Ferentz & The Chiefs? Don't Sweat It

JonDMiller

Publisher/Founder
The Kansas City Chiefs have fired Todd Haley. The Kansas City Chiefs GM is Scott Pioli. Scott Pioli and Kirk Ferentz have a relationship that goes back decades.

It stands to reason that some people are going to throw Ferentz's name at the top of the list for Pioli's Kansas City Chiefs.

Don't sweat it.

First, background on their relationship; read this item from Scott Dochterman from back in August on Pioli's relationship with Ferentz. Dochterman was down in St. Joseph, Missouri covering the Chiefs training camp, as KC has former Hawkeyes Tony Moeaki and Ricky Stanzi on the team.

I suspect Pioli will most definitely contact Ferentz's agent. Ferentz's agent receives a lot of inquiries. His agent may pass that stuff on to Ferentz, or Ferentz may have give the agent a list of people from whom he will take calls from as to set up a wall of deniability.

Meaning that when a media member asks 'have you talked to anyone from XYZ?' Ferentz can honestly say 'No, I have not.'

If Ferentz is asked if his agent has spoken to anyone on his behalf, or fielded calls, Kirk can honestly say that he doesn't know all of the people his agent talks with, and that his agent also represents other clients and talks to a lot of people.

Stuff like that.

Or, Ferentz could have just informed his agent that he is not interested in talking to anyone about anything as he intends to remain at Iowa until he retires.

My guess is most people would not throw up that sort of wall; I think you always have to evaluate choices in life, even if you are perfectly content. There may be times in your life when you throw up that sort of 'not interested' wall, but I don't think that successful people have it up for very long, if at all.

I have no idea where Kirk is at in all of this but I do know one thing for certain and that is he cannot coach his son James for his senior year at Iowa anywhere but at Iowa.

I also know that no amount of money in the world can buy that sort of experience, that extra 18 months.

Kirk Ferentz has made a great deal of money being the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes. The kind of money that would take lifetimes to spend unless you are Charlie Sheen or Bernie Madoff. However, Ferentz doesn't strike me as the frivolous kind of guy.

There are serious demands on your time when you are a head football coach in the Big Ten. There is a price you pay as it relates to family time. I think Ferentz has done the best job he can at spending as much time with his family as possible, but I would guess any coach, when it's all said and done, may have that as one of their few regrets; wishing they had more time to spend with their families.

The fact that Kirk was able to coach his son Brian for five years, I suspect those were some of the most important times in each of their lives. I suspect the same could be said for the time Kirk has been able to spend with James at Iowa these last three and a half years and there is still 18 months to go before James' eligibility is expired.

You cannot buy that sort of thing. You cannot purchase that sort of time.

Kirk's youngest son Steven is a senior at City High in Iowa City. I don't know what his college plans are, but after this spring the Ferentz's won't have any more children in high school and all of their children will have graduated from City High.

Get ready for the ESPN's of the world to throw Ferentz's name around for the KC job. It's going to happen and it's already begun.

However, I just don't see it happening and I don't see Kirk giving up the next 18 months with his son at Iowa. I just happen to believe that the University of Iowa is where Kirk is going to retire from and am not going to get too worked up over the Kansas City Chiefs head coaching vacancy, despite the ties Ferentz has with Pioli.
 
There are reports Pioli said Ferentz is his top target.

There has also been speculation for most of this year that Josh McDainels is a top target for Pioli. Haley's firing is not a suprise, it was rumored that he was to be fired after the Indy game had the Chiefs not come back to win. The relationship between Haley and Pioli has been an issue for quite some time. I will say that Pioli does need to make the right choice for the Chiefs as his draft performance has been sub par. He has definitely missed on more players than he has hit on.
 
I don't see Kirk leaving for the Chiefs at this time. I tend to believe he will retire at Iowa.
 
There has also been speculation for most of this year that Josh McDainels is a top target for Pioli. Haley's firing is not a suprise, it was rumored that he was to be fired after the Indy game had the Chiefs not come back to win. The relationship between Haley and Pioli has been an issue for quite some time. I will say that Pioli does need to make the right choice for the Chiefs as his draft performance has been sub par. He has definitely missed on more players than he has hit on.
I'm not a chiefs fan, but I think this statement is pretty wrong. They've had some killer injuries this year with Berry, Charles, Moeaki, and Cassell, and their 2010 draft was pretty solid with Berry, Mccluster, Arenas, Asamoah, Moeaki, and Lewis. Most of the rookie's in 2011 aren't going to make an impact their first year, but Baldwin is going to be really good too, and Houston is already starting.
 
Why wouldn't he leave?

His longtime friend and DC is retiring at the end of the year. He truly can't accomplish much more at Iowa than he already has. KC has a nice looking roster, just needs a good HC to get them pointed in the right direction. Injuries and coaching are what killed them this year. Ferentz' conservative style would be good in that division.

His son is going to be playing next year at Iowa but nothing precludes KF from watching the games in person. I'm sure his son is a big boy by now and might just welcome being coached by somebody other than his dad. Could you imagine what it must be like for him to try and go to college while still having your dad monitor every move you make? Sounds good on paper but you have to cut the ties at some point.

