-season for Michigan was Frank Beckman’s “retirement” calling the games on radio. He and Bob Ufer were the only two play-by-play men the school had known since 1945.

Moving into the p-b-p chair was longtime analyst and Wolverines’ lineman Jim Brandstatter. HIS analyst would be fellow Michigan lineman and Pro Football Hall of Famer, Dan Dierdorf.

It took some heat off Hoke.

What put the heat right back on, nice and scorching, was a 31-0 rout to the hands of Brian Kelly and the Irish in South Bend.

It was week two of the season and 31-0 was disastrous for Michigan.

A bounce back against Miami of Ohio did nothing to erase… 31-0.

Neither did two more losses to Utah and Minnesota AT HOME.

In the 30-14 drub to the Gophers, Shane Morris replaced Gardner at QB and suffered what looked like a concussion. At the time, Hoke seemed insensitive to it and left Morris in there.

After the game, Brady got holy hell.

So did Brandon.

It was a controversy the likes of which hadn’t been seen in Ann Arbor maybe ever. At least not when it comes to football.

Even Rodriguez’s handling of practices paled in comparison to the outrage over the Morris incident. Students even protested at Brandon’s home.

A student protest over a concussion?

Hoke had to go.

Now, it was only a matter of time.

Nothing could save his future.

A loss at Rutgers had the barbarians at the gate. That was followed by a 35-11 pounding in East Lansing and a stupid stake put in the ground by a misguided Michigan player.

This was now getting easy.

3-and-5 heading into games with Indiana and Northwestern. Both teams were having bad years so wins over both did nothing to quell the talk of Hoke’s pending departure.

The final link in the daisy chain came in the L to Maryland.

Enough.

Michigan could have rolled 120-0 in Columbus and Brady would still be out.

As it happened, Meyer beat him again losing QB J.T. Barrett in the process. The touching moment of Gardner kneeling by Barrett as he was being helped medically is an image that won’t soon be forgotten.

But, it wasn’t going to save Hoke’s job.

42-28 loss to Ohio State ended the nonsense.

Hoke went from 11-and-2 to 8-and-5 to 7-and-6 and finally to 5-and-7 and NO bowl game.

Not bowl eligible.

Not even the Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field the day after Christmas.

What a disaster.

The sad part is Michigan fans had already seen the act twice with Rodriguez. He missed out on bowl games his first TWO seasons.

Prior to Rich Rod, you had to go back to a time when there weren’t a million bowl games. Schembechler missed out on a bowl THREE straight years, 1972-74.

The difference?

His record those three seasons was a remarkable 30-2-and-1.

With Hoke’s firing on Tuesday, at least we don’t have to wonder WHO is going to coach the bowl game.

Brady also gets a $3-million buyout rather than $2-million if they had just waited until the first of 2015.

They wanted Hoke out… immediately.

Hackett made it clear that the search would be underway.

In his press conference, he said a bunch of stuff that sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher (Waa-waa-waa!) until he busted out this gem.

“I want to get rid of the Michigan Man term.”

Huh? Wait. You have my attention.

Really?

I tweeted, “Jim Hackett, you are my hero buddy. You can stay AD at MGoBlue as long as u like.”

He emphasized that “Michigan Man” was something “his guy” Bo came up with to describe Bill Frieder’s move to Arizona State hoops the NCAA title year of 1989.

The 25-year old reference that had NOTHING to do with football or subsequent jobs on campus would be put to bed.

Nighty night.

It meant that the door is open to anyone. You don’t have to have gone to Michigan or played at Michigan or lived at Michigan or even… driven past Michigan. You can work here even if you NEVER HEARD of Michigan.

Well, that might be a bit much; might be a stretch.

Nick Saban at Alabama? Sure… on the table.

Bobby Stoops from Oklahoma? You betcha.

Dan Mullen at Mississippi State? Yes, why not?

Pick a coach… any coach.

