Brady Hoke grew up in Ohio and attended Ball State University where he played linebacker from 1977 to 1980. He began his coaching career in 1982 and held assistant coaching positions at Grand Valley State (1983), Western Michigan (1984–1986), Toledo (1987–1989), Oregon State (1989–1994) and Michigan (1995–2002). He left Michigan in December 2002 to become the head football coach at his alma mater, Ball State. In six years at Ball State, Hoke was credited with turning around the football program. In 2008, he led the Ball State football team to a 12–1 record and the first appearance in the Associated Press Top 25 (peaking at No. 12) in school history.

In December 2008, Hoke was hired as the head football coach at San Diego State University. He led the 2010 San Diego State Aztecs football team to the school's first nine-win season since 1971 and a victory over Navy in the 2010 Poinsettia Bowl. Hoke was hired as Michigan's head football coach on January 11, 2011, and after one season went 11-2, taking Michigan to their first BCS Bowl game since the 2006 football season, where Michigan defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies in the 2012 Sugar Bowl. However after a few seasons, in 2014 the Wolverines fired him.