BHGP - That's football - Excellent Article

[NCHawker]

http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2014/12/15/7364529/thats-football-kirk-ferentz-iowa-hawkeyes3


" When Kirk Ferentz arrived at Iowa, he was a bit of a radical. Iowa ran what was essentially a state-of-the-art pro-style offensive system and played at the margins—special teams, again—for an added edge. The zone scheme was established, but not seen on the level that Ferentz was teaching, in the college game, and the benefits of that coupled with a pro-style strength program were immediate. If you drop the first two seasons, where Ferentz inherited one of the barest cupboards in college football, he annihilated the existing Big Ten coaches. From 2001 on, Iowa was 30-13 against coaches who were in the conference when Ferentz was hired. "

 

[HobbieHawk]

Yep. That's KFz.

 

[NCHawker]

" But as those coaches left and were replaced—every program in the conference except Northwestern has replaced its coach at least twice since Ferentz was first hired—and Ferentz went from a radical to the dean of Big Ten coaches, that edge evaporated. Gone was the dated thinking of Joe Paterno, the bumbling incompetency of Bobby Williams, the call-the-play-before-the-snap predictability of Barry Alvarez, and the pizza-a-day strength program of Lloyd Carr. You know how all of those young coaches talk about how they respect and admire Kirk Ferentz? It's because they took all of his ideas and incorporated them into a new framework. The zone isn't run like Iowa runs it anymore, at least at the college level. The defenses aren't so simple. The player development programs are manned by true pros. Iowa's "Moneyball" edge is gone, and it has been for quite some time. Ferentz is just 35-33 against Big Ten coaches hired after he took the job. And they're all substantially newer than him now. "

 

[Rosebowler]

Thanks for posting the highlights. I saw that article posted this morning but didn't have a chance to read it. Looking forward to the rest. That stat about Kirks record against newer coaches is crazy.

 

[BILLBUCKNER]

When he was asked on the call-in show earlier this year why his team continues to run outside zone as its base play despite having a converted fullback as the primary ballcarrier, Ferentz says it's because that's what Iowa football is. That view of one particular play is beyond dangerous. It allows for something that isn't working to continue because it is dogmatic. To Ferentz, the zone running game is good in and of itself and cannot be removed, for the entire enterprise will come crashing down without it. If it is what you are and it is removed, you are nothi

This is the definition of insanity. KF has lost it. When you don't have the talent to run what you want. You adjust to what you have.

 

[cecilB]

http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2014/12/15/7364529/thats-football-kirk-ferentz-iowa-hawkeyes3


" When Kirk Ferentz arrived at Iowa, he was a bit of a radical. Iowa ran what was essentially a state-of-the-art pro-style offensive system and played at the margins—special teams, again—for an added edge. The zone scheme was established, but not seen on the level that Ferentz was teaching, in the college game, and the benefits of that coupled with a pro-style strength program were immediate. If you drop the first two seasons, where Ferentz inherited one of the barest cupboards in college football, he annihilated the existing Big Ten coaches. From 2001 on, Iowa was 30-13 against coaches who were in the conference when Ferentz was hired. "

good read. a 1300 to 1500 yd back would cure a lot of ills, though

 

[drew003]

The problem lately is we haven't been able to execute the fundamental premises of KF football. This year we weren't able to run the outside zone; we got killed in turnover margin; and we gave up big plays. Those are the three things we have to be able to do to win under our current scheme.

I still don't think our problem is purely scheme. Our talent level has also dipped to the point that we can't do the basic things. We had several games where we did very anti-KF things. I think "that's football" is acknowledgement that his players make mistakes that he realizes can't be made in order to win within his scheme.

I agree with the author that the entire plan is to mitigate Iowa's negative variance. And when Iowa does stuff like fumble footballs, blow coverages, and fail to cover punts, we simply aren't built to play through those mistakes. Our entire plan is have the other team make those mistakes so we can just go about executing our middle-of-the-road offensive and defensive schemes.

 

[skinnykilmer17]

Excellent article. Must read for every Hawkeye fan. Author accurately describes the KF philosophy IMO and what has gone wrong.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Now further depressed.