Anybody coaching football in the United States of America on this December 2nd, 2014 is fair game for Hackett or anyone that will be doing the picking.

They don’t have to be… Michigan men.

Granted, Hackett is the 12th director of athletics in the entire history of Michigan. All twelve, dating back to the 1890’s had ties to Michigan. They are ALL Michigan men.

If Hackett is not the guy to pick the next coach, then it’s possible a non-Michigan man (or woman) will in fact be the next AD.

After what Hackett said today, he has my vote.

Is this a bad day for the rest of the Big Ten?

It shouldn’t be.

The conference NEEDS a strong Michigan Wolverines to go with a strong Ohio State Buckeyes to keep the B1G in prominence. It is obvious it doesn’t work well without those two ancient powerhouses.

If Meyer or Dantonio is “worried” today because they may get a really good coach in Ann Arbor, then they are misguided and wasting time.

I can tell you that BOTH couldn’t care less.

Same goes for Fitzgerald, Kill, Ferentz, Anderson, Franklin and the rest of the coaches in the league.

They should want Michigan at its best.

Ditto Nebraska.

Bo Pelini was fired on Sunday. He won at least NINE games in each of his seven seasons in Lincoln. Pelini’s overall mark was 67-and-27; 4-and-3 in bowl games.

Pelini was axed because he wasn’t Tom Osborne.

It’s the same reason Frank Solich and Bill Callahan were given the ziggy.

They simply weren’t Dr. Tom.

Or should I say, Congressman Osborne.

No one will ever be a “Nebraska Man” like Osborne. He won an amazing 84% of his games in 25 years at the school. In his final five go-rounds Rep. Tom (he worked in Congress after his coaching days) did NOT lose a conference game in the Big 8/Big 12.

37-and-0.

Then he retired for the life of Washington, D.C.

Nebraska is GOING to get a good coach.

Michigan is GOING to get a good coach.

The reigns are off at both universities. They want to be part of the college football playoff talk. The BCS is gone. There is more pressure for schools to at least be competitive on the national scene.

More pressure than ever.

It’s not over for Brady Hoke.

He’s a young man at age 56. Worse than him has gotten a fourth chance. Hoke may have to be a coordinator or assistant of some kind first but he’ll have a chance to run his own program again someday.

It may not be as lofty as the Big Ten but it won’t be Hocus Pocus Conference either.

As for the program off Hoover and State streets, it all begins now.

Michigan needs to make money NO object and get the best possible person to turn this around the fastest. They don’t have the luxury of time.

Les Miles is 61 now. He has roots at LSU. I still don’t think “third time” is the charm for his return to Ann Arbor. Something went on during his departure in 1995 when Carr got the job after one awful night at Excalibur for Gary Moeller.

A grudge exists so potent that Miles has never really addressed it.

Fences would have to be mended before Miles heads back north again.

And yes, he IS a Michigan Man.

It’s not that the next coach CAN’T have Michigan ties; it just is no longer a presumed requirement.

Miles could be next.

Then again, so could any of the names I mentioned before including Saban.

It is not so far fetched.

Saban’s wife Terry loves the state and Nick could get a jiggy to make what cooked at Bama on the national front come true at a school that isn’t MSU.

Stranger things have happened.

Don’t forget, the most vilified man in Boston Red Sox annals Bill Buckner… came back AFTER his World Series snafu and finished his career in Boston.

If Buckner can return to Beantown, Saban can coach the Michigan Wolverines.

Do I think he would leave Alabama?

Hmmm… maybe.

Where does Jim Harbaugh fit in? He’d be another Michigan Man acceptable to the maddening crowd.

Would Stoops leave the Sooners?

At least now the question is on the table since Michigan Man is off it; except for YOU Harbaugh and Miles.

Jim Hackett you did a good thing. A VERY GOOD THING. Other names are in play.

The new era of Wolverines’ football starts now. And for those starving for the old days, Michigan Man or not, it comes not a moment too soon.