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8A - Thursday, December 1, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
This award transcends the numbers
Hoke named Big Ten
Coach of the Year
adies and gentlemen, meet
your 2011 Big Ten Coach
of the Year: Brady Hoke.
He was an Ohio-born boy who
now perfectly depicts a Michigan
man - a coach who players love
and opponents can't help but
respect.
He looks
like Fred
Flintstone
but leads
like Mohan-
das Gandhi
(OK, maybe
that's a bit
of a stretch, KEVIN
but the man RAFTERY
knows how
to bring
people together. We'll get to that
later.)
He's a guy everybody can
relate to. He stumbles over his
words almost as often as his look-
alike stumbles on his approach at
the bowling alley.
And the numbers will tell you
he was the best coach in the Big
Ten this year.
Hoke led Michigan to a 10-2
record. In doingso, he became
just the second coach in Michi-
gan history to win 10 games in
his inaugural season. The other
was Fielding H. Yost, who went
11-0 in his first season at the helm
in 1901.
If there's anyone reading this
who was alive then, I'd love to
meet you. Back then, the forward
pass didn'teven exist. Helmets
looked more like one of those
embarrassing floppy ear hats that
the kids are wearing nowadays
than protective headgear.
Football wasn't football like
it is today. Hoke may be second
behind Yost to win 10 games in
his first year, but he's first in the
modern age of Michigan football.
On top of that, the Wolverines
finished third in the Big Ten in
total defense after finishing dead
laset a vorbfore under former
MAISSA MCcLAIN/Daily
Michigan coach BradF Hoke is the third Michigan football head coach to be named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
coach Rich Rodriguez.
The list of Michigan's impres-
sive statistics goes on. But that's
not the reason Hoke deserved
this award.
Brady Hoke is a coach in every
sense of the word. He's a leader. A
role model. A teacher. A friend.
Senior center David Molk said
it best:
"He is every single thing that
you want a college coach to be,
and he does it flawlessly."
With a group of 115 football
players, it'd be easy to leave a few
behind and focus on the ones
who will help you win games on
Saturdays. Not for Hoke.
"We have some seniors that
didn't play a snap, but they've
played plenty of snaps on the
look team and the scout team,"
Hoke said after Michigan's 30-24
victory over Ohio State last Sat-
urday. "They've been tough, and
they get in the weight room at
5:15 three days a week and go to
class. One of them's goingto law
school.
"I'm proud of all of them. It
doesn't matter who caught a
touchdown. This is a team."
And this is a team that loves its
coach. If I had a dollar for every
time one of the players said they
loved Hoke this season, I'd be a
much richer man - even if that's
not saying much.
Players say they love Hoke so
often, I often forget I'm covering
a football team.
"He is us, we are him," Molk
said after the Ohio State game. "I
love him."
Wait a minute. Was this a post-
game press conference or a Mor-
mon wedding reception? David,
please explain.
"I love how he coaches, I love
his leadership ability and how he
does it," Molk continued. "I'd do
anything for him.
"If I ever (come) back, 20 years
from now, the first guy I would
call is Coach Hoke. That's who
he is."
OK, now it makes more sense.
Thati o eserious lovne- roTt's
a love shared by everyone in that
Michigan locker room, and it's
the main reason the Wolverines
have been so successful this
season.
It's not easyto inherit a situ-
ation like Hoke did - the whole
world was watching, just waiting
to see him fail.
But Hoke never thought of it
that way.
"Look, I've got the best job in
the world," he said. "Because at
2:30 every day, I get 115 guys that
I get a chance to make a differ-
ence in their lives. What could be
funner?"
Pause. Look around.
"Or more fun. It's 'funner,'
right?"
Sure, Coach.
As if the Coach of the Year
award wasn't evidence enough,
it's safe to say Brady Hoke is right
where he belongs. And Michigan
would have it no other way.
- Raftery can be reached
at kraftery@umich.edu
STEPHEN J. NESBITT
Daily SportsEditor
After leading the Michigan
football team to a 10-2 season,
Michigan coach Brady Hoke was
named the Hayes-Schembechler
Coach of the Year and and the
Dave McClain Coach of the Year
on Wednesday.
"It's a great honor, it's hum-
bling and all those things," Hoke
said in a video released by the
Athletic Department. "But there
are so many people involved with
awards, whether it's the Heis-
man Trophy or the balloon toss,
it's one of those things that (goes
to) ... everyone who assists us in
the football program. That's an
award for everybody."
Hoke inherited a 7-5 team
from former coach Rich Rodri-
guez in January and, with the
help of offensive coordinator Al
Borges and defensive coordina-
tor Greg Mattison, transformed
the Wolverines into a confer-
ence contender. This season's
Michigan team collected its
first-ever 8-0 record at Michi-
gan Stadium.
"He deserves (Big Ten Coach
of the Year)," said senior captain
David Molk of Hoke on Monday.
"I love him. He's a great coach.
He's a great mentor. He's a great
friend. He's every single thing
you want a college coach to be
and he does it flawlessly."
Hoke was the first Michigan
coach since Fielding H. Yost in
1901 to win 10 games in his first
season. Hoke was also just the
fifth Big Ten coach to win 10
games or more in his first sea-
son as coach, joining Wiscon-
sin's Bret Bielema (12-1, 2006),
Ohio State's Earle Bruce (11-1,
1979), Yost (11-0, 1901) and Min-
nesota's Henry Williams (10-0-
2, 1900).
