DOA Extra: The Running Back Quandry

CJHawkeye said:
Ferentz's mentality is so risk averse. If he was on the gameshow Deal or no Deal he would take the first offer every time because he has no stomach for the unknown. Risk and reward are corollaries. When you manage risk down to almost nothing, you eliminate a lot of opportunity. This is business 101.
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Yep. Kirk's basically afraid of his own shadow...because he thinks it might fumble.
 
To me the lists look about the same except in the first list the good backs ended their careers at Iowa while in the other list they didn't. Actually even the end of the first list has guys like Hampton and Robinson that didn't end their career here. If Wadley could hang on to the ball or Canzeri and Daniels wouldn't have been hurt you would have seen a lot less of Mark
 
1977Hawkeye said:
I've said this before in other threads, but I still think a lot of the problems go back to the assistant coaches, or lack thereof (in terms of quality). It's been pointed out before that Iowa's assistants are among the lowest paid in the conference. You get what you pay for.

It's a good point about Iowa's assistants being with the program for so long. I can appreciate stability and continuity, but at the same time, it also can be a signal that your assistants aren't that great if no other opportunities come along to lure them away. Great assistants move on to better opportunities - head coach, NFL, etc. Bret Bielema left for another gig, as have others.

So Norm has to step aside, KOK goes to the Dolphins, etc. and what does Kirk do? He hires an OC that was fired from another program, a guy who got fired despite better talent at TX than what he would have at Iowa. Why would he perform better with less talent? I'm guessing KF just went with an affordable yes man. I forget the name, but I thought there was another OC who was fired from Michigan, who also was a candidate at one point. In my mind, being with a blue blood program doesn't mean you are a great coach, if you got fired!!! Otherwise, it seemed like KF basically just promoted from within and shifted one coach from one coaching one unit to another.

Am I wrong?

Instead, KF could have gone out to try and get the best assistants he could find, but he didn't do that, and I think the results are starting to manifest themselves. There was talk at the time that Ferentz would probably get things back in track, or go down in flames, based on those choices. As I type this on 12/2/14, it appears to be the latter.
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I think you're onto it. A couple of things I see at issue when it comes to getting really good coaches, and I'm focusing here on coordinators and not so much position, though the same may also apply, are as follows:

1. Kirk does not like change. How does that play out in hiring a coordinator? I think we can agree that Iowa, as much as we love it and as great a program as it is, isn't really a "destination" program for a coordinator. The best and brightest of coordinators, generally, are looking at a career path when they choose where to try to get a job. This means that they are likely, if they are being honest, looking at Iowa as a resume builder, be it to a bigger name program, the NFL, or to a head coaching job. Kirk may be stubborn, but he isn't stupid, and he likely realizes this.

2. Kirk has a philosophy that he believes in, and, I would suggest, has a lot of input on how the offense and defense is run. Even if that is just at a macro level, if you tell an offensive coordinator that you want to run a balanced attack, ball-control offense, that does not take many risks in order to reduce turnovers, that is going to dictate and constrain said coordinator's plays and play calling. Bring in all I said above about the best and brightest coordinators. They are building a resume. They want to demonstrate their abilities to maximum effect. A head coach that sets strict guidelines on the things you can do is not going to attract these types, because though they work for a head coach, they also have a mind to be selling themselves to future employers.

Hence, with all of that, we got Greg Davis for our last offensive coordinator hire and promoted Phil to defensive coordinator from within. Now, my biggest issue with this is that this is that this is the greatest evidence of Kirk getting tired. Not lazy, mind you, but just tired. He's getting older, he's been doing this job for a long time, and it is only part of a natural progression for most people. You can find offensive and defensive coordinators who are bright and innovative, while at the same time possessing a philosophy that is in general alignment with your own. However, that takes a lot of time and energy. It requires a high amount of research and investigation into potential candidates. It requires a great deal of time utilizing your resources and connections to find individuals who may fit well with your already established system and philosophy. So, instead of doing that, Kirk find Greg Davis, a man who would still probably be out of football were it not for Kirk's job offer. A guy at the twilight of his career who isn't seeking to move on to bigger things, and is willing to mold his system into one that Kirk feels secure in. It leads to promoting Phil Parker, a great DB coach, to defensive coordinator from within, a guy already inundated in Kirk's philosophy.

Just my two cents.
 
