Brian Ferentz?

[hwk23]

Just looking at the 2015 recruits so far it's;

Reese Morgan 7
Brian Ferentz 3
Bobby Kennedy 2
Chris White 1
Jim Reid 1
No name listed 1

 

[iowalaw]

2015 only has a few recruits and none of them are highly rated.

Looking at 2014, here is how it broke down:

Kennedy 2
White 7
Parker 2
Morgan 5
Woods 1
Reid 1
Johnson 1
Ferentz 0

I think Morgan's number is inflated because he recruits Iowa and half of the guys would commit here either way. White and Kennedy seem to be the guys. Ferentz got ZERO recruits last year.

 

[ESMDHawk]

I was at the game on Sat. Was very strange at one point. We went 3 and out in the 4th (don't ask me which time. Might have been the series after the pick 6) and the O came to the sidelines. BF was absolutely livid and screaming at the O-line. The entire line just non-nonchalantly walked past him and to the bench and sat down with their heads down, seemingly not listening to a word. I got the feeling that they were thinking "you coaches are not giving us our best chance to win, why are you surprised we are failing?". It really looked as though they had tuned him out.

 

[rollingthunder]

Seeing that one of the places Kennedy recruits is Colorado seems odd. Whens the last time we got a kid out of there? Hope he's not spending much time there.

He gets CO because he coached for the Buffaloes the two years prior to coming to Iowa. He probably knows a high school coach or two over there. I agree that I can't ever remember an Iowa player coming from that state. I seriously doubt we spend a lot of time there, and that it's more of a "give me a call if you've got someone you think we can use" kind of thing.

 

[Iceman]

nepotism.... favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs). Then the dictionary had a picture of KF and Son flashing the Johnny Manziel money sign

 

[MoseSchrute]

Well hey maybe we should try to, you know, actually gain some yards and score some points when we have the ball, crazy idea I know. Treating offense as just a chance to burn clock is a really ******* stupid strategy.

Yeah, it's extremely stupid. Kirk needs to step into the 21st century. I think the ball/clock control offense officially became obsolete as a primary strategy about 35 years ago.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

I was at the game on Sat. Was very strange at one point. We went 3 and out in the 4th (don't ask me which time. Might have been the series after the pick 6) and the O came to the sidelines. BF was absolutely livid and screaming at the O-line. The entire line just non-nonchalantly walked past him and to the bench and sat down with their heads down, seemingly not listening to a word. I got the feeling that they were thinking "you coaches are not giving us our best chance to win, why are you surprised we are failing?". It really looked as though they had tuned him out.

I sat a foot behind the Oline at Purdue, kinda the feeling I got as well. Also Kirk Ferentz does absolutely nothing during a game. I could hear him as well when he comes back to the offensive huddles on the sideline. Dips in claps his hand and says let's go, let's put a drive together next series. That's it. He takes delegating to a whole new level. Bobby Kennedy and Phil Parker are running the game on the sideline without a doubt.

 

[rollingthunder]

I sat a foot behind the Oline at Purdue, kinda the feeling I got as well. Also Kirk Ferentz does absolutely nothing during a game. I could hear him as well when he comes back to the offensive huddles on the sideline. Dips in claps his hand and says let's go, let's put a drive together next series. That's it. He takes delegating to a whole new level. Bobby Kennedy and Phil Parker are running the game on the sideline without a doubt.

I sat behind the Iowa bench at Purdue as well. Sounds like I was just a few sections over from you. I, too, was amazed at how detached KF was from the team for most of the game. He spent long sections of the first half just kind of hanging out by himself all the way on one end of the bench, well behind all of the players. Just kind of off in his own little world, not really interacting with anyone. It was just bizarre.

 

[hawkinn3]

Proof is in the pudding, this is one of the worst offensive lines under Ferentz and not even close to the least talented. BF got lucky to be the TE coach at New England when they had two of the best TEs in the league playing, I think I could probably figure out a way to use Gronk effectively.

The hire was pure nepotism and he wans his son to take over eventually. Fortunately when Kirk goes I am willing to bet the ADwants to wipe his influence away from the program. Brian may be a great coach one day but he is over his head right now.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

He gets CO because he coached for the Buffaloes the two years prior to coming to Iowa. He probably knows a high school coach or two over there. I agree that I can't ever remember an Iowa player coming from that state. I seriously doubt we spend a lot of time there, and that it's more of a "give me a call if you've got someone you think we can use" kind of thing.

That makes a lot more sense thanks. I didn't know he came from there at any point.
I'd still like more of an effort to recruit the south...

 

[LASBUR]

A college position coach has just two roles: (i) teach the guys who play his position; and (ii) recruit. To date, Brian has landed less recruits than any other coach on the staff. This cannot be underplayed. Brian is the youngest coach we have and gets a ton of credit for his "charisma." Why is he such a poor recruiter? Does he sell the "we are only Iowa, we aren't sexy" schtick that his dad does? I'm guessing yes, as he has grown up with that attitude and the attitude has made his dad one of the wealthiest men in the state.

