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| File photo. Hoke speaking to ESPN field reporter Quint Kessenich following the 40-34 win over Ohio. |
PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference announced Wednesday (Nov. 30) that University of Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke was chosen as the Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year, as selected by conference coaches, and the Dave McClain Coach of the Year, as picked by the media.Hoke is the sixth first-year coach to earn the McClain Coach of the Year award, which dates back to 1972 and is named for the former Wisconsin coach. This is the inaugural awarding of the Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year honor, which pays tribute to Ohio State's Woody Hayes and Michigan's Bo Schembechler.
Hoke led the Maize and Blue to a 10-2 overall record, including a 6-2 mark in Big Ten play. He is the second Michigan coach to win at least 10 games in his first season at the helm, joining Fielding Yost, who won 11 games in 1901. Hoke also became the fifth Big Ten coach to win at least 10 games in his first season as head coach, joining Wisconsin's Bret Bielema (12-1, 2006), Ohio State's Earle Bruce (11-1, 1979), Yost (11-0, 1901) and Minnesota's Henry Williams (10-0-2, 1900).
With three wins more than last season's 7-6 squad, the Wolverines tied the second-best win improvement under a first-year Michigan head coach. Yost's 1901 team had a four-win improvement (11-0) from the 1900 team that went 7-2-1, while Frank Barbour's 1892 team went 7-5 after a 4-5 season in 1891.
Michigan's offense averaged 34.2 points per game, which ranked second in the Big Ten, while U-M's defense allowed 17.2 points per game, good for fourth in the league. Four Wolverines earned All-Big Ten distinction in 2011, highlighted by fifth-year senior center David Molk (Lemont, Ill./Lemont Township), who was named the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year in the conference.
Hoke's predecessors who earned the McClain Coach of the Year award include Bo Schembechler (1972, '76, '80, '85) and Gary Moeller (1991, '92). Additionally, Schembechler was tabbed the Big Ten Coach of the Year by his peers three times (1982, '85, '89) during the 10-year span from 1982-91 that coaches singled out their top member.
Hoke and the Wolverines will learn their postseason bowl destination on Sunday (Dec. 4) at 8:15 p.m. during the Bowl Selection Special on ESPN.
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