Ferentz contact is much ado about nothing

[HawkeyesWin]

The reality of D1 football is that all coaches get 5 year deal for recruiting reasons. On top of that the annual salary is almost always guaranteed. When any coach gets down to 4 years left it's usually extended out to 5 years again.

Here's why the 10 year deal is smart. It is highly unlikely that Iowa's performance in the next 3 years would drop to a level where we would seriously consider firing Kirk. During those years we would have extended his contract anyway to avoid negative recruiting. If performance drops to an unacceptable level in years 4-5 we end up paying $8-9m more than if we would have done the standard rolling 5 year deal.

What we get for risking another $8-9m is stability and branding of our staff as here to stay. We are only risking $8-9m mind you. We only pay if performance falls too low. That is less likely to happen with a long term coach in place. I realize we did have some lethargy in the last contract but this is New Kirk and I believe.

The real risk to Iowa with such a long contract isn't wins and losses, it cord cutting. The BTN subscription and ad revenue may decrease as more people opt out of hefty cable packages. If cord cutting continues its possible ESPN defaults on their long term contracts because they just don't generate the revenue to cover costs. Will this happen in the next 10 years?

 

[Thawki]

There is one part you are missing, I believe. This contract could have been extended without the high guarantee number for the part that was extended, which I believe is the last six years (correct me if I am wrong on that number). We could have had an extension without much of a buyout, at least compared to this. We didn't really have to do anything to try to keep him here, as it is pretty obvious he isn't leaving until retirement short of getting fired for performance.

So, based upon those assumptions we held the cards. We could have extended, which is what KF wanted, but we didn't have to have a big buyout, which is something we wanted. But instead, they got everything they wanted. Now, maybe the unknown here (to us) is that there was some sort of agreement on a retirement bonus that is much less than the buyout, when KF retires. He gets less if we hire Brian Ferentz, or something unwritten to this effect?

In that scenario maybe we got what we wanted, and it's just that no one knows it? I am spit balling here, but I could see something like this being behind it.

 

[HawkGold]

It's not too much about nothing. The flip side is if he doesn't get another gamer qb and they fall off again. Iowa is nowhere near 12-0 with JR as KFs QB. JR was almost 12-0 for another coach but it wasn't going to work for KF. Imagine being a recruit and thinking, I have 4 years of this?

I'm much more tolerable of KF now after last year. I'm not cool about this extension until he reproves himself. I don't care if he coaches to 85 or what ever as long as he keeps good people around him and he makes a priority of beating ISU and getting a great QB that will buck him and playing that QB.

 

[Xerxes]

KF and his entire staff should make sure CJB is at the very top of their Christmas list for some time. If JR is QB, this team is probably 8-4 in 2015 and a mid-tier bowl game. I'm guessing zero talk of extensions, raises, and S&C coach salaries.

Instead, CJB leads them to 12-0 and the Rose Bowl. There's a lot of people in that football office that owe that kid a lot.

 

[hawkinn3]

Kirk Ferentz has a bigger potential buyout than Nick Saban.

 

[SpiderRico]

I disagree.

You claim that "It is highly unlikely Iowa's performance in the next 3 years would drop to a level where we would seriously consider firing Kirk." We all thought that after the 2009 season too. Then 2010 happened....then 2011.....then 2012.....then 2014. Since KF signed his last 10 year contract we've had one so-so year (2013) and one historical year (2015) and the rest sucked. It's like everyone forgot that just last year ticket revenue was down something like 17%. Or the fact that we haven't won a bowl game since we beat an overrated Mizzou team in the vaunted Insight Bowl in 2010.

Look, I hope the man coaches the Hawks until he's 70 and earns every dollar of the contract. But as the AD, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to give a potential $30M backend buyout to a 61 year old coach in the twilight of his career, who you've already paid nearly $40M to over the life of his employment, and who isn't going to be highly sought after given his age and who, up until this past year hadn't done anything performance-wise to earn the contract he'd been given in 2009.

In the end, the University got absolutely nothing and has ALL the risk in this contract and KF got absolutely everything and has absolutely no risk. Good contracts are about shared risk and shared reward and this one has neither.

 

[HawkeyeStout]

All I can say is, it's one of the most exciting weeks being State week and all we can talk about is kirk's new contract.... What a great problem to have

 

[guffus]

Why would Ferentz agree to a 10 year contract with a small buyout? A contract with no guarantee is not much of a contract.

There would be no point to having a 10 year contract if it could easily bought out.

 

[SpiderRico]

Why would Ferentz agree to a 10 year contract with a small buyout? A contract with no guarantee is not much of a contract.

There would be no point to having a 10 year contract if it could easily bought out.

I agree, that's why you make the buyout incentivized.

In other words, you start with a buyout of, say, 25% of annual salary for each year. Then, you put in escalators that push up the buyout % based on wins, bowl games, ranked finishes, etc.

The escalator right now is BS. 7 wins?! Really!? From 1981 until now, the AVG has been a little over 7 wins. And even Gary Barta HIMSELF said after the 7-6 season of 2014, "That is unacceptable." Well Gary, if 7 wins is unacceptable, why did you agree to that level being the escalator in the buyout from 50% to 100%?

 

[BlindDogScooter]

What is it about Iowa fans? Does the b*tching never stop?

I've been a die hard since I saw my first game in Kinnick in the early 60s and it just amazes me that so many who call themselves fans rarely have anything to say that isn't at least shaded by something negative.

