A New Hawkeye Coach Down the Road???

socalhawkeye198

Well-Known Member
I have no idea when Kirk may end his tenure. Maybe next year ... maybe he miraculously drags it out until 2020. Whatever. It's kinda fun to think about who might come next.

Here's an interesting thought. Chris Klieman, first year head coach of North Dakota State University -- which just won its fourth straight FCS championship.

Now, I'm a little biased. He's the brother of a good friend of mine. But if you saw any of that game on Saturday, you can tell -- the guy can coach. He plays to win, he gets the most out of his players, and he doesn't flinch.

Keep an eye on this guy. Hey, if Tressel can go from Youngstown State and become a hall of fame coach, why not Klieman?
 
Four straight titles sounds good, but according to his wiki, he's only been there for the most recent one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Klieman

He's only also been a head coach one year previously, back in 2005.

What I'm saying: I'd like to see a coach that has sustained success for more than one year so that we know it wasn't just based on what his predecessor built.

Who is the guy who won the other three titles? Maybe we should talk to him.... :)

I'm sure Klieman knows football, but my other main concern is recruiting (but that goes for any candidate). North Dakota State is one thing. Can he recruit at a level that will allow us to compete with the likes of OSU, Michigan, MSU, PSU, Nebraska, Wisconsin, etc.?

I don't know the answers to these questions so not writing anyone off.. Just playing devil's advocate.
 
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Oh and, by the way, the guy that hired him at NDSU is currently the assistant athletic director at ... Iowa.

With the yearly amount that will go to the buyout, I would imagine Iowa would end up with a guy like this. He and his staff would be financially palatable.
 
I like it, good plan c option if bielema and another d-1 guy both fall through. Watched that game and ISU and NDSU could both beat a lot of big ten schools, iowa being one.
 
Four straight titles sounds good, but according to his wiki, he's only been there for the most recent one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Klieman

He's only also been a head coach one year previously, back in 2005.

What I'm saying: I'd like to see a coach that has sustained success for more than one year so that we know it wasn't just based on what his predecessor built.

I'm sure Klieman knows football, but my other main concern is recruiting. North Dakota State is one thing. Can he recruit at a level that will allow us to compete with the likes of OSU, Michigan, MSU, PSU, Nebraska, Wisconsin, etc.?

I don't know the answers to these questions so not writing anyone off.. Just playing devil's advocate.

That's correct, 77. He was only the head coach for the most current team. But, he was the D-Coordinator for the first three of those championship teams ... and they didn't win a championship until he got there. As for recruiting, well, that may be a concern, but I don't think anyone thinks that has been Ferentz's strong point.
 
One other point to recognize about Klieman is that NDSU lost 20 starters this past year, and yet somehow, he still managed to reload and build a championship team.
 
Let me be clear - I'm not saying Klieman can or can't recruit.. I would have that question about ANY candidate, because you can't win in this league without some talent IMO.

Obviously coaching is important (see Brady Hoke, who couldn't even win at Michigan) but I've always felt that Iowa needs a great recruiter, especially considering the in-state population.

Klieman does sound like an intriguing possibility assuming Iowa couldn't get a guy like Bielema or Stoops.
 
I think Hoke had the opposite problem. He could recruit as well as anybody, although Michigan tends to recruit itself pretty well. He was kind of like Ron Zook, in that he got perfectly good players to commit to the school, but he didn't know how to win once they got there.
 
I have no idea when Kirk may end his tenure. Maybe next year ... maybe he miraculously drags it out until 2020. Whatever. It's kinda fun to think about who might come next.

Here's an interesting thought. Chris Klieman, first year head coach of North Dakota State University -- which just won its fourth straight FCS championship.

Now, I'm a little biased. He's the brother of a good friend of mine. But if you saw any of that game on Saturday, you can tell -- the guy can coach. He plays to win, he gets the most out of his players, and he doesn't flinch.

Keep an eye on this guy. Hey, if Tressel can go from Youngstown State and become a hall of fame coach, why not Klieman?
The wild man that played at USD
 
I think we would be nuts not looking at him assuming we cannot get BB.

He is a young up and comer. Has played a big role in their success both as a top assistant and now HC. We can get him at a reasonable price considering we will be paying out big buyout bucks for KF. If he fails the cost of moving on is not painful. He is also a native Iowan so if he has success he will be less inclined to move on.

A good AD would help him in the transition to the Power 5 by mandating that he put at least one proven recruiter on staff as well as a few with experience at this level. You can afford to pay more to some of the assistants when you are not sinking so much into the HC.

I would bet that he will be a strong target by ISU after next year as well.
 
I'm in on Klieman, but I do wonder about recruiting, as well. Iowa born and went to UNI. Heck, if he did turn out to be a bust, we won't have much money in on him. However, I think he would do well. Maybe great.

I liked how he managed the game against ISU and gained the lead back late in the fourth qtr. No panic or poor decisions, that I noticed.
 
Let me be clear - I'm not saying Klieman can or can't recruit.. I would have that question about ANY candidate, because you can't win in this league without some talent IMO.

Obviously coaching is important (see Brady Hoke, who couldn't even win at Michigan) but I've always felt that Iowa needs a great recruiter, especially considering the in-state population.

Klieman does sound like an intriguing possibility assuming Iowa couldn't get a guy like Bielema or Stoops.


His recruiting can't be any worse than this staff's. Afterall, he recruited enough talent to lay a solid azzwhoopin on the Clonz. When was the last time Iowa can claim a 20-point W over their peers in Ames?
 
this-thread-again-thumb.jpg
 
Four straight titles sounds good, but according to his wiki, he's only been there for the most recent one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Klieman

He's only also been a head coach one year previously, back in 2005.

