Ferentz Era Over

[1977Hawkeye]

How is it that you don't blame the coaches for this CONSTANT "failure to execute" ???

If Stanley was to blame for PSU, why didn't the coaches bench him? If there's nobody better ( and you said an average qb would have led an easy win ), whose fault is that?

Exactly. It's the same thing with certain people with regard to the basketball program: Alford/Lick/Fran aren't the ones missing the shots and throwing the ball away, yada yada. Hear it all the time.

Yes, anyone can miss a layup, drop a pass, make a mistake on defense, have a bad game.. Or whatever. Those things happen. But if it's the same constant mistakes/failures over time, especially years and years, then the coaches have to answer for that because the performance of the team ultimately comes back to them. Whether it's a coaching or recruiting issue, or a bit of both..

Recruit players that are capable of "executing" and teach them how to do so. There's no other way to slice it. I can't believe some people can't see that.

 

[cincyhawk]

I am not sold on Brian being ready for the head coaching job. And it is not totally set. If there is a large enough fan revolt. They will have to look outside the Ferentz family.

I don't think that I trust Barta to hire better, though. And Ferentz might have 10 years left in him.They have to extend or talk replacement soon though. Otherwise, not having a four year contract could hurt recruiting.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

You know, if we had found a way to not blow even two of the games we lost, Kirk's name would be out there for coach of the year consideration. Now, 6-3 is ushering in the end of the Ferentz era. Interesting.

 

[NoBeer]

You know, if we had found a way to not blow even two of the games we lost, Kirk's name would be out there for coach of the year consideration. Now, 6-3 is ushering in the end of the Ferentz era. Interesting.

So the thing is, a loss is not a win, so yeah. If we'd have won all the games we lost, we'd be in better shape. Yep.

 

[EstronHawkKing]

I don't think that I trust Barta to hire better, though. And Ferentz might have 10 years left in him.They have to extend or talk replacement soon though. Otherwise, not having a four year contract could hurt recruiting.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[BlackNGold1982]

Thank you for your post, I actually enjoy your perspectives. The biggest issues with this football program:
1. Zero consistency at an attempt to be relevant; we’re at the point where we say “hi” to the top 25 for one, maybe two, weeks per year and then it’s back to the same bullshit. This program hasn’t been relevant in over a decade, 2015 included. That was a product of a terrible schedule and Stanford revealed that.

2. If you’re already at 7-5 to 8-5 and not even sniffing a new year’s 6 bowl, you might as not care because no notices anyway.

3. We’re now at the point where 9-3 and 10-2 is what we hope for...in the WEST division. This division is such a joke where NW will represent the West in the sham “title” game after barely exceeding bowl eligibility. 9-3 or better absolutely doesn’t mean anything close to what it used to prior to the creation of these ridiculous divisions. In fact, it’s merely allowed Iowa fans to accept even more mediocrity since we rarely play anyone with a pulse. And when we do, we lose. And then the ensuing excuse is that, well, it’s UM/PSU/OSU/MSU so it’s okay, we’ll win the next couple against MD/MN/IL/IN so we can all go back to fictitiously comparing this team to 2002. That was an incredible joke and no one even seems to be talking about this. Instead, we’ve subliminally recalibrated our expectations where UW is now the target and we cannot even handle them remotely as well as we used to. Before we knew that if we didn’t go at least 2 of 3 against UM/OSU/PSU, we weren’t contending for the conference title. Now the talk is about trying to figure out how we can avoid these teams and somehow manage to slip past UW so we can claim the farce of a “West Division crown”. It’s comical when you really think about it. Divisions have hurt Iowa, and the program cannot even handle been dealt a consistently easier schedule than what they historically played. We’re sliding.