Then when you get down to his substantive coaching ability...it is no better than his recruiting. Our highest rated recruits from years past are currently on the OL. Our best hyped players are on the OL. They were gift wrapped and handed to him by Reece Morgan. How are they playing? Not even average, thus far.

In sum - less than avg recruiter, less than avg coach. He will not be poached by NFL teams...tho his name might be leaked like his dad's is...they both have the same agent.

You have to remember the OL gave up schollys to WR and RB or he might have more. He has also been active recruiting other positions. Also position coaches have a big job on game day. They have to get the right personel in the game on every play. That job is not as tough at OL as say WR or say LB but you did sorta understate their job discription

 

[DesMoinesHawki]

I hate to turn the frustration with his dad on Brian. But considering how he was hired outside of the normal personnel process I think it's fair to ask: What the heck is he doing? Because right now the offensive line is one of the most porous it has been in many years at Iowa. The sacks allowed number is up, Jake is not getting as much time to look at options (although the question could be asked whether he IS looking at options), and our yards per carry is way down.

Is Brian Ferentz the best utilization of limited coaching numbers per program? Or could someone with more experience and perhaps more talent recognition and recruiting skills do a better job at a critical point in Iowa football?

Admittedly, not many people here are inside the locker room, at practices or on the sidelines on Saturdays, so we don't know what role he has in the program or just how effective he is. But for an outsider looking in, it's hard to see much progress. Where am I wrong?

Don't diss on our next Offensive Coordinator ...

 

[JHHawk]

I looked back at the Iowa stats the last ten years.....we have been in the top half of the league in rushing only in 2005, 2008, and last year. Otherwise, we have been at or near the bottom in all the other years. I believe this is almost more of a rb issue than o-line. Morehouse also says that there are holes, but our rbs cannot get to them. When we had Greene, we ran the ball well. Albert Young in 2005...yes. But in most years, we have not had top notch rbs like Gordon, Abdullah, Coleman or Cobb. If we did, we would be doing better than 147 yrds/gme. We have whiffed on top rbs lately...

 

[trj]

The way Iowa runs their zone blocking scheme it was suppose to copy those Bronco teams of the late 90's, early 2000's. You could plug in anybody at running back and you could get chunk yardage. Clearly, that is not case, with a couple of notable exceptions, it has been DC(s) letting their guys run loose crashing the backside and running backs plodding along on the LT's rear waiting to be tackled.

 

[MiniMoeHawk]

The way Iowa runs their zone blocking scheme it was suppose to copy those Bronco teams of the late 90's, early 2000's. You could plug in anybody at running back and you could get chunk yardage. Clearly, that is not case, with a couple of notable exceptions, it has been DC(s) letting their guys run loose crashing the backside and running backs plodding along on the LT's rear waiting to be tackled.

The zone blocking is fine when the RB's have the skills to cut back to the open gap. Iowa's style right now is to ram the square peg into the triangle hole until it clears the hole.

 

[trj]

]The zone blocking is fine when the RB's have the skills to cut back to the open gap.[/B] Iowa's style right now is to ram the square peg into the triangle hole until it clears the hole.

Couldn't agree more. At this point I am just tired of this. Just give me a predominately a power run scheme attack, big ole o-lineman just straight up mauling people and a PA, over the top passing game. I get it--it is easier to find/develop guys for a zone blocking scheme than a power, minus a few exceptions the Iowa-O has been just frustrating to watch the last decade or so I just want something new.

 

[theiowahawkeye]

Couldn't agree more. At this point I am just tired of this. Just give me a predominately a power run scheme attack, big ole o-lineman just straight up mauling people and a PA, over the top passing game. I get it--it is easier to find/develop guys for a zone blocking scheme than a power, minus a few exceptions the Iowa-O has been just frustrating to watch the last decade or so I just want something new.

When coached right and executed well zone blocking is a great way to run a run-heavy Offense. However, since 2009 it simply has not worked and ultimately, that is on the coaching staff.

 

[LASBUR]

When coached right and executed well zone blocking is a great way to run a run-heavy Offense. However, since 2009 it simply has not worked and ultimately, that is on the coaching staff.

theiowahawkeye, how you doing ? Is your son out of H.S. yet ?

 

[Sparky]

What's going to happen to this board when Kirk's contact is over and they hire Brian as head coach?

 

[theiowahawkeye]

theiowahawkeye, how you doing ? Is your son out of H.S. yet ?

Actually, his last game is tonight - unless they make it to the playoffs. And if they win, they are in. Good to see you again. I'm seeing a lot of old names here - folks who seem a lot more sensible than the rabble at the old board. Wow, they have just come unhinged. It's kind of like listening to the crowd at a high school football game.