 

[ArvadaHawk]

Excellent article. Must read for every Hawkeye fan. Author accurately describes the KF philosophy IMO and what has gone wrong.

I agree. It really does tell an unemotional, measured and thoughtful description of the state of the Iowa program.

 

[BigD]

When he was asked on the call-in show earlier this year why his team continues to run outside zone as its base play despite having a converted fullback as the primary ballcarrier, Ferentz says it's because that's what Iowa football is. That view of one particular play is beyond dangerous. It allows for something that isn't working to continue because it is dogmatic. To Ferentz, the zone running game is good in and of itself and cannot be removed, for the entire enterprise will come crashing down without it. If it is what you are and it is removed, you are nothi

This is the definition of insanity. KF has lost it. When you don't have the talent to run what you want. You adjust to what you have.

That's the definition of great coaching. On the other hand when you don't have the overall talent to compete head to head across the table player for player against the competition you have to run systems to try to counter the lack of talent. KF ball, the Butler way, Fran and Tom playing ten player rotations, etc........ it makes one want to say "That's Iowa".

The ONLY way Iowa will ever get out of this mode is to do the unthinkable and go hire a proven coach and out pay him what his current employee is paying him. Some one like Urban would build Iowa into a nation champion because that is what he does and his reputation would bring the four and five star players to Iowa. Of course I use Urban as an example but that's the kind of coach it's going to take to get Iowa to the next level and until IOWA takes that giant step well don't expect things to change.

 

[HobbieHawk]

good read. a 1300 to 1500 yd back would cure a lot of ills, though

I think you mean obscure or hide, rather than cure

 

[SpiderRico]

I disagree with the premise of the article. I don't think it has anything to do with coaches and I don't think it has anything to do with scheme. I do think, though, that it has EVERYTHING to do with players.

Go back to the years that Ferentz was 30-13 in the B1G and look at the players. On the offensive side, you had guys like Ladell Betts, Fred Russell, Jermelle Lewis, Mo Brown, CJ Jones, Dallas Clark, Bruce Nelson, Eric Steinbach, Robert Gallery, Brad Banks, Drew Tate, Albert Young, Scott Chandler. On defense, you had guys like Jonathan Babineaux, Matt Roth, Howard Hodges, Abdul Hodge, Chad Greenway, Grant Steen, Bob Sanders, Colin Cole. This list goes on and on.

I guarantee you that if we had players like that over the last 5 years, we wouldn't have anywhere near the record that we've had.

 

[uihawk82]

I disagree with the premise of the article. I don't think it has anything to do with coaches and I don't think it has anything to do with scheme. I do think, though, that it has EVERYTHING to do with players.

Go back to the years that Ferentz was 30-13 in the B1G and look at the players. On the offensive side, you had guys like Ladell Betts, Fred Russell, Jermelle Lewis, Mo Brown, CJ Jones, Dallas Clark, Bruce Nelson, Eric Steinbach, Robert Gallery, Brad Banks, Drew Tate, Albert Young, Scott Chandler. On defense, you had guys like Jonathan Babineaux, Matt Roth, Howard Hodges, Abdul Hodge, Chad Greenway, Grant Steen, Bob Sanders, Colin Cole. This list goes on and on.

I guarantee you that if we had players like that over the last 5 years, we wouldn't have anywhere near the record that we've had.

Very much agree. Until KF gets some running backs here who can plant their feet and cutback the running game is going to be less than avg. If they can get the running game to above avg the hawks will win 9 games a year.

Same with the defense, you cant let whole units graduate and not have experienced, good players ready to step in and expect to win. We need more athleticism in the back end at safety

 

[cecilB]

I think you mean obscure or hide, rather than cure

no. contrary to noisy echo chamber....that's been the glaring deficiency as of late. Iowa's scheme, like it, hate it, or tolerate it depends upon this.

I like BHGP, and the article made sense for the most part. However, even during the Ferents or Fry eras when things were perceived to be clicking (or any coach at nearly every decent program) seasons hinge on a few plays from being meh, to really fun. Been that way for generations, will continue to be that way.