KF Reputation I steller and he is known for being good to work. I think we might need to pay a little better. Just guessing
 
Good analytical analysis you are doing on the Iowa Football program. Putting facts in front of people does not always convince them of the truth. But it is always good to have the facts to back up impressions and sense of the programs decline.
 
I still think the RB rotation to start the year was one of the dumbest ideas I've seen this offense do. MW rush for 4 yards, sub out. Canzeri rush for 2 yards, sub out, Bullock in for 3rd down check.....and then throw in Daniels for a few carries as well.

Not one RB got into a rhythm this year until we went back to old reliable MW for 25 carries a game. And some how KF thought this guy was worth saving for later in the year. You save him for late in the game when you need a 3rd and 2 converted, or punch in from the goal line. Not to get 90 carries over the final three games.
 
With the success Iowa has had at developing O line players & sending them on to the NFL, it's just amazing how bad the recruiting has been at the RB position. That is a recruiting angle Iowa should always have an advantage at with good RB's. Running behind a terrific line which can help them get to the NFL. I thought after the Shonn Greene year, Iowa would be good at recruiting top notch RB's. This should not happen at Iowa with the line play.
 
deanvogs said:
I think you are really stretching on this. McCall had 9 first quarter carries in the first game of the year, and broke his ankle on that 9th carry. Keep in mind this is with Cocker returning and having that outstanding performance in the bowl game where everyone thought he was the second coming. McCall was going to be used A TON if he didn't get hurt.
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I believed that McCall would also get a lot of carries, at that time, also. But remember, when he did come back, kfootball didn't play him, gave him a carry inside the 5 yard line and when McCall fumbled, he barely sniffed the field again. That was eye opening for me. Then, lets fast forward to Wadley this season. 106 on 15 carries and a touch, then poof...nothing. I am not convinced that kfootball really would have used McCall as much as we all believed at the time.

Many of kfootballs personnel decisions do not seem grounded in logic. And that is a shame from a coach making $4 mil per. Every fan base deserves better decision making then that. Using MW for 600 carries is delusional, at best.
 
ArvadaHawk said:
I believed that McCall would also get a lot of carries, at that time, also. But remember, when he did come back, kfootball didn't play him, gave him a carry inside the 5 yard line and when McCall fumbled, he barely sniffed the field again. That was eye opening for me. Then, lets fast forward to Wadley this season. 106 on 15 carries and a touch, then poof...nothing. I am not convinced that kfootball really would have used McCall as much as we all believed at the time.

Many of kfootballs personnel decisions do not seem grounded in logic. And that is a shame from a coach making $4 mil per. Every fan base deserves better decision making then that. Using MW for 600 carries is delusional, at best.
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I'm not trying to say that these things aren't frustrating. Wadley flashed in one game and got 106. That same game MW got like 90 and 3 TD's. We should have a RB on the roster that simply embarrasses MW when you compare performances, that is my point. If our next best option is a 2* kid who fumbles a lot, then shame on the coaches for not recruiting better.
 
What I take away from this thread is that there are ton of problems going on here and one guy is, in the end, responsible for all of them.

This thing is a mess in all aspects.

Why is there even a question about whether or not he should still be in charge?
 
I have little doubt that the plan this year was NOT to have Weisman lead the way. The Canzeri injury was a big blow there..but the fact that outside of Canzeri, the staff didn't feel confident in anyone else they had on the roster speaks to challenges with development (and lack thereof) and the creation of that roster (recruiting)
 
JonDMiller said:
I have little doubt that the plan this year was NOT to have Weisman lead the way. The Canzeri injury was a big blow there..but the fact that outside of Canzeri, the staff didn't feel confident in anyone else they had on the roster speaks to challenges with development (and lack thereof) and the creation of that roster (recruiting)
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I think you trying to be nice To many things point to Wiseman being the guy for KF in 2014.. If Canzeri was in the plans to lead the way this season he wouldn't have rushed Wiseman 227 times in 2013.

Sorry Jon I just can't buy into this one, to many things we've seen from KF over the years that say differently..
 
I don't think Ronnie Harmon would have seen the field until he was a senior. You remember that as a Soph he would stop, peel players off his back, reverse field and try to make a play. Very unconventional. That just wouldn't do in Kirks system.
 
Canzeri needs to stay healthy
Wadley needs to gain some size, protect the ball
Daniels= vision, patience, pass protection

RB position will be very key next year. Health and significant development.

For God Sakes...teach these guys to see the cutback when teams crash the zone.
 
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