Ferentz Talks About Criticism

JonDMiller

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
Kirk Ferentz was asked how he deals with critcism as well as if he has to reopen the Offensive Coordinator hiring process at year's end

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His answers were exactly the answers I would expect from a man that has a $21M buyout and 8 years remaining on his current deal. They were also spoken like a man who acts as if he has no control over the "ebbs and flows" of a season or a series of seasons. Some guys believe that you make your own "ebbs and flows" and some, like Kirk, think they are automatic so he just keeps on keepin' on as if there's nothing to see or be concerned about because it's simply just a normal "ebb and flow".
 
Q: How have you developed thicker skin..someone calls your radio show and suggests that you move to Cleveland..it’s human nature to react negatively towards that.
Ferentz: Actually not. There were a lot of benefits to spending six years in the NFL. One of the biggest once was just to learn that…grunt…not to worry too much about things you can’t control. I have always understood that people will react very positive, probably too positively when we do well and when we lose it’s the opposite. The world is not ending and it’s not the creation of a new civilization when we win. We are worried about the things we need to worry about and that is one thing I learned.

Did he say the word "grunt" or actually grunt?
 
First 2 responses are classic KF. Answer vaguely and act like you don't understand.




QUESTION #1

Q: What does the program need to get back to the 2009 level?
Kirk Ferentz: More wins, I guess. We won 11 games that year. I don’t know what you are saying. Two years before that we were 6-6. There is ebb and flow in sports and there is ebb and flow during the course of seasons and season to season and during the course of the week. Those are broad based questions. Right now, the first step would be for us to win the next four games and that is what we are focused on. we are not going to the Orange Bowl this year, I don’t think. I guess you could.

QUESTION #2

Q: Does the attrition that happened with the 2008-2010 classes affect you more than others?


Ferentz: Attrition is college football. (MEANING ="THAT FOOTBALL") There is ebb and flow in college football. It’s there at programs where you might not think there would be, as was pointed out earlier. If it can happen at ‘brand name’ schools, it can happen anywhere. That being said, this season is not over. We haven’t written it off and we have four games we intend on playing as hard as we can.
 
So it looks like we are stuck with Davis. Not that with 4 games left he could of said anything differently. However, at the end of the season and we are sitting at 4-8 or 5-7 and it's still not up for discussion. Man talk about banking hard on Rudock or Sokol coming through in a big way with Davis's scheme!
 
Q: What does the program need to get back to the 2009 level?

Kirk Ferentz: More wins, I guess. We won 11 games that year. I don’t know what you are saying.

What hes saying Kirk is the program has taken a **** since 2009 AGAIN and hes wondering what the **** happened and what your plan is to fix it.
 
Reading that whole thing really pi$$ed me off. There is what you guys have already mentioned above, and I also didn't like the fact that KF was asked about how the redshirt guys were coming along, and he said something to the effect that he's more focused on the other guys right now. I would think you would work with your young/redshirt players too? Or at least SOMEBODY would, if not KF himself. Like the assistants. After all, those guys are going to (hopefully) see the field someday, too. Gotta plan for the future a little bit too, Kirk.
 
eveningnewsteam said:
Q: What does the program need to get back to the 2009 level?

Kirk Ferentz: More wins, I guess. We won 11 games that year. I don’t know what you are saying.

What hes saying Kirk is the program has taken a **** since 2009 AGAIN and hes wondering what the **** happened and what your plan is to fix it.
Click to expand...

It's cyclical. That's football. I'm guessing that is your KF stock answer to that question, too.
 
Q: All assistants are one year guys, as they are employed at your discretion, right?
Ferentz: That is how it is. Most of them know if they do their jobs…instead of talking about it past performance has something to say about it. Do your job. It is what everyone is supposed to do and they are.

There it is folks. That is why Iowa will never see a coaching tree like Hayden had while Kurt is here. The guy with whom we have entrusted the program and shown our loyalty by giving him nearly $4 million/year and a 75% buyout for a decade at a time doesn't trust his own hiring abilities enough to lock up any assistants. And of course we can't pay them the way Paul Chryst was paid by Wisconsin because we're blowing the whole effin budget on Kurt, so we're left with guys who get fired by Texas and the other friends and family of the Ferentz clan. And what is he saying about past performance - is he talking about his past performance of running underperforming coaches out of town or not resting on past performance, because I can think of one guy in IC resting a bit on past performance. And raise your hand if you could severely harm a bunch of 18-22 year old kids and not get fired from your job - Mr. Doyle, I commend you for doing your job.

What an effin' joke. Look, I get we're gonna lose games and have bad years, but at least don't slap the fanbase in the face. Tell us everything is gonna get better, that tomorrow will be better than today, that if we have faith you will take us to the promised land, don't be a jagoff. Take some lessons from Tom Osborne or Barry Alvarez, guys who truly loved their institutions and fanbases.
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Reading that whole thing really pi$$ed me off. There is what you guys have already mentioned above, and I also didn't like the fact that KF was asked about how the redshirt guys were coming along, and he said something to the effect that he's more focused on the other guys right now. I would think you would work with your young/redshirt players too? Or at least SOMEBODY would, if not KF himself. Like the assistants. After all, those guys are going to (hopefully) see the field someday, too. Gotta plan for the future a little bit too, Kirk.
Click to expand...