 

[BILLBUCKNER]

The biggest difference to me in young Kirk vs Old Kirk is when he was young he could be fired. So he was motivated like hell to succeed. Now we can not fire him. So I'll do it the way I always have while I give the middle finger to the fan base.

 

[hawkphan00]

I disagree with the premise of the article. I don't think it has anything to do with coaches and I don't think it has anything to do with scheme. I do think, though, that it has EVERYTHING to do with players.

Go back to the years that Ferentz was 30-13 in the B1G and look at the players. On the offensive side, you had guys like Ladell Betts, Fred Russell, Jermelle Lewis, Mo Brown, CJ Jones, Dallas Clark, Bruce Nelson, Eric Steinbach, Robert Gallery, Brad Banks, Drew Tate, Albert Young, Scott Chandler. On defense, you had guys like Jonathan Babineaux, Matt Roth, Howard Hodges, Abdul Hodge, Chad Greenway, Grant Steen, Bob Sanders, Colin Cole. This list goes on and on.

I guarantee you that if we had players like that over the last 5 years, we wouldn't have anywhere near the record that we've had.

Hit the nail on the head. You guys can't tell me or SiperRico that if Melvin Gordon was in our backfield and we have zone blocking that he wouldn't have flourished. No way, no how. I honestly don't think that there is much wrong with zone blocking and quite honestly I think it works, WHEN YOU HAVE THE RIGHT PARTS. As Rico states above if you have Jermelle Lewis in the backfield and Chad Greenway and Adbuld Hodge and James Hitchens at linebacker we'd have won no less than 10 games. Kirk is risk averse and that hampers us way more than any zone blocking scheme. So does his inability to attract the players he used to recruit. Those are the two issues I see at hand. The x's and o's work if you have the right people in place. Running Mark Wiesman repeatedly on an outside zone blocking scheme is what's wrong. You put Melvin in that same play and we aren't bit*H*ing.

 

[Knight78]

I disagree with the premise of the article. I don't think it has anything to do with coaches and I don't think it has anything to do with scheme. I do think, though, that it has EVERYTHING to do with players.

Go back to the years that Ferentz was 30-13 in the B1G and look at the players. On the offensive side, you had guys like Ladell Betts, Fred Russell, Jermelle Lewis, Mo Brown, CJ Jones, Dallas Clark, Bruce Nelson, Eric Steinbach, Robert Gallery, Brad Banks, Drew Tate, Albert Young, Scott Chandler. On defense, you had guys like Jonathan Babineaux, Matt Roth, Howard Hodges, Abdul Hodge, Chad Greenway, Grant Steen, Bob Sanders, Colin Cole. This list goes on and on.

I guarantee you that if we had players like that over the last 5 years, we wouldn't have anywhere near the record that we've had.

Here's a list of what I could find of the players you listed:

Ladell Betts - Hayden Fry recruit
Fred Russell - not ranked
Jermelle Lewis - 4 star
Mo Brown - not ranked
CJ Jones - not found
Dallas Clark - walk on
Bruce Nelson - not found
Eric Steinbach - not found
Robert Gallery - not ranked
Brad Banks - not ranked
Drew Tate - 4 star
Albert Young - 4 star
Scott Chandler - 2 star

Jonathan Babineaux - not ranked
Matt Roth - 5 star
Howard Hodges - not ranked
Abdul Hodge - not ranked
Chad Greenway - not ranked
Grant Steen - not found
Bob Sanders - not found
Colin Cole - not ranked

While they all developed into great players for Iowa and NFL players, I wouldn't put much stock into the ratings as we have about the same ranked players now... except for the 5-star Matt Roth.

 

[Benddontbreak]

It’s the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s. The players we were once successful with are now playing in the SEC. If we had that 2002-2004 type roster now we would’ve been 12-1 or 11-2 this year. We can downplay the level of coaching/schemes in that era but the B1G as a whole was much better.

 

[trj]

The biggest difference to me in young Kirk vs Old Kirk is when he was young he could be fired. So he was motivated like hell to succeed. Now we can not fire him. So I'll do it the way I always have while I give the middle finger to the fan base.

Not sure if it is true or not, but man it feels that way.