Coach Brady Hoke Fired From Michigan After 4 Seasons

Coach Brady Hoke was fired from Michigan on Tuesday after four seasons with the football program.

The Wolverines had a 5-7 record this season and missed out on bowl eligibility.

Michigan hasn’t won the Big Ten since 2004, so the team is under pressure to perform as well as its legacy. The Wolverines are also 1-10 in their last 11 games against Ohio State.

Interim athletic director Jim Hackett said the team is entering a “pivot” year with a chance to be very good. While Hackett said Hoke was highly regarded by his staff, players, and the community, he believes a new leadership direction is required for the Wolverines to excel.

Hackett said at a news conference, “I believe that Brady had enough time to produce results, and they’re just not there.”

Hoke released a statement saying, “I feel very fortunate to have been an assistant and head coach at the University of Michigan. I will always support the University and this football program…I will miss the relationships that I’ve been fortunate enough to make within this university and community.”

The Wolverines were 31-20 under Hoke’s leadership.

Now that Brady Hoke is fired from Michigan, the school owes him a $3 million buyout.

The coach was hired after Rich Rodriguez. Hoke was supposed to help the Wolverines become elite again in college football. He was a former assistant for the program, so his knowledge and familiarity made the initial transition easy.

Though Michigan went to the Sugar Bowl during Hoke’s first season, the success didn’t last long. Michigan isn’t even among the top teams in the Big Ten anymore.

Hoke has also been criticized for allowing quarterback Shane Morris to keep playing in September after receiving a hard hit. It turned out Morris had a concussion, and the school apologized for its protocol on monitoring injuries.

Additionally, on Oct. 31 Dave Brandon resigned after being the athletic director for four years. Ticket sales for games were declining and Brandon was accused of improperly commercializing the team.

Coincidentally, Rodriguez, now at Arizona, was announced as the Pac-12 Coach of the Year the same day as Hoke’s oust.

Tight end recruit Chris Clark officially decommitted to the school after learning that coach Brady Hoke was fired.

Coach Brady Hoke Fired From Michigan After 4 Seasons