O'Keefe gave a similar response when asked about JVB in 2010. Basically said "how the hell would I know how he looks in practice?" Perhaps the whole staff has been infected with whatever Jim Carrey had in the classic movie "Liar Liar." "Well, I'm not going to just lie and say everything is hunky dory so I'll just say I don't know." LIE TO US KURT, PLEASE, JUST LIE TO US.
 
okeefe4prez said:
Q: All assistants are one year guys, as they are employed at your discretion, right?
Ferentz: That is how it is. Most of them know if they do their jobs…instead of talking about it past performance has something to say about it. Do your job. It is what everyone is supposed to do and they are.

There it is folks. That is why Iowa will never see a coaching tree like Hayden had while Kurt is here. The guy with whom we have entrusted the program and shown our loyalty by giving him nearly $4 million/year and a 75% buyout for a decade at a time doesn't trust his own hiring abilities enough to lock up any assistants. And of course we can't pay them the way Paul Chryst was paid by Wisconsin because we're blowing the whole effin budget on Kurt, so we're left with guys who get fired by Texas and the other friends and family of the Ferentz clan. And what is he saying about past performance - is he talking about his past performance of running underperforming coaches out of town or not resting on past performance, because I can think of one guy in IC resting a bit on past performance. And raise your hand if you could severely harm a bunch of 18-22 year old kids and not get fired from your job - Mr. Doyle, I commend you for doing your job.

What an effin' joke. Look, I get we're gonna lose games and have bad years, but at least don't slap the fanbase in the face. Tell us everything is gonna get better, that tomorrow will be better than today, that if we have faith you will take us to the promised land, don't be a jagoff. Take some lessons from Tom Osborne or Barry Alvarez, guys who truly loved their institutions and fanbases.
Click to expand...

Spot on....
 
1977Hawkeye said:
Reading that whole thing really pi$$ed me off. There is what you guys have already mentioned above, and I also didn't like the fact that KF was asked about how the redshirt guys were coming along, and he said something to the effect that he's more focused on the other guys right now. I would think you would work with your young/redshirt players too? Or at least SOMEBODY would, if not KF himself. Like the assistants. After all, those guys are going to (hopefully) see the field someday, too. Gotta plan for the future a little bit too, Kirk.
Click to expand...

I don't think he has a chance either way with that question. If he says how good the young/redshirts are then his decision to stick with certain individuals becomes that much more of a hot topic. It could also be interpreted as him saying that he's writing the season off and focusing on the future. I honestly think his response was adequate. Nothing against the redshirts and younger guys, but he needs to focus primarily on those that are practicing for next week rather than next year. I see it as asking the coach of a varsity team thats struggling what he thinks of the JV players. I think at this point he needs to be focused primarily on the guys that will be seeing the field on Saturday.
 
kicker22 said:
I don't think he has a chance either way with that question. If he says how good the young/redshirts are then his decision to stick with certain individuals becomes that much more of a hot topic. It could also be interpreted as him saying that he's writing the season off and focusing on the future. I honestly think his response was adequate. Nothing against the redshirts and younger guys, but he needs to focus primarily on those that are practicing for next week rather than next year. I see it as asking the coach of a varsity team thats struggling what he thinks of the JV players. I think at this point he needs to be focused primarily on the guys that will be seeing the field on Saturday.
Click to expand...

False, the canned response should be "they are doing great, and we're working with them to make sure they are ready to hit the field next season." Because even with his response, the door is open. If he's focused on the older guys, how does he know they are better than the younger guys?
 
".....I have always understood that people will react very positive, probably too positively when we do well and when we lose it’s the opposite. The world is not ending and it’s not the creation of a new civilization when we win. We are worried about the things we need to worry about and that is one thing I learned."

Translation: Hawkeye fans care too much about winning and losing. It's not that big of deal. I mean, they act like its the end of the world when we lose or I created a new civilization if we win.

Wow. Just wow.
 
Q: All assistants are one year guys, as they are employed at your discretion, right?
Ferentz: That is how it is. Most of them know if they do their jobs…instead of talking about it past performance has something to say about it. Do your job. It is what everyone is supposed to do and they are.

Haha, I know for a fact the players past and present have zero respect for Eric Johnson and Lester Erb, absolutely none. They laugh at both. Im not sure why for Erb, he seems to have done a decent job, but thats what I hear from a few Dlinemen from 2006-2010.
 
I understand his answers. I always do. It's just that they are not the answers that I expect. I guess that's just tough toenails for me.
 
It may just be my crappy memory, but does anybody ever recall Ferentz taking blame? Ya know how some coaches will say we didn't get them prepared well enough during the week, or I've got to do a better job of coaching, we called a bad game, etc.

I can't remember a time when he has, it's always execution it seems. Basically throwing his players under the bus, but not exactly.
 
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