4. Iowa has a branding problem, largely cemented by KF, and BF is trying to improve that. Purdue has been a doormat forever; now Brohm shows up with equal or lesser players and beats Iowa 2 years in a row and now with an incoming top 25 recruiting class. What is that saying about what Iowa has been doing all those years while garbage programs like PU have been idle? It means we have done absolutely nothing to improve our brand or national profile. And that’s evidenced by the inability to beat even middle tier B1G teams now. We’re getting passed by and cannot seem to figure out why. We put a significant amount of players in the NFL at specific positions. That’s the only selling point right now. The style of play, recruits just don’t largely care for and that’s why the success on the field just isn’t getting it done, nor has, for the better part of the last decade. Program needs a new face, new blood. Iowa is a fantastic school and offers an awesome football environment; however, we do so little to make it an attractive place for more talented recruits to consider given the image that players witness - calculated, predictable, insert whatever adjective here. The results on the field reflect that.

I get Iowa fans' frustrations, I do, and I don't ever want to tell people how they should feel about their team. As many of you know, I'm an ISU fan. But I do want to provide what I think is a bit of context from somebody that is an outsider looking in.

I'm not one of those ISU fans that hates Iowa or anything. I root for Iowa and have been in attendance for some pretty big games. I saw Iowa beat NU in Lincoln in the bitter cold to clinch the division in 2015 in the "Tommy Armstrong likes to throw the ball to Iowa" game for example. Anyway, here are a few of my thoughts.

1. The fact that people are this pissed about a season that is likely to be 9-3 or 8-4 is actually a testament to Ferentz. The guy has raised the bar where that isn't acceptable to a lot of fans. Ferentz has had the program at a consisently good level, so much so that a season like the 2012 debacle stands out like a sore thumb. That really should be a credit to him, in a world where many top programs have failed to even reach that level of success consistently. As we all know, Texas, Nebraska, heck even Michigan have really been no better than Iowa for 10-15 years.

2. I know fans hate thinking like this, but IMO any change away from Ferentz is much more likely to make things worse than better. Every game that Iowa has lost is close. a couple bounces one way or another and the opposite of this thread is on this board right now. Ferentz is capable of great things at Iowa, we've seen it, as recently as 2015. Iowa stops that MSU defender 1 foot outside the endzone and Iowa is in the playoff.

3. Iowa is still poised to be one of the top contenders in the West going forward. Nebraska is still a ways away. The sun appears to be setting on the Wisconsin empire. Brohm is likely not long for Purdue. NW will never be a consistent contender.

4. Just to reiterate the point some others have made though, failures on the field are never the true fault of the players, specially when they are coached by a staff probably making a combined 10 million dollars a year. It's year 20. Every one of these guys were probably still pissing in their diapers when Ferentz took the reigns at Iowa. Whatever happens on the field is a result of the decisions Ferentz and the staff have made - who to recruit, how to train and prepare them, and the plays that are called. It's never on the kids, unless one of them is literally throwing the game.

I know the "it can always be worse!" message doesn't normally land well. But man, it can be worse. It can be a lot worse. And if I had to bet, I'd be hard pressed to assume the next coach has the level of sustained success that Kirk has had at Iowa. Because it's just frankly rare.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Exactly. It's the same thing with certain people with regard to the basketball program: Alford/Lick/Fran aren't the ones missing the shots and throwing the ball away, yada yada. Hear it all the time.

Yes, anyone can miss a layup, drop a pass, make a mistake on defense, have a bad game.. Or whatever. Those things happen. But if it's the same constant mistakes/failures over time, especially years and years, then the coaches have to answer for that because the performance of the team ultimately comes back to them. Whether it's a coaching or recruiting issue, or a bit of both..

Recruit players that are capable of "executing" and teach them how to do so. There's no other way to slice it. I can't believe some people can't see that.

I get what you are saying...I really do. Let me ask a question...do you think we are close to putting it together. Do you think this is a good team. We've lost three games we could have won. Do you think we are at the top of the conference, middle, bottom?

You can't blame a coaching staff for what happened against Wisconsin. Turnovers happen...but this team, other than maybe Stanley, isn't loose with the ball. The Beyer thing was a freak. Are you pointing at coaching there? I'm telling you, Jr. High players know what to do there and and some point you look up and stop blocking after 7-8 seconds.

I think the coaching staff has put together a good team. No one is kicking our ass, and we have kicked the crap out of 6 teams so far. With a few breaks, we are a 9-0 team. Those are facts.

