When Doug Nussmeier decided to leave his position as offensive coordinator of Alabama to take the same position at Michigan, the decision raised a few eyebrows.
After all, Michigan has lost 11 games in the past two seasons. In Nussmeier’s two years at Alabama, the Crimson Tide lost just three games.
So why did he make the move to Michigan? Because of what head coach Brady Hoke stands for, he said.
“The question keeps coming up: Why Michigan, why did you go to Michigan?” Nussmeier said at the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association clinic Friday. “Other than the obvious, the 11 national championships, the 42 Big Ten championships, something that really resonated with me the first time I spoke with coach Hoke (in the process), we were just talking about life and things, and he made a statement to me – I’ll never forget it.
“We were talking about what we do football-wise, and he said, ‘The most important thing we do is to make an impact on these young men in order to be successful for the rest of their lives.’ Having known coach Hoke for a long time, I know that’s what he’s about, that’s what he stands for and it’s what everybody in this room stands for. That’s the main thing that resonated with me and why I’m here.”
I guess sometimes more than anything, a coach gets a feeling about a job and feels like it is the best move for him. Nussmeier was the quarterbacks coach at Michigan State from 2003-2005, so he knows the state well. He has a proven track record of success as an offensive coordinator at both Washington and Alabama, so Nussmeier is a home run hire for Hoke.
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