Candidates for the OC position

What would KF say?

KF: Come play for us
Skill position recruit: I see that you got a new OC. Why did the other one get fired? Is the new one better than the old one?
KF:
Exactly... To be a fly on the wall of those convos... How's an offensive player a QB no less like Resar who's going to be asking the obvious questions about what to expect and type of O they may want to run etc want to stay committed?

But how KFs answers the recruits and their parents about all these same questions we all have would be really interesting to know. How candid is he?

I've been consistent with my take that KF is retiring. And until he shows serious movement on hiring an OC and or actually does it I'm not coming off that. Media is already floating out there about how time is a wasting in regards to doing it I think Leistikow put out an article on it. It makes zero sense to wait and not be doing it this week or so. You can't tell me that KF is so so busy game planning for TN that he can't do it....

Other schools are moving and shaking all over so I maintain that the longer this goes the writing may be more obvious on the wall..
 
Probably deserves a dedicated thread.

Obviously, things move pretty fast so the list will morph over time.

Based upon some searching, I ran across quite a few coaches that appear to be ripe for promotions or a lateral move depending upon the situation. I broke it down to internal and external candidates.

Internal:
Phil Parker. Has already expressed that he's not interested in a HC position.
Jon Budmayr. He'll obviously get a look. I don't know any Hawkeye fans that seem excited about the idea, but Kirk can be loyal to a fault.
Lavar Woods. Highly respected and has the traits you look for. Budding star. Question is, is he ready and/or qualified for that jump right now?
George Barnett. Just kidding. Might be qualified as an OC at a division 1A middle school...

External:
Paul Chryst. Strong possibility here IMO. Kirk would be comfortable with him and they have similar philosophies.
Joe Moorhead, HC, Akron, and former PSU OC. Akron hasn't panned out well. Another guy whom Kirk would be comfortable with. Has prior success.
Tony Tokarz, QB coach, FSU.
Gino Guidugli, QB coach, Notre Dame.
Willy Korn, OC, Liberty.
Jim Zebrowski, QB coach, now co-OC, Kansas. Recently promoted when Andy Kotelnicki was snatched up by James Franklin.
Cortez Hankton, Passing game coordinator, LSU
Mack Leftwich, OC, Texas State.

The question will be whether Kirk is willing to get outside of his comfort zone and hire an up-and-comer, or look for an older coach with which he is very familiar. If I had to guess right now, I would say Budmayr if he stays internal, or Chryst if he looks outside. Personally, several of the young guns above would be great options IMO, but we'll miss the boat if he slow-walks the process. All of them appear to be hot candidates.
Maybe I misread and am off, but I'm assuming you just listed Coach Parker because he's already on the staff? I'm trying to wrap my head around why we'd even toy with the idea of moving one of the best defensive coordinators in the country to the other side of the ball. Probably just misinterpreting things and you weren't implying moving him as an OC but rather listing him as a current coach on the staff.
 
Where would you rank O'Keefe's chances? I want to note just how much worse our offense has gotten each time O'Keefe has left the staff. My only concern with bringing him back is that we would likely fall to last in every offensive category when he leaves again.
I keep coming back to O'Keefe too. I don't think most fans truly appreciate the needle he was able to thread. He had huge constraints on the type of players he could recruit, the system he could implement, the plays he was allowed to call, and yet consistently put together the type of "good enough" offenses that would have made for amazing teams when paired with Iowa's recent defenses.

He's had the last couple years to rest up. He's 70 and has appeared in good health. He was a spread offense guy before coming to Iowa. Kirk owes him. He should turn the keys over to him this time. I like the idea of them making one last run together - maybe two years, maybe three. Who knows. Maybe they talk Philbin into coming back.

