Doug Karsch: Why Brady Hoke Is No Slouch

I agree with those who want Jim Harbaugh to be Michigan's head coach. But one thing has become abundantly clear -- Harbaugh doesn't want to be Michigan's coach. Harbaugh has reportedly rejected a record offer to come back to Ann Arbor and return the glory to Michigan. If that report is true (and I happen to believe it is), Michigan can't do much about that.

Now Michigan turns to the next best candidate. While there are bigger names out there as LSU, TCU and Boise State don't sleep on Brady Hoke of San Diego State.

Unlike Harbaugh, Hoke wants this job and wants to be successful at Michigan more than anywhere. He understands the culture and has shown he can adapt to his talent and install either a spread offense or a pro-set. While at Michigan (1995-2002), Hoke was a great recruiter pulling names like Fargas, Epstein and some quarterback named Brady from California to Ann Arbor. At San Diego State he has required that he and his staff visit every high school in San Diego County three-times a year -- minimum.

What drives Hoke? Hard Work and Physical Football. Ask Hoke where toughness is measured on the football field? His response, "on the offensive and defensive lines." Anyone who's listened to the show knows, I believe that's where battles on the gridiron start and end. He was described by a San Diego writer as, "a spiritual decedent of Bo Schembechler." Hoke emphasizes the fundamental of football -- his teams once went three games without committing a penalty at Ball State.

And Hoke would be able to piece together an extremely strong, deep rooted, mid-western staff. When Hoke was in Ann Arbor he raved about a bright young assistant named Scot Loeffler who is looking for a new job when Urban Meyer retired from Florida. Loeffler, who Tom Brady later tried to recruit to New England to be his quarterback coach, would be a great choice for offensive coordinator.

The biggest thing Hoke is apparently lacking is name recognition and hype, something Rich Rodriguez had an abundance of when he arrived in Ann Arbor. Flash? Hoke doesn't' have it, which is fine with me. He's much more style over substance. In the wake of what just happened in Ann Arbor, I would think that would be all right with fans. I understand why people want Jim Harbaugh, but I find those outraged over the possibility of Hoke being the choice to be uneducated or focusing on the wrong things.