7-6 is not acceptable

[DesMoinesHawki]

Personally it would serve all of us right if we run off Ferentz and make a couple bad hires and end up with a football program being trashed like the bball program. Iowa is one bad hire away from 3-9 every year.

Who's to say we we would make a bad hire? (Yes, Lick was a bad hire) What if we landed another coach at $3.5 million or so and that coach made us a perennial Top 25 team?

I think Fran was a good hire? I think Tom Brands was a good hire ... If we continue to put forth 7-5 seasons and field average football teams should we continue on with this staff with the fear we will only do worse with another coach? When is enough ... enough? If we are willing to pay a head coach that much money don't you think there would be a lot of interest from some top-flight coaches ... We have the facilities; we play in a major conference and we have a rabid fan base ... I think we should expect more ... We don't expect Big 10 titles every year or national championships ... But we should expect more than very, very average 7-5 seasons ...

 

[AZmess]

LOL...

 

[seepig]

Funny....Ferentz is praised by his players, praised by his fellow coaches in college & pro football, praised by professional sports analysts and praised by recruits. His name is mentioned for all the top job openings. Seems it's only the vocal, ignorant uniformed minority arm chair quarterbacks on these message boards that offer a different opinion. Hmmmm....back under the porch little dogs.

IMO Kirk is ok he needs to get his assistant coaches straightened out though. Coach K left for Nebby THANK GOD after chasing half our DL recruits off the field. KOK offense continues to be the bottom half of all D1 programs (when will Hawk fans wake up and get that one straight) and KOK may eventually be his undoing. His DC hire is going to be critical to future success.

Finally, lets face it we don't have recruiting juggernauts on our staff. Imagine what KF could do with all 4 star players or better. We could challenge for conference championships even with KOK on board. Recruiting is 70% of the success while 30-35% is coaching them up to the their potential or beyond. So while KF is top shelf at the 30% it's obvious we lack in recruiting.

 

[seepig]

Who's to say we we would make a bad hire? (Yes, Lick was a bad hire) What if we landed another coach at $3.5 million or so and that coach made us a perennial Top 25 team?

I think Fran was a good hire? I think Tom Brands was a good hire ... If we continue to put forth 7-5 seasons and field average football teams should we continue on with this staff with the fear we will only do worse with another coach? When is enough ... enough? If we are willing to pay a head coach that much money don't you think there would be a lot of interest from some top-flight coaches ... We have the facilities; we play in a major conference and we have a rabid fan base ... I think we should expect more ... We don't expect Big 10 titles every year or national championships ... But we should expect more than very, very average 7-5 seasons ...

We are at the point in this regime's lifecycle where we should be Top 25 every year.

 

[FalseMirage]

IMO Kirk is ok he needs to get his assistant coaches straightened out though. Coach K left for Nebby THANK GOD after chasing half our DL recruits off the field. KOK offense continues to be the bottom half of all D1 programs (when will Hawk fans wake up and get that one straight) and KOK may eventually be his undoing. His DC hire is going to be critical to future success.

Finally, lets face it we don't have recruiting juggernauts on our staff. Imagine what KF could do with all 4 star players or better. We could challenge for conference championships even with KOK on board. Recruiting is 70% of the success while 30-35% is coaching them up to the their potential or beyond. So while KF is top shelf at the 30% it's obvious we lack in recruiting.

With a stable full of 4* recruits the current approach would be very solid. Big with.

 

[seepig]

Let's not forget what Bill Snyder did this year at K State (AGAIN). He has more of a recruiting handicap than Iowa, competes in-state with another BCS school, but still went 10-2 (and arguably got hosed out of a BCS bowl again). The difference is Bill adjusts and goes with his strengths, rather than forcing a square peg in a round hole.

Bill also preaches assignment football (which was obvious compared to Ron Prince), but he seems to get more out his players than KF, and is certainly much better in game-time decisions and clock management.

I don't know what they pay Bill, but it's much less than KF. I appreciate the fine program that KF runs, but you just cannot continue to be that stubborn and blame everything on player execution. At some point you have to evaluate what you have and adjust (read: coach) to your strengths to maximize your chances to win games.

You mean like the stretch running play KOK called 7 times that lost yards every single damn time?

 

[gohawks71]

To seepig's comments, I am in total agreement that Ferentz should do better with his asst's and as u mentioned how the O was so bad but I think it is Ferentz who forces KOK to stay with the pro-form sets and not allow him to change or run what he might be better at I.e. spread or some variation to use the talent that is on the field instead of forcing someone to be something there not.

 

[vegashawki]

To seepig's comments, I am in total agreement that Ferentz should do better with his asst's and as u mentioned how the O was so bad but I think it is Ferentz who forces KOK to stay with the pro-form sets and not allow him to change or run what he might be better at I.e. spread or some variation to use the talent that is on the field instead of forcing someone to be something there not.

