See now there you are saying things that I definitely can get on board with...absolutely. I guess I separate bad coaching from....could be better coaching. Any great coach or leader on a larger scale group, company, team, nation finds people with talent, communicates the philosophy and allows the talent to flourish. I think we probably agree somewhere on this point. You may see it as the failing of KF to get the right guys...whereas I might feel that it's tough for him to get guys like we need. Cream of the crop types. I think KF's philosophy, understanding that he knows he will not have the better athletes on the field 40% of the time, is to play a style of game that almost always gives his team a chance to win. Control the ball, play bend but don't break defense, minimize turnovers, create a turnover from an opponent's mistake and he will win say 60% on being disciplined to that philosophy alone. If luck, fortune also shine, maybe another 10%. The remaining 30%, granted there is no mathematical proof to what I'm saying, just opinion, we have a chance to be within striking distance or have limited teams with superior talent to the point that we can pull some out. I think last year is pretty representative of this theory. A lot of close games. Don't lose from shooting yourself in the foot. Keep better teams close. Make a few plays, have some luck, wear them down enough to win those games where on paper you might be considered over matched.
I don't mind this philosophy. Its painful at times. You wish you could be a sports car against the bad teams and only implement operation "keep it close" vs superior teams, but people are creatures of habit and can't turn it off and on game to game.
Yes, great points on having good assistants do their thing. Id love to see that. I think, in the end anyone can go to Notre dame or usc, Michigan, Ohio state, florida, etc and roll out of bed with 8-9 wins each year. Its a lot more difficult here so I cut the man some slack because I like winning 8-10 games..I'll put up with 7..maybe a 5 or 6 if need be every few years..but I can still see 11 or 12 on occasion. I love being an Iowa Hawkeye and I love the KF gives me more smiles (W's) than frowns. We could all live a couple hours West and have what those folks have..and they breathe the same air..drink the same water..and have the same Recruiting base to pull from. The glass is half full in my neighborhood. Half full or half empty. GO HAWKS!!!
I still think KF is a mediocre coach who has some fantastic abilities in some aspects of coaching. He needs to either get good coordinators (or let the one's he has open up), or become an assistant. He's like a great salesman on a sales team who is named General Sales Manager. Fine as long as he has other strong performers under him and/or doesn't get in the way of achievers. One of those great producers is no longer living. You can count last year....fine 12-0 is pretty good, but that last game was a real thrashing, but hardly necessary.
