Anybody Not Bothered By This Contract Extension?

[MelroseHawkins]

Just wondering who all are not bothered by this. I guess I'm getting over it. It really doesn't affect my life all that much. Here we are complaining about this opposed to what is happening over at Mich St. Yes, it took 2 months to announce which is kind of shady. That isn't good as they need to be more transparent then that, but, that athletic dept. has ALWAYS sucked doing the PR stuff. Do they get a "get out of jail"? No, they should not.

I kind of like that it shows McCaffery's all in at Iowa and this may be the thing that helps turn the corner, don't know. But, now McCaffery knows it's put up or shut up time and time to perform. This may be a good thing in the long run. We will see.

Who else is not really put out by it anymore?


Also, the buyout states McCaffery would be pain if fired for "no cause". Can someone define "no cause" or state where that line is? For example, if the team is performing badly, is that cause enough where would not have to pay the buyout? What exactly would be a situation of "no cause". Most coaches are fired for a reason. Seems kind of arbitrary.

 

[Iahwk06]

I don't understand why they didn't do it before the season started. Last year was ok but this year had a lot of promise with a nice recruiting class coming in. When KF gets one its announced, seems like they were hiding this.

 

[PCHawk]

Just wondering who all are not bothered by this. I guess I'm getting over it. It really doesn't affect my life all that much. Here we are complaining about this opposed to what is happening over at Mich St. Yes, it took 2 months to announce which is kind of shady. That isn't good as they need to be more transparent then that, but, that athletic dept. has ALWAYS sucked doing the PR stuff. Do they get a "get out of jail"? No, they should not.

I kind of like that it shows McCaffery's all in at Iowa and this may be the thing that helps turn the corner, don't know. But, now McCaffery knows it's put up or shut up time and time to perform. This may be a good thing in the long run. We will see.

Who else is not really put out by it anymore?


Also, the buyout states McCaffery would be pain if fired for "no cause". Can someone define "no cause" or state where that line is? For example, if the team is performing badly, is that cause enough where would not have to pay the buyout? What exactly would be a situation of "no cause". Most coaches are fired for a reason. Seems kind of arbitrary.

I think if it was a case of Fran leaving if he didn't get the deal, then I'm ok with Barta doing it over the summer. I'm also kinda ok with why they didn't announce it becasue they obviously thought things would get better on the court and they didn't. It was a calculated risk that I understand. Even tho it didn't work out.

As far as without cause goes, off court issues like MSU or PSU or Baylor would be with cause. On court struggles are without cause for some weird reason....I think.

 

[HawkGold]

Im calloused and think it is abuse of power.

If he was threatening to leave then Id wish him well. It wasnt needed.

 

[BILLYBOBSTEXAS]

Maybe it helps with recruiting underclassmen. Most want to be assured that their coach will be there with them.

 

[1hawkeye1]

I'm not bothered because there is nothing I can do about it.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

I'm not saying Fran isn't committed here (he may be) but I take this as Barta being all-in on Fran more so than the other way around. I take it Fran could still leave for another job at any time without consequence? Guess if you can get your contract extended and add more job security and double your buyout, then who wouldn't do that? No brainer for Fran IMO.

Am I bothered by it? It's not a 10 year deal like with KF, but not sure it was really warranted at this time. Fran's deal already ran through 2022, yes? So guess I'm not a big fan of this move.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Maybe it helps with recruiting underclassmen. Most want to be assured that their coach will be there with them.

Yes, but Fran was already signed through 2022.. I thought that was already the case before the extension. How many years really need to be on a deal?

 

[trj]

Maybe we should dial back some of the outrage. That being said, I don't understand why the university was so concerned with the backlash. At the end of the day Joe Schmo feelings don't matter.

If I ran a PR firm my motto would be: "Get out in front of it and own it ". They could have avoided all this drama by announcing the extension in November. There would have been backlash,but so what, at least it doesn't look like you are trying to hide something.

 

[trj]

Im calloused and think it is abuse of power.