"Anytime you get to be around
115 guys and any time you get to
represent the winningest pro-
gram in the history of college
football and the global degree
that it is, it's always fun."
Hoke is no stranger to Coach
of the Year honors, as this is his
third selection in four seasons.
He was named Mountain West
Coach of the Year at -San Diego
State last season and Mid-Amer-
ican Conference Coach of the
Year at Ball State in 2008.
Hoke is just the sixth first-
year coach to win the McClain *
Coach of the Year award, which
dates back to 1972.
This is the inaugural award-
ing of the Hayes-Schembechler
Coach of the Year, named after
Ohio State's Woody Hayes and
Michigan's legendary coach Bo
Schembechler.
The only thing Hoke missed in
his first season at the helm was
a Big Ten title - that award will
be given to the winner of Michi-
gan State and Wisconsin in the
Big Ten Championship Game in
Indianapolis on Saturday.
Under Hoke, Michigan went
6-2 in Big Ten play.
It took former coach Rich
Rodriguez three full seasons to
collect that many conference 6
wins, and this season the Wol-
verines are poised for a potential
BCS-bowl bid.
Does a 10-2 season, a bowl
game and this award make this
season a complete success?
"Well, no, because we didn't
win the (Big Ten) champion-
ship," Hoke said. "I think we
made some growth. I think those
guys playing their last football
representing Michigan, I think
they did a tremendous job.
"But the expectation here is to
win Big Ten championships, and
we didn't do it. So, we've gotta
get ready after this bowl game
and win it next year."
0
ACT. SERVE. INSPIRE.0 T,
Wohlberg
LIZ VUKELICH
Daily Sports Writer
No player on the Michigan
hockey team wants to be invis-
ible for an extended period of the
season, least of all a captain.
But until last weekend, senior
forward David Wohlberg was
in danger of going more than
a month without putting any
points on the board. This was
unsettling for Michigan coach
Red Berenson.
"Wohlberg should be a marked
man," Berenson said. "But right
now, no one knows he's on our
team."
It's certainly a turnaround for
someone who has already prov-
en himself as a capable scorer
- Wohlberg currently leads the
team with 89 career points. And
it's a disappointment for a player
that suffered a season-ending
collarbone injury last March and
was sidelined during Michigan's
run to the national champion-
ship game.
Even earlier this season,
Wohlberg was making noise. He
posted the team's season-high
number of points in a game, and
his position as an alternate cap-
tain made him a valued com-
mander of the forward corps.
But then came Oct. 27. As
Michigan celebrated a 5-2 vic-
tory over Ferris State, no one
would have suspected it would
be the beginning of a month-long
point drought for Wohlberg.
Now No. 19 Michigan (3-5-2
breaks point drought
CCHA, 7-7-2 overall) wants to the pairing with juniors Chris
get him back in the box score. Brown and Kevin Lynch was
"(Wohlberg) got into this welcomed.
mode where every time you get "When you're in a slump,
to the puck, you slow down and you've got to change something
try and do something cute," up," Wohlberg said. "I think
Berenson said. "That doesn't (changing lines) might have
work. He should know this by helped my game to the point
now (and) we've had to revisit where I got out of my comfort
this with him." zone and I needed to do more."
All season, Berenson has said There's never a good time for a
that the Wolverines aren't using month-long pointless streak, and
their speed effectively to chase Berenson knows that Wohlberg
the puck and make important is a better player than what the
plays. Wohlberg sees the wisdom box score has indicated.
in those words now. But there's also outside pres-
The dry spell was broken sure on Wohlberg to play well.
in the game against Union on As one of the team leaders,
Sunday when skaters piled up there's an expectation for him to
in front of the Dutchmen net. be racking up the points.
Wohlberg found the loose puck Wohlberg is all too aware of
in the commotion and slid it in this and admits that it's motiva-
past the bodies. tion to put points on the board.
The goal wasn't particularly "I feel like since I'm an older
pretty - more of being in the guy, I should step up and be one
right place at the right time - but of those (scorers)," Wohlberg
it did the trick. And Wohlberg said. "I put pressure on myself
knows he has to convert on those because we don't have that guy
opportunities more frequently. yet."
"It's just working hard, going With the Wolverines in the
to the net and playing gritty," midst of a six-game winless
Wohlberg said. "You have to streak, Berenson hopes that
move forward. You can't sit back Wohlberg's return to the stat
and expect (the puck) to come to sheet will coincide with a team
you, you have to go to the puck revival.
and put it in." "The team needs him to take
Berenson also switched the a step (and) hopefully this week-
lines on Sunday, hoping that end he'll take another," Beren-
different dynamics would help son said. "All you need is a goal
jump-start Wohlberg's game. to jump-start confidence. But in
Though Wohlberg has skated the meantime, he knows, we're
with fellow senior Luke Glen- not satisfied with what he's done
dening for nearly four years, at this point."
0
0
0
4 .
If you have volunteered 10 or more hours since
Sep. 6, 2011 you are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship
from the Big Ten Network. Winner will be announced
at the last home basketball game of the season!
HURRY AND APPLY BY DEC 9TH!
ONLY 200 APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
www.btnlivebig.com/scholarship
FOR COMPLETE RULES AND TO APPLY.
MICHIGAN
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JED MOCH/Daily
Senior forward David Wohlberg has 89 career points in four seasons for the Wolverines.