Now, does it suck that we lost those three games. Can you argue that many head coaches make a larger difference in the close games? Yes. I just think if you assess where we are...we have young players, whether you like it or not, on defense especially.

I get Iowa fans' frustrations, I do, and I don't ever want to tell people how they should feel about their team. As many of you know, I'm an ISU fan. But I do want to provide what I think is a bit of context from somebody that is an outsider looking in.

I'm not one of those ISU fans that hates Iowa or anything. I root for Iowa and have been in attendance for some pretty big games. I saw Iowa beat NU in Lincoln in the bitter cold to clinch the division in 2015 in the "Tommy Armstrong likes to throw the ball to Iowa" game for example. Anyway, here are a few of my thoughts.

1. The fact that people are this pissed about a season that is likely to be 9-3 or 8-4 is actually a testament to Ferentz. The guy has raised the bar where that isn't acceptable to a lot of fans. Ferentz has had the program at a consisently good level, so much so that a season like the 2012 debacle stands out like a sore thumb. That really should be a credit to him, in a world where many top programs have failed to even reach that level of success consistently. As we all know, Texas, Nebraska, heck even Michigan have really been no better than Iowa for 10-15 years.

2. I know fans hate thinking like this, but IMO any change away from Ferentz is much more likely to make things worse than better. Every game that Iowa has lost is close. a couple bounces one way or another and the opposite of this thread is on this board right now. Ferentz is capable of great things at Iowa, we've seen it, as recently as 2015. Iowa stops that MSU defender 1 foot outside the endzone and Iowa is in the playoff.

3. Iowa is still poised to be one of the top contenders in the West going forward. Nebraska is still a ways away. The sun appears to be setting on the Wisconsin empire. Brohm is likely not long for Purdue. NW will never be a consistent contender.

4. Just to reiterate the point some others have made though, failures on the field are never the true fault of the players, specially when they are coached by a staff probably making a combined 10 million dollars a year. It's year 20. Every one of these guys were probably still pissing in their diapers when Ferentz took the reigns at Iowa. Whatever happens on the field is a result of the decisions Ferentz and the staff have made - who to recruit, how to train and prepare them, and the plays that are called. It's never on the kids, unless one of them is literally throwing the game.

I know the "it can always be worse!" message doesn't normally land well. But man, it can be worse. It can be a lot worse. And if I had to bet, I'd be hard pressed to assume the next coach has the level of sustained success that Kirk has had at Iowa. Because it's just frankly rare.

Holy crap...I agree with you. Hell hath frozen over.

 

[Northside Hawk]

It's what you sign on for when you decide to be a sports fan. The sentiments of this thread are probably repeated on dozens of boards across the country. OSU posters were probably up in arms Saturday when Nebraska hung tough. And OSU is going to the CFP if they win out (which they won't) now that LSU has a second loss.

Disappointment is inevitable, then it's up to the individual how they handle it. It's easy to call for the scalp of the coach. Wisconsin fans were calling for Bo Ryan's after losing the National Championship game. It will be a long time before Wisconsin is in another one.

 

[cincyhawk]

I get Iowa fans' frustrations, I do, and I don't ever want to tell people how they should feel about their team. As many of you know, I'm an ISU fan. But I do want to provide what I think is a bit of context from somebody that is an outsider looking in.

I'm not one of those ISU fans that hates Iowa or anything. I root for Iowa and have been in attendance for some pretty big games. I saw Iowa beat NU in Lincoln in the bitter cold to clinch the division in 2015 in the "Tommy Armstrong likes to throw the ball to Iowa" game for example. Anyway, here are a few of my thoughts.

1. The fact that people are this pissed about a season that is likely to be 9-3 or 8-4 is actually a testament to Ferentz. The guy has raised the bar where that isn't acceptable to a lot of fans. Ferentz has had the program at a consisently good level, so much so that a season like the 2012 debacle stands out like a sore thumb. That really should be a credit to him, in a world where many top programs have failed to even reach that level of success consistently. As we all know, Texas, Nebraska, heck even Michigan have really been no better than Iowa for 10-15 years.