If he was threatening to leave then Id wish him well. It wasnt needed.

The number one rule in negotiations is not to give up leverage......that is what I thought anyway. Barta just seems like he goes into every negotiation with no hand to play. I don't get it.

 

[PCHawk]

Maybe we should dial back some of the outrage. That being said, I don't understand why the university was so concerned with the backlash. At the end of the day Joe Schmo feelings don't matter.

If I ran a PR firm my motto would be: "Get out in front of it and own it ". They could have avoided all this drama by announcing the extension in November. There would have been backlash,but so what, at least it doesn't look like you are trying to hide something.

The backlash going on now isn't going to last either probably. They probably knew they would get backlash if they announced it, but thought they could avoid it if they turned it around before it got out. If not, they get the backlash that they would have gotten anyway. Maybe the slightest bit worse.

 

[DDThompson]

The number one rule in negotiations is not to give up leverage......that is what I thought anyway. He just seems like he goes into every negotiation with no hand to play. I don't get it.

Barta’s idea of leverage is saying he’s not signing the check until the coach puts the numbers in the blank check that the coach wants.

Then — and only then — will Barta sign his name.

 

[ClintonIAfan]

I like it, similar to football, coaching stability is critical to long term success.

 

[MWS604]

Here's my take - Barta doesn't like being pressured to fire the FB or BB HC. Since Lickliter's buyout was so low a few big time donors could cough up the cash to buy him out. With KF's buyout so high, even though people were clamoring for his head in 2014, a coaching change was financially impossible. The very next year, the Hawkeyes finished the season 12-2. Putting the basketball buyout at $10+ mil does the same thing for the Basketball program. It forces cooler heads to prevail.

So my answer is no, the contract extension doesn't bother me. I still think that FM has a few longstanding weaknesses (TO management, bad perimeter defense, 10-11 man rotations) but they have always been there, even during the NCAA tourney years. My guess is that in the next year or two we will likely return to the NCAA tourney. KF is also has a longstanding weakness - bland offenses with WRs that are glorified downfield blockers. But he manages to go 8-5 or better most years (12-19).

Although many of us wish our AD set the "success bar" a little higher, most of the people making contributions are happy with having "slow and steady", clean programs, that have "good" years more often than not. Look around the sports complexes and see all the facility improvements for all of the IA sports programs. Financially, IA sports are very successful, despite the fact that we are a bottom-feeder in the Directors' Cup annually.

So long as there is such a negative correlation between financial and athletic performance, why make your job any harder by firing a coach? Besides the new one you bring in might not turn out to be an improvement after all.

I know, buzz killer ...

 

[HawkMD2007]

It doesn't bother me.

Signed
Margaret McCaffery

 

[lightning1]

Here's my take - Barta doesn't like being pressured to fire the FB or BB HC. Since Lickliter's buyout was so low a few big time donors could cough up the cash to buy him out. With KF's buyout so high, even though people were clamoring for his head in 2014, a coaching change was financially impossible. The very next year, the Hawkeyes finished the season 12-2. Putting the basketball buyout at $10+ mil does the same thing for the Basketball program. It forces cooler heads to prevail.

So my answer is no, the contract extension doesn't bother me. I still think that FM has a few longstanding weaknesses (TO management, bad perimeter defense, 10-11 man rotations) but they have always been there, even during the NCAA tourney years. My guess is that in the next year or two we will likely return to the NCAA tourney. KF is also has a longstanding weakness - bland offenses with WRs that are glorified downfield blockers. But he manages to go 8-5 or better most years (12-19).

Although many of us wish our AD set the "success bar" a little higher, most of the people making contributions are happy with having "slow and steady", clean programs, that have "good" years more often than not. Look around the sports complexes and see all the facility improvements for all of the IA sports programs. Financially, IA sports are very successful, despite the fact that we are a bottom-feeder in the Directors' Cup annually.

So long as there is such a negative correlation between financial and athletic performance, why make your job any harder by firing a coach? Besides the new one you bring in might not turn out to be an improvement after all.

