Whenever the day comes that Iowa is in the market for a new football coach, which I think is within 5 years max, I don't have a great deal of faith in the University of Iowa hiring machine to make a good call. Some schools say they are committed to things and they are. Some say they are committed to things and then don't act like it...they'll cash the checks from the amazingly loyal Iowa fans, build nice and new shiny things they have to build to stay competitive and all, and pay their head coach tons of money in one of the worst contracts ever put together in collegiate athletics (from the school side of things). Then they'll try to go out and hire coordinators in the lower spectrum of the pay scale among power five conferences. Phil Parker is doing fine. Greg Davis is not money well spent.
I think Kirk Ferentz has been worth most of the money he has been paid...only now am I at the point of wondering if the axis' are crossing a bit...but he is a big part of why the program actually is on very good footing facilities wise...but so are the fans, and now mostly we can thank the B1G TV money for that, too.
I think Gary Barta is excellent at fund raising.
I am not a big Sally Mason fan, which puts it mildly. I'd be fine if she had moved on down the road by the time Iowa hires its next football coach. Losing Skorton flat sucked. Politics.
So yes, if Kirk were to resign in the next year or two, Bret Bielema is my first phone call. Strike that...Bob Stoops is my first phone call (he is 54 now) but I just don't see him leaving Oklahoma. Then call Bielema and I think he would take the job. But I have big time doubts if Iowa's administration would do that...because Iowa just does things their way and I am not a fan of it.
None of this is to say there aren't people there that I like...there are several there that I like. But I am just not a Mason fan, I am not a fan of the culture of nobody ever loses their job, even sexual deviants, they just reassigned or rehired later on down the line....this convo will drift off into the political realm if I continue any further, so I will stop.