And then I'll go one step further. Kirk should call Bob Stoops and tell him his plan. That he's making a final push and some of the old band is getting back together. And he wants Stoops around as much as possible this year. Give him whatever title he wants. Ambassador, Senior Consultant, Senior Architect of Excellence, Senior Strategic Advisor, whatever. He'd have to finesse it a bit to make sure Stoops doesn't step on any toes, but shit, we're talking about old guys who have already made their money and aren't looking to climb any ranks here. All this should be easier with Bri out of the building.

Maybe Kirk asks Stoops to offer ideas and thoughts to the staff whenever possible. But the main thing you ask him to do is help turbo charge the collective. Maybe O'Keefe shows Stoops what's he thinking from a schematic standpoint, and Stoops tells him he likes what he sees, but on these routes tweak this and that...that's what Mike Leach always did when he was my OC at Oklahoma. And O'Keefe's like cool, but I don't have the horses for those few plays. So Stoops and Barnes figure out which portal wide receiver they need to target, and Heinrichs says sure, but we need $500k more by sundown tomorrow. And he gives Stoops a name or two to call. Maybe Stoops brings Chuck with him, they jump on Kirk's plane, take the right guy to dinner and tell a couple locker room stories about Barry Alvarez and Bill Snyder....and leave with the check for the WR.
 
Where would you rank O'Keefe's chances? I want to note just how much worse our offense has gotten each time O'Keefe has left the staff. My only concern with bringing him back is that we would likely fall to last in every offensive category when he leaves again.
Honestly, he might be the best choice if KF isn't ready to evolve. At least he knows the landscape as it's been to date. And I'm sure he'd come out of retirement for seven figures. :p
 
This is still my guy:

During Chryst’s seven years as offensive coordinator from 2005-11, Wisconsin averaged 34.1 points and 416.3 yards of total offense per game. Both marks were the best in the Big Ten over that span and powered the Badgers to conference titles in 2010 and 2011, remarkable offensive seasons in which UW averaged 41.5 and 44.1 points per game, respectively.


Chryst was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oregon State in 2003–04. The Beavers ranked 10th nationally in total offense (463.0 ypg) and 6th nationally in passing yardage per game (328.1) in 2003. The 2003 Beavers became the first team in NCAA Division I history with a 4,000-yard passer, 1,500-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers.

And Chryst is an analyst with Texas this season: https://www.burntorangenation.com/2...-sarkisian-offense-base-play-run-pass-options
 
Rob's instincts are right in that KF will probably elevate someone internally or dust off old KOK. Sigh.

First, for those who keep pressing for Woods to get the gig, the guy has almost NO offensive coaching experience and has certainly never called plays. And, if we are honest with ourselves the Special Teams has been a roller coaster this season. At times it has been great, but at times it has been anything but.

If KF does what he says he does in the off season, and evaluates the performance of his staff and each unit, he not only should not hire from within given that this group of coaches produced the worse offense in history the last few years, but he should fire more than just Brian and let an outside OC build a staff. Keep Betts, but the rest of the units have all performed below expectations.
 
Wow, did I read that one comment right, KOK, Bob Stoops, Chuck, don't you need to do a drug test before getting on this site. KOK, would be an example of just plain laziness and entrenched ideas on Ferentz part, having said that, it's probably what he will do.
 
I've heard Budmayr as well. Not that what I've heard means anything. But I wouldn't get my hopes up that this is going to be anything but a ho hum hire that no one's ever heard of.

Kind of like the folks getting hyped up before the Michigan game...you're gonna be sorely disappointed.
 
why are people so down on Budmayr? I mean what real information do people have about the guy?
 
Only in a Bizzarro Universe where Kirk Ferentz wins 10 games with sleight of hand and magicians smoke, could the AD fire the OC, who is the son of the head coach, because the OC and his staff produced the most pedestrian offense in major college football for 3 straight seasons, and in response the HC goes ahead and elevates the terminated OC's primary helper guy to OC and keeps the remaining staff in place. That takes balls the size of Texas and/or a stubborn streak the size of Alaska. KF has demonstrated he has both. It will be to his detriment in this circumstance.
 
