It was only a month ago that we were raving about San Diego State’s stellar effort to retain head coach Brady Hoke. Hoke, who left Ball State and turned SDSU into a 9-4 team two years after they were 2-10, is a prime candidate for the Michigan head coaching job. He was a defensive line coach for the Wolverines from 1995-2002, and Michigan has made it clear they want a “Michigan Man” to lead the team.
Though it initially appeared as if San Diego State’s new offer would help them retain Hoke, the Michigan vacancy coupled with a new piece of information makes it more likely that he will eventually leave. The San Diego Union Tribune says not only has Hoke not signed his new deal, but paperwork for the new contract does not even exist. It’s pretty obvious that the announcement of the extension was a P.R. move as much as anything else.
The new contract was billed as a $5 million donation to boost Hoke’s salary and the amount of pay for the assistant coaches, and to upgrade the facilities. His “extension” also supposedly ran through 2015, though we know coach’s contracts are as strong as Nick Saban’s word. Hoke seems like a strong candidate for the Michigan job, largely because of his ties to the school. His 47-50 record is nothing special, but Gene Chizik, who went 5-19 at Iowa State, proves you don’t need a great career record in order to win at your next job (so long as you’re paying the right players). Don’t be surprised if an announcement is made in the coming days.
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