How do people say Ferentz forces KOK to stay with pro-form sets? You honestly believe KOK sucks as bad as he does because Ferentz has him on that tight of a leash? Maybe, just maybe KOK is as crappy as his play calling.

 

[DuffMan]

Who's to say we we would make a bad hire? (Yes, Lick was a bad hire) What if we landed another coach at $3.5 million or so and that coach made us a perennial Top 25 team? I think Fran was a good hire? I think Tom Brands was a good hire ... If we continue to put forth 7-5 seasons and field average football teams should we continue on with this staff with the fear we will only do worse with another coach? When is enough ... enough? If we are willing to pay a head coach that much money don't you think there would be a lot of interest from some top-flight coaches ... We have the facilities; we play in a major conference and we have a rabid fan base ... I think we should expect more ... We don't expect Big 10 titles every year or national championships ... But we should expect more than very, very average 7-5 seasons ...

We are at the point in this regime's lifecycle where we should be Top 25 every year.

Thanks for clarifying that you are 100% full crack whore discharge.

 

[RedHawk]

Hayden Fry's coaching record is listed below. By a lot of people's tunnel vision "what have you done lately" point of view....fire Fry!!! Fire Fry!! Would seem that would have been your attitude too?! Nearly every year based on 7-6 is unacceptable. Fools!
1979 5-6
1980 4-7
1981 8-4
1982 8-4
1983 9-3
1984 8-4-1
1985 10-2 AP Poll 10th
1986 9-3
1987 10-3
1988 6-4-3
1989 5-6
1990 8-4
1991 10-1-1 AP Poll 10th
1992 5-7
1993 6-6
1994 5-5-1
1995 8-4
1996 9-3
1997 7-5
1998 3-8

 

[TChawk]

Hayden Fry's coaching record is listed below. By a lot of people's tunnel vision "what have you done lately" point of view....fire Fry!!! Fire Fry!! Would seem that would have been your attitude too?! Nearly every year based on 7-6 is unacceptable. Fools!
1979 5-6
1980 4-7
1981 8-4
1982 8-4
1983 9-3
1984 8-4-1
1985 10-2 AP Poll 10th
1986 9-3
1987 10-3
1988 6-4-3
1989 5-6
1990 8-4
1991 10-1-1 AP Poll 10th
1992 5-7
1993 6-6
1994 5-5-1
1995 8-4
1996 9-3
1997 7-5
1998 3-8

Except that it is easier to get to 7 wins these days than it was back then.

 

[RedHawk]

Now let's look at Ferentz's record....seems like he's achieved a higher level than Fry. Recruiting has improved. Depth and injuries are our achilles heel. Two or three players leaving early for the NFL has hurt. Imagine if those players had stayed thru their senior years....Buluga/Spievey/Sash, would have made a difference.
1999 1-10
2000 3-9
2001 7-5
2002 11-2 AP Poll 8th
2003 10-3 AP Poll 8th
2004 10-2 AP Poll 8th
2005 7-5
2006 6-7
2007 6-6
2008 9-4
2009 11-2 AP Poll 7th
2010 8-5
2011 7-6

 

[RedHawk]

"Except that it is easier to get to 7 wins these days than it was back then."

Huh? The Big 10 is tougher today. Fry didn't deal with Penn St. half his tenure. Iowa State was crap the whole time. The Big 10 used to be Michigan/ Ohio St. and a bunch of losers until Fry added Iowa to the list of contenders. Fry scheduled cupcakes early just like all programs do. There's alot more parity nationwide today than when Fry coached due to scholarship limits. Our yearly strength of schedule all are stronger than when Fry coached.

 

[bcl20]

"Except that it is easier to get to 7 wins these days than it was back then."

Huh? The Big 10 is tougher today. Fry didn't deal with Penn St. half his tenure. Iowa State was crap the whole time. The Big 10 used to be Michigan/ Ohio St. and a bunch of losers until Fry added Iowa to the list of contenders. Fry scheduled cupcakes early just like all programs do. There's alot more parity nationwide today than when Fry coached due to scholarship limits. Our yearly strength of schedule all are stronger than when Fry coached.

There is more parity today however we play more games now too. It's likely the same level of difficulty to get to 7 wins.

 

[RedHawk]

Fry played 12 games or 13 every year too, except for the 6 years where we did not play in bowl games. Fry's teams generally had two really tough games (Michigan & Ohio St) plus the bowl opponent. Parity is a huge factor in dispersing talent. The Nebraska, Michigan's etc. would be the first to say that. Every year the players get bigger/faster - look at the evolution of the NFL. Injuries are more of a factor today. Alot less fat slow 300lb lineman playing these days. Young men today have so many more distractions too. I think it's harder to win 7 now than two decades ago.

 

[RedHawk]

The major sports teams at Iowa have to maintain a certain level of athletes graduating or face scholarship penalties. The "Division I Academic Progress Rate" program is now in it's 8th year of existence. Recruiting athletes was a lot easier prior to Ferentz becoming Iowa's head coach.