I know, buzz killer ...

Except that we don't have "good years more often than not" in basketball. 3 NCAA tourney years in 8 seasons. Next year will most likely be 3 in 9 years.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Here's my take - Barta doesn't like being pressured to fire the FB or BB HC. Since Lickliter's buyout was so low a few big time donors could cough up the cash to buy him out. With KF's buyout so high, even though people were clamoring for his head in 2014, a coaching change was financially impossible. The very next year, the Hawkeyes finished the season 12-2. Putting the basketball buyout at $10+ mil does the same thing for the Basketball program. It forces cooler heads to prevail.

So my answer is no, the contract extension doesn't bother me. I still think that FM has a few longstanding weaknesses (TO management, bad perimeter defense, 10-11 man rotations) but they have always been there, even during the NCAA tourney years. My guess is that in the next year or two we will likely return to the NCAA tourney. KF is also has a longstanding weakness - bland offenses with WRs that are glorified downfield blockers. But he manages to go 8-5 or better most years (12-19).

Although many of us wish our AD set the "success bar" a little higher, most of the people making contributions are happy with having "slow and steady", clean programs, that have "good" years more often than not. Look around the sports complexes and see all the facility improvements for all of the IA sports programs. Financially, IA sports are very successful, despite the fact that we are a bottom-feeder in the Directors' Cup annually.

So long as there is such a negative correlation between financial and athletic performance, why make your job any harder by firing a coach? Besides the new one you bring in might not turn out to be an improvement after all.

I know, buzz killer ...

Very solid post!

 

[MelroseHawkins]

It doesn't bother me.

Signed
Margaret McCaffery

Lol!

 

[NikeHawk21]

I think if it was a case of Fran leaving if he didn't get the deal, then I'm ok with Barta doing it over the summer. I'm also kinda ok with why they didn't announce it becasue they obviously thought things would get better on the court and they didn't. It was a calculated risk that I understand. Even tho it didn't work out.

What was Fran’s leverage during the middle of this summer? If he said he was leaving I assume you mean after this season? In that case, why wouldn’t Barta say “we have you here on contract until 2022, we are committed to you as our coach, let’s see how this season goes and then we will look at an extension to ensure Pat you are here for Pat’s 4 years (btw he was already signed through 2022 which would be through Pat’s junior season).”

On to our next point. Not releasing it at the time it was signed was dumb, but okay they take the calculated risk to see if the season turns. It didn’t. But either way they had to know the FOIA request was submitted. So you should get to the press before it comes out the way it did. Sure people would have been pissed if it came out he signed the deal after we lose to Michigan or someone else, but at least when you are first to tell press you can spin the story the way you want. Having it come out the way it did is just an awful awful look.

This was bad bad business and bad bad PR, brought to you be the inept Iowa Athletic Department. The fact that people try and justify it makes me cringe.

 

[PCHawk]

What was Fran’s leverage during the middle of this summer? If he said he was leaving I assume you mean after this season? In that case, why wouldn’t Barta say “we have you here on contract until 2022, we are committed to you as our coach, let’s see how this season goes and then we will look at an extension to ensure Pat you are here for Pat’s 4 years (btw he was already signed through 2022 which would be through Pat’s junior season).”

On to our next point. Not releasing it at the time it was signed was dumb, but okay they take the calculated risk to see if the season turns. It didn’t. But either way they had to know the FOIA request was submitted. So you should get to the press before it comes out the way it did. Sure people would have been pissed if it came out he signed the deal after we lose to Michigan or someone else, but at least when you are first to tell press you can spin the story the way you want. Having it come out the way it did is just an awful awful look.

This was bad bad business and bad bad PR, brought to you be the inept Iowa Athletic Department. The fact that people try and justify it makes me cringe.

He should have definitely let another season played out. Barta is an idiot, I'm not arguing against that at all. I was just saying it wasn't "as bad" as it originally looked.

Also good point on releasing the info after the request. At that point they knew they were screwed. They should have just released it then.