2. I know fans hate thinking like this, but IMO any change away from Ferentz is much more likely to make things worse than better. Every game that Iowa has lost is close. a couple bounces one way or another and the opposite of this thread is on this board right now. Ferentz is capable of great things at Iowa, we've seen it, as recently as 2015. Iowa stops that MSU defender 1 foot outside the endzone and Iowa is in the playoff.

3. Iowa is still poised to be one of the top contenders in the West going forward. Nebraska is still a ways away. The sun appears to be setting on the Wisconsin empire. Brohm is likely not long for Purdue. NW will never be a consistent contender.

4. Just to reiterate the point some others have made though, failures on the field are never the true fault of the players, specially when they are coached by a staff probably making a combined 10 million dollars a year. It's year 20. Every one of these guys were probably still pissing in their diapers when Ferentz took the reigns at Iowa. Whatever happens on the field is a result of the decisions Ferentz and the staff have made - who to recruit, how to train and prepare them, and the plays that are called. It's never on the kids, unless one of them is literally throwing the game.

I know the "it can always be worse!" message doesn't normally land well. But man, it can be worse. It can be a lot worse. And if I had to bet, I'd be hard pressed to assume the next coach has the level of sustained success that Kirk has had at Iowa. Because it's just frankly rare.

I don't think it is rare, though. Iowa has been 8-4 / 7-4 in the regular season since I was born. That's 37 years. That's a very long time. It's not rare - the vast majority of bowl eligible teams are 7 - 5 or 8 - 4. That's probably 1/3 of the teams in FBS or more, and certainly within 2 standard deviations of the mean.

The fact is that most non-basement division teams can, and do, schedule themselves into 6 automatic wins a season. They win at least 3 in conference, and 3 OOC. Iowa and some B1G teams choose not to do that, opting for a rivalry or nationally relevant OOC game.

Alabama, though, chooses not to do that. That isn't a judgement against them. It's a smart choice given their conference slate. But Iowa could decide to play three automatic wins and get to 8 - 4 pretty easily every year.

I actually think it's rarer to have a long period of terrible football in a big conference - because if you have any pride at all you fire non-performers until you get a good performer.

Rare is perennial 10 win seasons. That's top ten programs in the country. 9 win seasons is good - top 25. 8 win seasons are average programs - the Texas Techs and Cals of the world.

All I want is an perennial top 25 football team, in a weak division. Nebraska is down. Illinois is down. Minnesota is down. We should be making hay while the sun shines.

 

[NoBeer]

I get what you are saying...I really do. Let me ask a question...do you think we are close to putting it together.

We're always "close to putting it together" but never get there. That's where the frustration sets in.

 

[Northside Hawk]

We're always "close to putting it together" but never get there. That's where the frustration sets in.

There is always some level where we lose or get stomped and people point to that and say "We can never put it together." See USC 2002.

Had we beat MSU in 2015 we would have lost to Alabama in a similiar manner to Michigan State. Would have been the same thing on these boards only worse because the lights would have been brighter.

 

[SteveGarvey1]

So the thing is, a loss is not a win, so yeah. If we'd have won all the games we lost, we'd be in better shape. Yep.

No I get that. Just saying how a couple of plays completely can change perception of things.

 

[NoBeer]

Your first sentence is what has had Nebraska in purgatory for almost 20 years.

Let's not be revisionists. It hasn't been 20 years. Bo Pelini had nothing but 9-10 win seasons there. That's not purgatory.

 

[HawkPrdatr40]

I’m totally fine with the KF Era and where the Iowa program is at on a whole. College football is and always has been about a handful of say 4 or 5 Teams who have a legit shot in winning and contending on a yearly basis for a Championship and usually it’s the same old teams. The Iowa program has caught lightning in a bottle on a couple of occasions to be one of those 4. But if anyone thinks Iowa will ever be one of those top 4 or 5 programs in contention year in and year out, your smoking way to much crack.

 

[dahlhawk]

Wah, wah, wah. You had a defense with three new LBs, and playing two freshman corners. At some point, didn't you expect the defense to struggle? I knew it was going to happen...and we were going to have to outscore teams. We almost did.

It's so interesting to see these types of posts. I think we have a very good team. A team that is young, a team with talent, and a team with what appears to be promising players waiting their turn. All positive.

