BGIF! I was wondering if there was anyone still around here from the Old Days!
Living in New Orleans, the Saints have helped me stay sane through the RR era. I've posted here occasionally, but for the most part I read this board to keep up on ND football. I have some Domer relatives that I see once or twice a year, and it makes for better conversation if I'm semi-knowledgeable.
Is Hoke the answer? If I was the Michigan AD, I'd have given RichRod another year. I don't think 3 years is fair... Bo himself wasn't a "Michigan Man" before his hiring--he became one over time, and I don't think the fans/administration ever gave RichRod a fair shot to do the same. On the other hand, the defense and special teams were so horrible and we looked so far away from beating tOSU, that I really can't complain about the switch...
I've come to believe that the LAST constituency an AD should attempt to please is the fan base. Two examples from recent SEC history--Tennessee fans loved the Lane Kiffin hire, until he screwed them. And Auburn fans cried like little girls about Chizik, then just two years later, they won (OK, bought) themselves a NC... As I recall, ND fans loved Weis at the beginning...
If Hoke does as good a job across the board as he did salvaging this year's recruiting class, then he'll be seen as a great hire.