Dec. 16, 2008: San Diego State hires the 50-year-old Hoke away from Ball State, where he led the Cardinals to a 12-win season and appearance in the Mid-American Conference title game. Hoke agrees to a five-year contract worth $3.5 million plus incentives to replace the fired Chuck Long. SDSU wins four games in Hoke’s first season.
Dec. 23, 2010: San Diego State beats Navy 35-14 in the Poinsettia Bowl, logging the program’s first postseason victory since 1969. Ronnie Hillman rushes for 228 yards in front of a crowd of more than 40,000 fans at Qualcomm Stadium. The Aztecs finish 9-4, the program’s best record since 1977. Hoke is increasingly linked to major-conference coaching openings at places like Minnesota and Michigan.
Jan. 11, 2011: Michigan hires Hoke as its new coach, replacing the fired Rich Rodriguez. Hoke receives a six-year contract worth $3.25 million per year, plus incentives. Hoke, a Michigan fan from childhood, jokes in his introductory news conference that he accepted the job before he knew how much it would pay. “We would have walked here from San Diego,” Hoke says.
Jan. 3, 2012: Michigan beats Virginia Tech 23-20 in the Sugar Bowl and finishes 11-2 in Hoke’s first season, the program’s best mark since 2006. Hoke’s next two Michigan teams go 8-5 and 7-6, and discontent grows in Ann Arbor.
Dec. 2, 2014: Michigan fires Hoke following a 5-7 season. Hoke receives a $3 million buyout. Michigan replaces him with former Chargers quarterback and USD coach Jim Harbaugh, who goes 10-3 in his first two seasons in charge of the Wolverines’ program.
Jan. 16, 2016: Hoke is announced as Oregon’s new defensive coordinator.
Feb. 7, 2017: Hoke is named Tennessee’s defensive line coach. Coach Butch Jones is fired with two games left in the season, and Hoke is named the Volunteers’ interim boss. Under Hoke, Tennessee loses to LSU and Vanderbilt.
Jan. 29, 2018: Hoke is named the Carolina Panthers’ defensive line coach.
Feb. 13, 2019: SDSU coach Rocky Long announces that he has hired Hoke as the Aztecs’ defensive line coach. “Brady is the best defensive line coach that I’ve ever been around,” Long says later that spring. SDSU’s 2019 defense finishes 21st nationally in total defense.
When San Diego State coach Rocky Long, left, announced his retirement, Brady Hoke, right, replaced him.
(K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Jan. 8, 2020: Hoke is named San Diego State’s head coach — again — after Long announces plans to retire. (Long later joins the staff at New Mexico). The Aztecs go 4-4 in the COVID-19-shortened season, but return a talented core of players for the 2021 season. Hoke’s teams play the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season and all of the 2021 season in Carson while Snapdragon Stadium is built on the site of the former SDCCU Stadium.
Fall 2021: San Diego State wins a program-record 12 games, capped by a 38-24 win over UTSA in the Frisco Bowl, and finishes the season ranked 24th in the College Football Playoff rankings and 25th in the AP poll. Hoke is named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year; defensive end Cam Thomas is the Defensive Player of the Year and punter/placekicker Matt Araiza is named Special Teams Player of the Year. Eight Aztecs are named to the Mountain West Conference’s first team.
Sept. 3, 2022: The Aztecs open the new, $310-million Snapdragon Stadium with a thud, falling 38-20 to an Arizona team that would finish 5-7. The opening-day loss comes days after Hoke and athletic director John David Wicker face questions about whether the school ignored allegations that members of the football team had sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl at a party. Hoke and Wicker walk out of a news conference amid questioning from reporters; the AD later returns to discuss the matter.
San Diego State’s Jordan Byrd runs away from Idaho State defenders in the Aztecs’ 2022 win.
(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Sept. 10, 2022: San Diego State secures its first Snapdragon Stadium win, beating Idaho State 38-7.
Oct. 1, 2022: Hoke fires offensive coordinator Jeff Hecklinski amid a spate of scoring troubles. Jeff Horton replaces him as OC, and SDSU hires offensive assistant Ryan Lindley away from Mississippi State in a rare mid-season move.
Nov. 12, 2022: SDSU beats San Jose State 43-27, becoming bowl-eligible for the 13th consecutive season. The Aztecs are picked to play in the Hawaii Bowl, where they fall 25-23 to Middle Tennessee.
Jan. 17: SDSU announces that Horton has retired, and that Lindley — San Diego State’s all-time leading passer — will be replacing him. It’s the latest staff change for SDSU, which also fires receivers coach Hunkie Cooper.
San Diego State’s Brady Hoke watches his team during an Aug. 1 practice.
(Meg McLaughlin/The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Sept. 9: Visiting UCLA outgains the Aztecs 550 yards to 259 in a 35-10 win at Snapdragon Stadium. SDSU follows the performance with losses to No. 16 Oregon State (29-6), Boise State (34-31) and Air Force (49-10).
Saturday: Colorado State beats the Aztecs 22-19, ensuring the Aztecs’ first losing record since 2009, Hoke’s first season.
Monday: SDSU announces that Hoke, 65, is retiring.
