A theory: It was Norm Parker all along

We all know that Ken was a great OC. But I think he had a much bigger role than that.

How many guys have we heard talk about great it was playing under him. I think he had more of a leadership role, than perhaps we knew. KFz was always the HC, but it's not too far-fetched to think that he may have gotten plenty of quiet advice from Ken. O'Keefe had a way of being both in charge of his troops, but also very accessible.

Since O'Keefe left, Ferentz has looked more lost than ever...not much like a 15 yr veteran.

Is it possible that Ken really functioned as an "Associate Head Coach"... and we miss him more than expected?
 
okeefe4prez said:
We all know that Ken was a great OC. But I think he had a much bigger role than that.

How many guys have we heard talk about great it was playing under him. I think he had more of a leadership role, than perhaps we knew. KFz was always the HC, but it's not too far-fetched to think that he may have gotten plenty of quiet advice from Ken. O'Keefe had a way of being both in charge of his troops, but also very accessible.

Since O'Keefe left, Ferentz has looked more lost than ever...not much like a 15 yr veteran.

Is it possible that Ken really functioned as an "Associate Head Coach"... and we miss him more than expected?
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Switch out the word "Ken" for "Norm" and this would be correct. But, I do think we'd have been much, much better off with KOK still as the OC.
 
Kurt's offensive philosophy (and it is quite offensive) is this:

Find something that works, and abandon it.
 
MeatMan said:
Switch out the word "Ken" for "Norm" and this would be correct. But, I do think we'd have been much, much better off with KOK still as the OC.
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I took out the word "Norm" from the OP and replaced it with "Ken." I saw Norm at the game yesterday outside Gate D right after the game ended. I didn't see Ken because Ken has NFL talent.

Norm's philosophy was always sit back and make them beat you. That philosophy simply doesn't work when schools like Northwestern and MAC level schools have highly competent spread QBs. It was fine against the John Navarres of the world, but it sucks against the new crop of QBs. The blitz package we had yesterday was the best I've seen bince prolly the '97 season. Phil is a gamer, but dude is gonna need to find a Clayborn or Roth or even a Mitch King to put some heat on a QB. It's almost like you guys have no recollection whatsoever of the Iowa defenses in years where we didn't have extreme talent at all three levels. Anyone here go to that OSU game back in 2006? Klink trying to cover Gonzalez in the slot was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Thank God Tressel was the coach rather than Urban Meyer - Urban would have run up 63 points on us that day.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Norm's philosophy was always sit back and make them beat you. That philosophy simply doesn't work when schools like Northwestern and MAC level schools have highly competent spread QBs. It was fine against the John Navarres of the world, but it sucks against the new crop of QBs. The blitz package we had yesterday was the best I've seen bince prolly the '97 season. Phil is a gamer, but dude is gonna need to find a Clayborn or Roth or even a Mitch King to put some heat on a QB. It's almost like you guys have no recollection whatsoever of the Iowa defenses in years where we didn't have extreme talent at all three levels. Anyone here go to that OSU game back in 2006? Klink trying to cover Gonzalez in the slot was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Thank God Tressel was the coach rather than Urban Meyer - Urban would have run up 63 points on us that day.
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This is correct. But Phil is still like Norm about getting off the field (or not getting off the field, to be exact) on 3rd down. Especially 3rd and long.
 
MeatMan said:
Are you for serious? Maybe that's why I said that! Do you law types need one of these to catch when someone uses sarcasm back at you? ;)
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Are you cereal, brah? Major burn. Left myself wide open for that one, I guess. I feel like this clown with coffee all over his shirt:

[video=youtube;vdHBsWXaHN8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdHBsWXaHN8[/video]
 
okeefe4prez said:
Are you cereal, brah? Major burn. Left myself wide open for that one, I guess. I feel like this clown with coffee all over his shirt:

[video=youtube;vdHBsWXaHN8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdHBsWXaHN8[/video]
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It's water under the bridge now bud! Keep fighting the good fight.
 