We are blessed to have had two great coaches leading the program for several decades. Not only were they great coaches they are great men off the field, as well. The program is clean. The players graduate at a high rate. We win far more often than we lose.

Get over yourselves. Kirk doesn't need anyone's validation or approval at this stage of his career.

 

[BlindDogScooter]

There is one part you are missing, I believe. This contract could have been extended without the high guarantee number for the part that was extended, which I believe is the last six years (correct me if I am wrong on that number). We could have had an extension without much of a buyout, at least compared to this. We didn't really have to do anything to try to keep him here, as it is pretty obvious he isn't leaving until retirement short of getting fired for performance.

Yes... of course... offer one of the two longest serving D1 level coaches in the country less than he already has. Publicly disrespecting your head coach is always an effective negotiating position... </sarcasm>

 

[eveningnewsteam]

I wonder how many times Ferentz agent has to hold in laughter when negotiating with Iowa

 

[Jonrn]

It seems to me in listening to barta's comments and delving into this contract, Kirk was much much further away from being fired than we thought.

 

[HawkGold]

ma

What is it about Iowa fans? Does the b*tching never stop?

I've been a die hard since I saw my first game in Kinnick in the early 60s and it just amazes me that so many who call themselves fans rarely have anything to say that isn't at least shaded by something negative.

We are blessed to have had two great coaches leading the program for several decades. Not only were they great coaches they are great men off the field, as well. The program is clean. The players graduate at a high rate. We win far more often than we lose.

Get over yourselves. Kirk doesn't need anyone's validation or approval at this stage of his career.

What is it about being concerned about KF and a long term contact that is related to being an Iowa fan. Does being Iowan make one prone to being average? KF has shown to be really good and really mediocre. He has built this program from rags (not really) to rags to riches to rags to riches....to the future. When his teams are mediocre they are so boring that the bigger (maybe not biggest) die hard fans get.....bored.

Watching Bend but not bread defense and let's not turn the ball over offense can be fun when winning. Not so much when one is losing.

 

[Thawki]

It woul

Yes... of course... offer one of the two longest serving D1 level coaches in the country less than he already has. Publicly disrespecting your head coach is always an effective negotiating position... </sarcasm>

It wouldnt be offering him less than he already had to give him a contract that is a rolling five-year deal after every season. Just because he had a ten-year deal at one time dos the mean every time he has a new contract it has to be a ten-year deal.

No one recruits negatively against a rolling five-year deal that I am aware of. We didn't need to make it a long-term deal to keep him, as he obviously isn't going anywhere. He is 61 now. Why would we need to offer him more than a rolling five-year deal? I like him, but why be saddled with that if the guy should retire but doesn't want to retire when you want him to?

I don't see what is insulting about any of that. Are you saying it is insulting if we DIDNT give him a ten-year deal with a huge buyout, just because he had a lot of leverage last time, and used it and got a ten-year deal then?

 

[Thawki]

KF and his entire staff should make sure CJB is at the very top of their Christmas list for some time. If JR is QB, this team is probably 8-4 in 2015 and a mid-tier bowl game. I'm guessing zero talk of extensions, raises, and S&C coach salaries.

Instead, CJB leads them to 12-0 and the Rose Bowl. There's a lot of people in that football office that owe that kid a lot.

Of course those same coaches are the ones that saw something in CJB and recruited him and then put him in the starter's role. They do deserve credit for that, though I am sure some will say they don't because they think they waited a year too long to pull that trigger.

 

[ssckelley]

What is it about Iowa fans? Does the b*tching never stop?

You mean we are the only fan base to b^tch? Come on, our fan base is fairly mild compared to others and every fan base have those that over react to everything.

 

[proudhawkfan21]

The arrogance of fellow avg hawk fan is astounding. We act like we deserve Vince Lombardi or Bear Bryant as our coach. That is to take nothing away from coach Ferentz, I'm just establishing the bar. To the fan who complains about paying a VERY GOOD coach, decent money and appreciating sustained success, it's reality check time. This is a top 30 all-time program, but the difference between top 10 and top 30 is a mountain. There aren't any MAJOR talent coaches looking to get this gig. Let's be happy and appreciative of the great work and commitment to the state of Iowa by coach and his staff and stop worrying about what we can't have. Great job coach and congrats on your extension.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

The arrogance of fellow avg hawk fan is astounding. We act like we deserve Vince Lombardi or Bear Bryant as our coach. That is to take nothing away from coach Ferentz, I'm just establishing the bar. To the fan who complains about paying a VERY GOOD coach, decent money and appreciating sustained success, it's reality check time. This is a top 30 all-time program, but the difference between top 10 and top 30 is a mountain. There aren't any MAJOR talent coaches looking to get this gig. Let's be happy and appreciative of the great work and commitment to the state of Iowa by coach and his staff and stop worrying about what we can't have. Great job coach and congrats on your extension.

Nobody is disputing that. Everyone is laughing at Iowa's negotiating abilities

 

[Xerxes]

Of course those same coaches are the ones that saw something in CJB and recruited him and then put him in the starter's role. They do deserve credit for that, though I am sure some will say they don't because they think they waited a year too long to pull that trigger.

And they do deserve credit for putting him in the starters role. It was a good move by them to do it in Jan 2015 so it really became CJ's team prior to spring practice that year.

But I would not argue that they waited a year too long to do it. I think they wanted 2 years too long to do it.