What I'm saying: I'd like to see a coach that has sustained success for more than one year so that we know it wasn't just based on what his predecessor built.

Who is the guy who won the other three titles? Maybe we should talk to him.... :)

I'm sure Klieman knows football, but my other main concern is recruiting (but that goes for any candidate). North Dakota State is one thing. Can he recruit at a level that will allow us to compete with the likes of OSU, Michigan, MSU, PSU, Nebraska, Wisconsin, etc.?

I don't know the answers to these questions so not writing anyone off.. Just playing devil's advocate.

NDSU lost a ton going into this season, but still managed to win a 4th. Pretty incredible for them to win it and with a new Coach.
 
For the love of all that is holy - even taking the buyout into consideration, Iowa Athletics doesn't have a money problem. From a financial standpoint, Iowa Athletics is the Boston Redsox, the New York Yankees, Manchester United, LA Lakers, Dallas Cowboys. Iowa athletics can pay the amount Michigan paid for Harbaugh, and pay off KFs salary at the same time and still make money.

You don't need to play moneyball at Iowa to win. You just have to play football - Iowa has not been playing football under Ferentz. It's been playing let's develop linemen for the NFL without caring about anything else.

Find a coach that can recruit and win, write them a check for 3 years with some 0s on it, empower them to get good assistants, and reevaluate after year three.
 
I will say this: The Iowa football program has money coming out of their ears. We have millions upon millions upon millions of dollars. Any buyout amount to kfootball would be a mere pittance. The estimated haul for each B1G school starting in '15 or '16 is $50 million. Money should be no object for a new coach and if it is it's because the admin are idiots. This coach should not be a HC consideration. D coordinator, perhaps. But not HC. Let's think big. We've got all the money we need to do that.
 
I will say this: The Iowa football program has money coming out of their ears. We have millions upon millions upon millions of dollars. Any buyout amount to kfootball would be a mere pittance. The estimated haul for each B1G school starting in '15 or '16 is $50 million. Money should be no object for a new coach and if it is it's because the admin are idiots. This coach should not be a HC consideration. D coordinator, perhaps. But not HC. Let's think big. We've got all the money we need to do that.

I'm with you to a point, Arvada. Iowa athletics can afford to pay big money, and if Pete Carroll or Urban Meyer, Nick Saban or, say, Gary Patterson want to come to Iowa whenever the Captain's time runs out, then great. Are those big names lining up to be Iowa's coach? Frankly, I don't see Bielema or Stoops running back to Iowa City either, although think we can agree that the athletic department needs to seriously consider them both if the Ferentz era ends soon.

Iowa certainly deserves the best, most established coach and recruiter it can get. But I would argue that a proven head coach at the FCS level deserves a look just as much as some of the other big names. How well have Charlie Weis and Norm Chow worked out at their schools?
 
I have no idea when Kirk may end his tenure. Maybe next year ... maybe he miraculously drags it out until 2020. Whatever. It's kinda fun to think about who might come next.

Here's an interesting thought. Chris Klieman, first year head coach of North Dakota State University -- which just won its fourth straight FCS championship.

Now, I'm a little biased. He's the brother of a good friend of mine. But if you saw any of that game on Saturday, you can tell -- the guy can coach. He plays to win, he gets the most out of his players, and he doesn't flinch.

Keep an eye on this guy. Hey, if Tressel can go from Youngstown State and become a hall of fame coach, why not Klieman?

I threw his name out in a previous thread about potential coaches. I live in a neighborhood with Bill Freeman who played LB on those good UNI teams & played at the same time with Chris. He said Chris was the smart one on the team pointing out the offense & lining the D players up & pointing things out. He said he has a terrific football mind. I spoke with Bill at a neighborhood BBQ.
 
I'm with you to a point, Arvada. Iowa athletics can afford to pay big money, and if Pete Carroll or Urban Meyer, Nick Saban or, say, Gary Patterson want to come to Iowa whenever the Captain's time runs out, then great. Are those big names lining up to be Iowa's coach? Frankly, I don't see Bielema or Stoops running back to Iowa City either, although think we can agree that the athletic department needs to seriously consider them both if the Ferentz era ends soon.

Iowa certainly deserves the best, most established coach and recruiter it can get. But I would argue that a proven head coach at the FCS level deserves a look just as much as some of the other big names. How well have Charlie Weis and Norm Chow worked out at their schools?


socal, I was running to an appointment so my post was a bit abrubt. Iowa needs to scour the country. A high level coordinator from a P5 school, or a HC with years of experience. For example, a DC or OC at a P5 conference with 5 plus years of measurable success. The difference between FBS and FCS can be a lot. The quantity of scholarships isn't even the same.

We need to be careful that, as fans, we haven't bought fully into kfootballs schtick that we're not sexy. Iowa City itself compares to most college towns and our program has more money than all other programs but 10. Of course we're not going to get Nick Saban or Pete Carroll or Urban Meyer. But that doesn't mean we go get a FCS coach who has one season's experience has a HC. Now, if he was the DC for the 1st 3 championships, as you pointed out, then a DC job at Iowa or any other P5 school would be an excellent opportunity for him to jump up in levels and hone his skills. And I'd wager a coach like Patterson could be lured to Iowa under the right circumstances. We need to keep in mind that if O$U wins the NC and with UM hiring Harbaugh, the B1G would have a completely different persona; one of power. Iowa needs to hire the right coach and ride that wave.

Also, as fans, we can't think in terms of hiring the next coach that will be here for 15 plus years. We need to learn to live with hiring coaches to win and realize there will be turnover. Iowa is in a prime spot to move forward and take advantage of being in the B1G West. kfootball has blown that opportunity, so far.
 

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