Key recruit reactions: Hoke Fired
Michigan's coaching change will naturally have an impact on the recruiting trail. Some of the Wolverines' key recruits talk about the news that Hoke will not be retained at Michigan - and what it means for their recruitments going forward. See the running thread on our premium message board, The Fort, for dozens more recruit reactions
Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Brother Rice quarterback Alex Malzone is a 2015 U-M pledge who has never given any indication of wavering in his commitment. That held true following the news of Hoke's firing, as well.
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"I only hope the best for Coach Hoke in the future," Malzone said. "I'm committed to Michigan 100%."
Malzone has been a ringleader for the Michigan class, putting in effort with uncommitted prospects to build their interest in the Maize and Blue (and lately, working on current commits to help them see why they should remain in the fold). Those efforts should be key in helping sign a solid class despite the uncertainty around the program.
Another pledge - one in the 2016 class - who doesn't plan to look around is Downers Grove (Ill.) South offensive lineman Erik Swenson. He's a lifelong Michigan fan who committed before the conclusion of his sophomore year in high school, and barring a major collapse under a new coach, sees himself donning the winged helmet in college.
"It's very sad; I really liked Coach Hoke and I thought he was a great guy," Swenson said. "It's hard because you build such a good relationship with these coaches and it's hard to see them leave. It maybe changes things for me a little bit. I'm excited to see who the new coach is but as of now I'm still committed to Michigan. Decommitting isn't a possibility as of right now. There would have to be a bad coach coming in and have a worse year next year for that to happen."
It hasn't been all good news, even among commitments. Avon (Conn.) Old Farms tight end Chris Clark was the highest-ranked pledge in the 2015 class, coming in as the No. 67 overall player nationally. Shortly after the news broke, he decommitted from Michigan. He explained what's next for his recruitment.
"I hate it when people say 'You pick a school because of the school,' because that's not entirely true," he said. "Obviously you pick a school because of the coaches as well. I built a really good relationship with those [assistant] coaches and now that they might not be there is a big deal.
"Maybe things will change and I'm wrong and maybe they'll end up staying and that's why I haven't closed the door on Michigan yet. I just don't want the label to be that I'm committed somewhere because I'm just really not right now. I can't commit to that situation."
Clark will continue to consider U-M going forward - along with Texas, North Carolina, USC, and UCLA - but the Wolverines will have to impress to remain in the hunt. That's also the case for another former commit, Detroit Cass Tech running back Mike Weber. He pulled back from his Michigan pledge just over a week before Hoke was fired, and plans to take a wait-and-see approach with the Wolverines.
"I'm sad to see such a good person get fired from something he loves doing. Hope he bounces back and finds a home," Weber said. "Hoke was kind of the real reason I committed, so with him gone it could be tough [to keep looking at Michigan the same way]. I'll wait to see whatever coach they hire brings to the table."
Michigan has just six current commitments following the re-opening of Clark's and Weber's recruitments. In order to bring in a solid group, a new coach will have to lure some top recruits. Long Beach (Calif.) Poly five-star cornerback Iman Marshall may have been a longshot from the beginning, and the coaching change could throw a wrench into those works.
"I hate to hear Coach Hoke potentially losing his job," said Marshall's father, Tony. "That will obviously affect Iman's recruiting. When the time comes we will sit down and discuss a contingency plan if coach Hoke isn't retained."
Since then, Marshall has tentatively replaced a planned January official visit to Michigan with one to Oregon instead, but a new coach will at the very least have a shot to convince him to head to Ann Arbor for a trip.
The 2016 class should see Michigan have a much better shot with elite national talent. A "new-coach bump" would apply mostly to that class, and the Wolverines have already opened recruitments with a number of top prospects. One of them is the nation's top running back, Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic five-star Kareem Walker.
"I met him and he's a nice guy," Walker said of Hoke. "I'm sorry to hear he's fired now. I want to see who they bring in now. I'll be talking to [freshman cornerback and close friend] Jabrill Peppers to see how it's going."
Just down the East coast, Hyattsville (Md.) De Matha four-star offensive lineman Terrance Davis shares a similar view.
"I didn't really get a chance to know Coach Hoke that well but whoever Michigan hires will hopefully lead them back to the glory days and make a huge comeback," he said. "No coach can take away Michigan's legacy and tradition and education. That's what I'm interested in."
The 2017 class is even farther down the road, but Michigan has opened recruitments for a number of key recruits around the nation - and right within their home state. St. Joseph (Mich.) defensive end Corey Malone-Hatcher already holds an offer from the Wolverines, and a coaching change shouldn't affect his recruitment in the long-term.
"We were pulling for Hoke to succeed," said his father, Orlando Malone. "He's a standup guy. Michigan remains very high to us. We're confident that a top-notch hire will be made. When that person is named, we'll have to start building that rapport."
Many of Michigan's most important recruits will be keeping a close eye on Schembechler Hall in the coming weeks to see who emerges as Michigan's head coach. As important it is to know that Michigan's coach in 2015 won't be Brady Hoke, it's even more pressing to find out who that coach will be.
If the Wolverines make the right hire, recruiting has a chance to boom.
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