Brady Hoke

Brady Hoke was born on November 3, 1958, in Dayton, Ohio. He began his football journey as a linebacker at Ball State University, where he was a four-year letterman from 1977 to 1980. During his playing career, Hoke was a team captain and led the Cardinals with 150 tackles in his senior season, earning All-MAC honors and contributing to Ball State’s 1978 Mid-American Conference championship. His early coaching career started at Yorktown High School in Indiana in 1982 as a defensive coordinator and offensive line coach. He transitioned to collegiate coaching in 1983, serving as a defensive line coach at Grand Valley State, followed by stints at Western Michigan, Toledo, and Oregon State, where he developed his expertise in defensive strategies.

Hoke’s career progression saw him join the University of Michigan as an assistant coach in 1995, where he contributed to three Big Ten championship teams, including the 1997 national championship squad. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2002 before accepting his first head coaching position at his alma mater, Ball State, in December 2002. At Ball State, he significantly revitalized the program, culminating in a 12-1 record in 2008, the school’s first-ever appearance in national polls, and Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year honors. His success led to his appointment as head coach for San Diego State in 2008 and then the University of Michigan in 2011.

At Michigan, Hoke guided the Wolverines to an 11-2 record and a victory in the 2012 Sugar Bowl in his inaugural season, earning multiple coach of the year accolades. After four seasons with Michigan, he returned to assistant coaching roles at Oregon and Tennessee, where he served as an interim head coach. Hoke later coached the defensive line for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers in 2018, marking his first NFL experience. He returned to San Diego State in 2019 as a defensive line coach and was subsequently named head coach for his second stint in January 2020. Under his leadership, the Aztecs achieved a 12-2 record in 2021, a No. 25 national ranking, and a Tropical Smoothie Frisco Bowl victory, earning him his second Mountain West Coach of the Year award. Hoke announced his retirement at the end of the 2023 season, concluding a distinguished 36-year coaching career.