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.

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 season with at least nine wins since 1977 and a victory over Navy in the 2010 Poinsettia Bowl.

Hoke helped the 1978 Ball State Cardinals football team win the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship.

Despite the team's struggles, Hoke later credited Kragthorpe with teaching him many lessons: "One of the big things coach Pettibone instilled in me was the recruiting process, and the work ethic that it takes to recruit, and the other factors, as far as trying to get a team ready every week, coming off a couple of lean years, and the intenseness of the rivalry with Oregon.

"[11] In December 2002, Hoke was hired as the 14th head football coach at his alma mater, Ball State University, signing a five-year contract at $125,000 per season.

[13] Hoke told reporters that the moment he heard the vacancy sign was out at Ball State, he knew he wanted to be the school's next head football coach: "There is no doubt.

In 2007, the team improved to 7–5 in the regular season, as sophomore quarterback Nate Davis passed for 3,376 yards and 27 touchdowns.

The 2008 season marked the first time the Ball State Cardinals won a game against a BCS-conference opponent, a 42–20 victory over Indiana.

And in October 2008, Ball State was ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in the school's history.

After his team achieved its top 25 ranking, Hoke told the media, "It's flattering obviously, but there's so much season left to play.

[17] After concluding an undefeated regular season, Hoke's 2008 team lost to the Buffalo Bulls in the 2008 MAC Championship Game.

[16] Ball State's rise to prominence led to Hoke's December 2008 appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman where he read a special "Top Ten List" of the "Highlights of the Ball State Cardinals Season", topped by "The Drunk 3 A.M.

"[18] While at Ball State, several football players were caught in a scheme to sell textbooks for classes they were not enrolled in.

Hoke signed a five-year contract with a guaranteed payment of $3,525,000, plus incentives for hitting revenue marks and bowl berths.

His brother Jon Hoke, an assistant coach in the NFL, noted: "I don't care where it is, whether it's San Diego State or anywhere else, if there's one thing he can do it's recruit.

The Aztecs gave the undefeated, #2 TCU team its closest game of the regular season, losing by a score of 40–35.

[27][28] Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon described some of the factors that influenced his selection of Hoke: "The reason I wanted him to be prominent in this process was simply the combination of turning around two programs, being known as a terrific recruiter, and being a defensive-minded coach with a lot of experience.

"[27] Although many speculated that Hoke had been a third choice behind Jim Harbaugh and Les Miles, Brandon stated, "The job was never offered to them.

Hoke's 2011 team also held Michigan's first winning record in Big Ten conference play since 2007.

[30] Hoke won his first bowl game as the head coach of Michigan in an overtime contest against Virginia Tech by a score of 23–20.

[31] Hoke's second season in Ann Arbor started off with Michigan losing 41–14 to the defending and eventual repeat national champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide.

"[33] Michigan ended the regular season with losses to AP #25 Nebraska (10–4), #4 Notre Dame (12–1), #3 Ohio State (12–0), and #1 Alabama (13–1),[34] before losing 33–28 on the final touchdown to #8 South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

[36] This marked only the third season since 1975 in which Michigan missed a bowl game (the previous two instances were both under Hoke's predecessor, Rich Rodriguez).

[44] The two losses under Hoke combined with the 4–6 record from Butch Jones gave the Tennessee Volunteers their first eight-loss season in program history.

[45][46] On January 29, 2018, ESPN reported that Hoke was hired to coach the defensive line for the NFL's Carolina Panthers.

[47] The move to the NFL was a first for Hoke's coaching career, as all of his previous stops had been in high school or college.

Jon's son, Kyle Hoke, played for his uncle at Ball State and was a graduate assistant coach for the Western Michigan Broncos football team in their 2012 and 2013 seasons.