I've heard Budmayr as well. Not that what I've heard means anything. But I wouldn't get my hopes up that this is going to be anything but a ho hum hire that no one's ever heard of.

Kind of like the folks getting hyped up before the Michigan game...you're gonna be sorely disappointed.
If say he goes the Budmayr route. And Iowa fans 'revolt' on social media in any kind of way that TN fans did over Schiano and that whole fiasco any chance Goetz steps in again? I would think not hiring Budmayr for it would be pretty damn bad. Nothing would change besides maybe a couple less penalties from the sidelines during the yr.
 
I
why are people so down on Budmayr? I mean what real information do people have about the guy?
i don't see posters here advocating for this move, just stating what they are hearing and what they expect based upon KF's typical actions.

Its not that he does not have the qualifications for the gig, its just that Iowa needs a fresh start on offense, not more of the same.
 
If say he goes the Budmayr route. And Iowa fans 'revolt' on social media in any kind of way that TN fans did over Schiano and that whole fiasco any chance Goetz steps in again? I would think not hiring Budmayr for it would be pretty damn bad. Nothing would change besides maybe a couple less penalties from the sidelines during the yr.
A. The fans are not relevant. It takes donor revolts to move the meter. That is what got BF fired.

B. Goetz cannot tell KF who he can hire at OC. BF was a special deal because he was KF's son, reported to her, and he was sucky at his job in a way that was obvious to everyone except KF. She had the right to step in. She does not have that same right with his replacement. KF is the HC and should have the right to hire anyone he deems fit as OC, except a family member. It would be overreach for Beth to refuse whatever choice KF makes, no matter how dumb we or she finds the choice to be.
 
why are people so down on Budmayr? I mean what real information do people have about the guy?
Well he's why Hill is a Hawkeye. He's supposedly been mentoring qbs and helping BF do his job. And needless to say he's looked at as a part of the problem more so then a person that can fix anything. He'd be more of a yes man then BF was.

To me the most overqualified and best candidate is Paul Cryst. He's been a successful HC in this league. He ran an O that was tough to defend. He could recruit really good tough Olineman (we really need to get back to that) and stud NFL RBs. Due to his experience he can have frank conversations with KF about things and situational strategy and be respected.

That said I don't think KF wants that at all. He has always wanted yes men that will acquiesce to him and are just grateful to have the job. So if KF is making an OC hire and not retiring I don't think he's rocking the boat and I would imagine Budmayr is the leader in the clubhouse for it if there is one.

I saw something Parker had said about how KF listens to everyones two cents on things and he's always open to listening. Yet he always comes back to making his own decisions on things. It's one thing to be open to listening it's another to be open to change. KF has always been a step slow and a day late when it comes to that.
 
A. The fans are not relevant. It takes donor revolts to move the meter. That is what got BF fired.

B. Goetz cannot tell KF who he can hire at OC. BF was a special deal because he was KF's son, reported to her, and he was sucky at his job in a way that was obvious to everyone except KF. She had the right to step in. She does not have that same right with his replacement. KF is the HC and should have the right to hire anyone he deems fit as OC, except a family member. It would be overreach for Beth to refuse whatever choice KF makes, no matter how dumb we or she finds the choice to be.
True I lump donors into the fan category in this sense cause end of the day that's what they are too. Just wealthy influential ones.

I know Goetz shouldn't and I think she's even said she wouldn't. But again that's why I bring up what happened at TN and that whole thing. I'm not sure if Iowas fans are even capable of doing what they did and of course donors at TN was a part of that too. I'm just wondering if that's a bridge she hadn't thought about needing to be crossed.

All this is hypothetical as all get out. I still maintain that the days are going to go by and we'll get closer to the bowl game and he's not going to have made a hire and he's going to retire anyway. Till he does hire someone I'm not jumping off that hill yet.
 

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