Who wouldn't want to be a head coach of an NFL team? Its a coaches dream job outside of probably coaching at one of the big football programs or your alma mater. Plus the stress is different. You no longer are worried about recruiting high school kids and traveling all across the country trying to prostitute yourself and your program on a daily basis. Its not to say that the NFL is sit back and smoke stoggies all the time but its different.

He gone is the bottom line.
 
Why wouldn't he leave?

His longtime friend and DC is retiring at the end of the year. He truly can't accomplish much more at Iowa than he already has. KC has a nice looking roster, just needs a good HC to get them pointed in the right direction. Injuries and coaching are what killed them this year. Ferentz' conservative style would be good in that division.

His son is going to be playing next year at Iowa but nothing precludes KF from watching the games in person. I'm sure his son is a big boy by now and might just welcome being coached by somebody other than his dad. Could you imagine what it must be like for him to try and go to college while still having your dad monitor every move you make? Sounds good on paper but you have to cut the ties at some point.

Who wouldn't want to be a head coach of an NFL team? Its a coaches dream job outside of probably coaching at one of the big football programs or your alma mater. Plus the stress is different. You no longer are worried about recruiting high school kids and traveling all across the country trying to prostitute yourself and your program on a daily basis. Its not to say that the NFL is sit back and smoke stoggies all the time but its different.

He gone is the bottom line.

Because he can go 7-5 and still make $3.8MM per year. Unless his dream is to coach a NFL team before it's all said and done, I just don't see why he would leave a top 5 college coaching situation.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, JD, but isn't Brian Ferentz on the staff at New England? Maybe Kurt sees an opportunity to move on to a next phase of his career and he would bring Brian down to KC with him. Maybe James is in the cards sometimes thereafter, as well. Kurt got to see Brian have a fair amount of success on the field and he could still sneak back for a game or two in Brian's senior season and have the opportunity to sit in the stands and watch a game or two as a dad instead of as a coach. Maybe that has value, too. I think if he gets a legit offer, he is gone. However, if this one passes, I think he's with us through the end of his contract.

Kurt knows he'll never win a national title at Iowa and as an alpha male (a term you betas will not understand) maybe he dreams of hoisting something a little more substantive than an annual Insight or Outback trophy.
 
He's coached two kids for a total of 9 years in 13.

I seriously doubt that his sons senior season is going to be the decisive item in his thought process.

I think that matters for say, Penn State where he would have to coach against him next year. I don't think it matters for say, James senior season.

They're gonna be empty nesters next year - I seriously doubt this would crush James either.
 
Because he can go 7-5 and still make $3.8MM per year. Unless his dream is to coach a NFL team before it's all said and done, I just don't see why he would leave a top 5 college coaching situation.

You can go 9-7 and make that kind of jack in the NFL as well. I wouldn't dismiss this entirely. You want to take a down team because expectations will be low much like he did when he came to Iowa.

If he's going to leave to the NFL I would think this would be the most appealing time and place to do it.
 
He won't go but if history has shown us anything he will prolly make another $500k/yr off this little rumor. And I'm sure he has no idea what anyone is talking about if you ask him.
 
1. Given the staleness of Iowa's offensive scheme and Kirk's complete failure at the 2 minute offense (MUCH more important in the NFL than in college), why would any NFL team want him? Maybe 6-7 years ago...but not now.

2. He would be stupid to give up the lifetime contract that pays him millions of dollars he has right now. He can skate by with mediocre seasons and ZERO threat to his job security.
 
He's coached two kids for a total of 9 years in 13.

I seriously doubt that his sons senior season is going to be the decisive item in his thought process...

If the family thing is so important to him, don't forget he could hire his other son, Brian, to his staff in KC. Brian is a TE coach at New England. He would get to coach WITH one of his sons since he wouldn't be able to coach James' senior season.
 
To me, this is the last but most attractive NFL option for KF. I am concerned.

1. Pioli and KF are very close. Haley and Pioli clashed often this past year. Pioli has mentioned how he ''values consistency'' and wants the Chiefs program to be modeled on Chuck Noll's Steelers. KF has often mentioned admiring Noll.

2. KF is what,about 55 or 56? A minimum of a 5 year contract with KC gets him to retirement age,no matter how it goes on the field. Financially,it would be equal or better than Iowa money,and he can scratch that NFL itch before hanging it up.

3. The Chiefs have a very strong defensive coordinator,Crennel,who has the same Belichek background as KF, and could easily be KF's Norm Parker at KC. He can concentrate on offense.

4. It is a midwest franchise,close to Iowa City,with Hawks like TonyMo and Stanzi already on the team.

5. James is in his last year,and Steven has given no indication of whether he plans on going to Iowa or playing...

I have no conduit to KF's thinking,but I suspect that Pioli would consider him very seriously for this job if KF gave the green light.
I am concerned that KF might want to scale that last wall, before his career winds down. I hope not. Only KF knows. And anyone saying that KF would use KC as leverage for more money at Iowa is wrong.
Please stay,KF!
 
I'm increasingly of the opinion that Ferentz is not NFL material. He's far too thin-skinned to work in any sort of media market where sports talk and hard-hitting columnists can make life very difficult for you. Based on his exhibited difficulty with some of the more outward, difficult or flamboyant personalities on his teams, I also don't think he's fit to manage the sort of over-sized egos you encounter at the next level.
 

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