Hoke/Ball State and MAC Coaches

Just a quick, non-Falcon note, Brady Hoke is leaving Ball State to go to San Diego State. It seems like he was mentioned for Auburn about thirty seconds ago, so this might seem to some people like kind of a lateral move.

It is probably not that lateral though.

• He probably is making a lot more money.
• That program is a sleeping giant with huge potential.
• San Diego might have the best weather in the whole country.
• If he wants to coach in the BCS, this is the next step.

Here's something to chew on. When was the last time a MAC Coach went directly from our conference to an iconic BCS program like Auburn, Florida, etc.

No, Terry Hoeppner going to Indiana does not count. Don James made that Washington job, not the other way around. Pinkel is close, but Missouri is not a top-tier BCS school, though it certainly is a bigger accomplishment than getting to San Diego State. You get the idea.

Urban Meyer had a stop off in Utah. Really, I can't think of a MAC coach who vaulted directly that high into the college football universe....maybe since Woody Hayes.

Anyhow, a couple notes. If you check the Ball State blog linked on the left, you'll see that reciminations are flying already at the administration in Muncie for losing Hoke, and, they believe, Nate Davis. Also, this blog at the Muncie Star says that an ESPN report that OC Stan Parrish has accepted the Ball State job is erroneous.

That would be the textbook thing to do...promote stability by promoting the top assistant, and hope you can bring Nate Davis back, etc.