Not one team has physically dominated us...and until yesterday, not one team has truly exploited our defense. The loss against Wisconsin was self inflicted (two costly turnovers and poor red zone execution)...the loss at Penn State was due to the poor play at QB...plain and simple. If Stanley plays average we beat Penn State by two TDs.

Yesterday was the first time a team made the plays themselves to beat us. That being said there were some very, very questionable calls in that game...that went Purdue's way.

Tough losses all...but with the vast majority of this team back, and other non starters getting plenty of time...how can you not be upbeat?

The main reason is we didn't win one of those games against "the good" teams. Iowa State prior to their present QB is the only game to hang out hat on. If we go out and dominate NW and Win, I might become optimistic for the future. I'm a believer that you win with the team you got, looking seasons ahead never turn out the way you think.

 

[cincyhawk]

Your first sentence is what has had Nebraska in purgatory for almost 20 years. When I was at that game in 2015, I couldn't help but notice they have space under their press box for conference championships. It's totally off center because they obviously expected to keep winning them since 1999. They haven't.

To your second point, TT has had 8 wins twice in the last decade, the other years have all been under that. Cal hasn't won 8 games since 2009.

My point is that Ferentz has had 1 year blip down years. Over the last two decade timespan, almost every program in the NCAA save the bluest of blue bloods has had a multi-year suckfest. Iowa has avoided that. Again, expectations are different. My expectations for a program like Iowa, is if you're doing great there you're a consistently good to great team, with a chance to have a very special season once a recruiting cycle when the stars align. That's pretty much what's happened under Ferentz.

They were winning 9 games a year while Ferentz was stadium fundraising. They didn't win any conference championships, but both conferences they were in at that time had conference championship games - and Nebraska has been in the Big Championship game the same number of times and won it the same number of times as Ferentz has.

My point with TT and Cal is that they are average. Like Iowa. Texas and Missouri a better comparison for you?

Iowa is consistent. I am not arguing that they aren't. I'm arguing that in a weak conference where many opponents are having multi-year suckfests that we should be improving. And we aren't.

 

[cincyhawk]

I’m totally fine with the KF Era and where the Iowa program is at on a whole. College football is and always has been about a handful of say 4 or 5 Teams who have a legit shot in winning and contending on a yearly basis for a Championship and usually it’s the same old teams. The Iowa program has caught lightning in a bottle on a couple of occasions to be one of those 4. But if anyone thinks Iowa will ever be one of those top 4 or 5 programs in contention year in and year out, your smoking way to much crack.

What are the barriers you see in a national recruiting environment and versus the competition in the Big Ten West to being a top 25 team every year, given Iowa's revenue? Why is Wisconsin able to do ot consistently and Iowa not?

 

[BlackNGold1982]

What are the barriers you see in a national recruiting environment and versus the competition in the Big Ten West to being a top 25 team every year, given Iowa's revenue? Why is Wisconsin able to do ot consistently and Iowa not?

THIS. People act like Wisconsin is some warm, Hollywood metropolis selling beaches and babes. We’re putting the same numbers of players in the NFL. They’re winning games at a higher level and we just seem to accept that. Backwards ass mindset around here.

 

[trj]

There is always some level where we lose or get stomped and people point to that and say "We can never put it together." See USC 2002.

Had we beat MSU in 2015 we would have lost to Alabama in a similiar manner to Michigan State. Would have been the same thing on these boards only worse because the lights would have been brighter.

Not sure about that I think most fans would have a " this is as good as it is going to get" thought process if they had made the CFP in 2015. Getting smoked by Alabama wouldn't be something to brag about, but it would mean Iowa capitalized on every opportunity, every break that season and got as far as they could. Most Iowa fans are realistic, they just want a little taste every now and then.

 

[trj]

What are the barriers you see in a national recruiting environment and versus the competition in the Big Ten West to being a top 25 team every year, given Iowa's revenue? Why is Wisconsin able to do ot consistently and Iowa not?

Coming in 5,4,3,2,1...................Wisconsin has 2 million more people. Not saying I agree, just letting you know that answer is coming.