MeatMan said:
It's water under the bridge now bud! Keep fighting the good fight.
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Please try not to troll me. I am too gullible and I ALWAYS fall for it and then I feel stupid. If I feel stupid, I might stop posting. If I stop posting, I might take up exercise as a hobby. If I take up exercise as a hobby, I'll have a gripper and end up in a persistent vegetative state. Don't let me end up in a persistent vegetative state.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Please try not to troll me. I am too gullible and I ALWAYS fall for it and then I feel stupid. If I feel stupid, I might stop posting. If I stop posting, I might take up exercise as a hobby. If I take up exercise as a hobby, I'll have a gripper and end up in a persistent vegetative state. Don't let me end up in a persistent vegetative state.
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Speaking of vegetative state, were you sober enuf to make that 6:15 tee time with teh prospective (prospect, as in gold?)?
 
hawkdrummer1 said:
We all know that Norm was a great DC. But I think he had a much bigger role than that.

How many guys have we heard talk about great it was playing under him. I think he had more of a leadership role, than perhaps we knew. KFz was always the HC, but it's not too far-fetched to think that he may have gotten plenty of quiet advice from Norm. Parker had a way of being both in charge of his troops, but also very accessible.

Since Parker left, Ferentz has looked more lost than ever...not much like a 15 yr veteran.

Is it possible that Norm really functioned as an "Associate Head Coach"... and we miss him more than expected?
Click to expand...

IIRC Norm produced a Top 10 scoring defense in 2008 - 2009 - 2010. Basically Norm got Kirk that unbreakable contract and made him the richest gov't employee in Iowa history. I wonder if Kirk sends Norm a home-made scarf each Christmas to show his appreciation?
 
What was lost was the continuity of the coaches. Norm was a big loss but so were the other four of five coaches that were lost.
 
If Norm was great, that is a credit to KF for both finding, and keeping a great DC on staff for 13 years. I'm not sure how in the world someone can argue that this is a knock against a head coach???? Fry was best when he had great coaches on staff as well.....all HC are best when they have good/great coaches on staff.
 
It didn't hurt to have Roth, Sanders, Greenway, Hodge, Babineaux, Clayborn, King, Angerer, Hodges, Spievey and the assorted other All Big Ten, NFL players on the team.
 
Saturday there were 2 teams on the field with MAC talent. One was down to their 2nd string RB and playing on the road. One also had a better coach. Can you guess which team this was?
 
ThunderHawk said:
This is correct. But Phil is still like Norm about getting off the field (or not getting off the field, to be exact) on 3rd down. Especially 3rd and long.
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actually we blitzed a lot on 3rd down and it worked - the problem Saturday was our secondary and pressure when we didn't blitz... however like the last 15 years... our defense played good enough to win and the offense again doesn't achieved what it should against a physically inferior defense.
 
Bigtenchamp said:
actually we blitzed a lot on 3rd down and it worked - the problem Saturday was our secondary and pressure when we didn't blitz... however like the last 15 years... our defense played good enough to win and the offense again doesn't achieved what it should against a physically inferior defense.
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I agree. I was surprised how often we blitzed on 3rd down (it seemed nearly every one in the second half). Plus it was effective, NIU was only 7 for 20 on 3rd downs.
 
Bigtenchamp said:
actually we blitzed a lot on 3rd down and it worked - the problem Saturday was our secondary and pressure when we didn't blitz... however like the last 15 years... our defense played good enough to win and the offense again doesn't achieved what it should against a physically inferior defense.
Click to expand...

I think we need to take out a lineman in specific 3rd down situations, and put a LB up on the line. A lot. Not necessarily blitz, but for pass rushing. We did this at least once against NIU, and it worked very well.

I also think it was clear on Saturday a lot of the plays were left on the bench.

I'm more concerned with the D right now.

I doubt anyone knows, including the coaches, what we have for a team right now.
 
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