Hoke’s Seat Gets Hotter

It’s Tuesday and Brady Hoke still has a job at the University of Michigan — for now. Both he and his boss, Athletic Director Dave Brandon, are sitting in chairs that are getting hotter and hotter by the minute as pressure to fire both builds from a multitude of directions.

A sea of troubles.

Well, hell, no one likes a coaching controversy better on a crappy, rainy Tuesday when my arthritic joints are aching than this here Nittany Turkey!

Here’s some additional stuff for your consideration. It ain’t a question of “if”; it’s just a question of “when”. I say, get it over with!

I asked Brady Hoke if Sat game was worst of his coaching career. He said “great question” and then didn’t answer it.

— Teddy Greenstein (@TeddyGreenstein) September 30, 2014

The media, as expected, are now piling on. Such diverse rags and blogs as the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Deadspin, SB Nation, and the UM student newspaper are calling for Hoke’s head, joined by this Turkey, of course. The story made it to Good Morning, America and Today on lame morning TV. 

The machinations of this ever expanding lynch mob are growing in fervor and intensity. In the wake of all this attention, the University of Michigan has admitted that Shane Morris had a concussion and was allowed to play, in violation of the NCAA pseudo-student-athlete protection policy. Apparently, Hoke met at some point with Athletic Director Dave Brandon, who is in a hot seat of his own, to discuss the situation. No one knows what transpired in that meeting.

Brady Hoke declined to say when he met w Dave Brandon and when he learned of Morris’ concussion — Joe Schad (@schadjoe) September 30, 2014

Hoke faced the media at this morning’s Big Ten coaches conference call, and stonewalled the whole thing, as one would expect. No doubt, he met with Brandon, but he also met with legal counsel, both personal and University corporate counsel. And speaking of Brandon, a “Fire Dave Brandon” rally is planned on the UM campus tonight. Will you be attending? Earlier, Brandon had discussed his handling of the Morris situation, apologizing for how the situation was addressed.

It took a village of Michigan Men to fail Shane Morris. And they did. Column – http://t.co/zuO6aISm0G — Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelCBS) September 30, 2014

And so forth…

But Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN (yeah, yeah — you’re already warming up your fingers to show your tOSU hatred, so don’t bother), characterizes the whole thing as a witch hunt.

Is this Hoke criticism about Morris’ injury even a story if UM were 4-0 ranked in the top 10? #witchhunt

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) September 29, 2014

Oh, yeah? Well, there is, of course, something to that, no matter how pure of mind you are. I suspect that if UM was ranked in the top 10, all the furor would be external and it would quickly die. It is the Michigan fans, students, supporters, and alumni who are fanning the flames and pouring gasoline on them. Most of them would be silent if there was a chance at a national championship and the outside criticism would be summarily deflected. Performance allows — nay, breeds — arrogance.

The clock is ticking.

Tick-tock…