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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 12:40 p.m., Tuesday, December 16, 2008

CFB: Hoke takes over as coach of sad-sack Aztecs

Associated Press

SAN DIEGO — Brady Hoke was introduced Tuesday as the new coach at San Diego State, promising to build a program "that expects to win."

Hoke was hired away from Ball State, where he was 34-38 in six seasons but led the Cardinals to a 12-1 record this season. Their only loss was against Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference championship game.

Hoke said he won't coach Ball State in the GMAC bowl on Jan. 6.

Hoke replaces Chuck Long, who was fired in late November. Long was 9-27 in three seasons at San Diego State, which hasn't had a winning record since 1998. The Aztecs were 2-10 this year, the school's first 10-loss season.

Hoke received a five-year contract worth $3,525,000.

At Ball State, he didn't have a winning season until his fifth year.

Athletic director Jeff Schemmel thinks Hoke can win quicker at SDSU.

"You never know with records," Schemmel said. "I would expect us to improve immediately. And now what that means record-wise, I don't know. He's going to bring a different approach to things, I can feel that already. So I would expect that to take hold quickly."