Ferentz vs. Fry

Xerxes said:
I think Fry overall had better offenses. KF fielded better defenses.

There were times when Fry's defense was laughable. Particularly against Ohio St, Penn St, Michigans, etc. And his teams, even some of his good teams, got embarrassed because of it.
But he always had good players on the field. Many times he played good backup RBs at WR to get them on the field. Harmon, Saunders, & Dwight to name a few. And if you're going to have a FB out there, use him for more than just being a 3rd guard. Fry was a master at that.
Fry also neglected special teams in the mid point of his career. FG kicking and punting were major issues in the late 80s and early 90s and cost Iowa dearly.

KF's offenses have largely been a joke, particularly since KOK left, which is interesting because early on in his tenure (2001-2005) Iowa fielded good offenses even when injuries took their toll.
His defenses however have made Iowa competitive on a national level. In 5 seasons 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009 Iowa put defenses on the field that could have played with any team in the nation. Each one led by a DL that could have doubled as brick walls.
IMO his tenure will be marked by poor hires, particularly when his original OC/DC will solid/great hires. Both of their replacements have really hurt the team.
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This is a good point. At the end of the day it really comes down to hiring ability and mindset of the type of assistants you want. Fry was elite until the last 5-7 years when assistants started getting their own HC jobs.

Norm Parker was a primary reason for many of the KF elite defenses(and thus, great years), and the guy could recruit. Phil's philosophy is similar, but the across-the-board talent and Dline talent is down enough that is doesn't work as well.

Elite defenses, even when the team isn't very good overall, always keep you from getting embarrassed, even when the offense sucks. This has been a hallmark of KF teams throughout the years "almost never get blown out". Now though, when the defense is asked to literally do it all, and has holes at key positions, and the offense has 4-7 offensive snaps per drive....Saturday happens.

I don't see any chance for a win on Saturday, but if KF trys to play the "keep it close" game, we will get embarrassed...again. If we can somehow, someway get some points on the board in the first couple posessions...who knows....confidence can do strange things
 
hawkeyes87 said:
I never watched a Hayden team and thought "this is the most boring football team I've ever seen"
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Iowa football coach Hayden Fry's contract has been extended three years through the 1997 season, the school announced Monday.


Fry, 62, has a 100-51-5 record in 13 seasons at Iowa, which was 10-1-1 last fall and finished second in the Big Ten Conference. The extension puts him under contract until June 30, 1998.

Since Fry became Iowa's coach in 1979, the Hawkeyes have won or shared three Big Ten titles, finished in the league's first division 12 times and made 10 bowl appearances, including three Rose Bowl trips. …

Athletic director Bob Bowlsby recommended the extension, which makes no immediate change in Fry's salary of $132,700. His pay is evaluated annually and would not change until the start of Iowa's fiscal year, which is July 1.

I wonder how his salary compared to his peers during that era?

 
Fry came into a program with SUBPAR facilities/Ca$h, and NO TRADITION. KF came (and continues to operate) into a situation with GREAT FACILITIES and CA$H, and with fairly good tradition (over the previous 2 decades). No comparison.
 
I already posted this on another thread. KF and Fry are similar in one way and different in another.
Similar: neither coach knows all that much about the mechanics of football.
Different: Fry realized his deficiencies and allowed a subordinate with more coaching expertise to be directly involved in the operations of the team. KF has to control every stinkin' facet of every operation of Iowa football.
 
koralakers said:
Fry came into a program with SUBPAR facilities/Ca$h, and NO TRADITION. KF came (and continues to operate) into a situation with GREAT FACILITIES and CA$H, and with fairly good tradition (over the previous 2 decades). No comparison.
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Agreed.

I'm gonna throw something in which will make people lose their sh!t.

IMO Hayden Fry is a more likeable person. Of course I loved John Wayne and people with that kind of taste are fewer and fewer.


Dear Hawkeyes: Josh Brown has a message for you in 2016. MORE STANZIES LESS PANZIES!
 
blubberhawk said:
Fry, 62, has a 100-51-5 record in 13 seasons at Iowa, which was 10-1-1 last fall and finished second in the Big Ten Conference. The extension puts him under contract until June 30, 1998.
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The season following this extension (1992) they dropped to 5-7. 4-4 in the B10, but ooc losses to NC State, #1 Miami (FL), and #10 Colorado (of course they beat ISU, as usual).

Just like a typical KF ooc!
 
STLhawkeye20 said:
I think we should mention for posterity that Ferentz' 59% winning percentage includes the astounding number of cupcake teams he's scheduled in the non-conference and all of the favorable B1G years he's had as well in terms of avoiding the blue bloods.
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Very true.

I remember when the Hawks opened up their season in the 1987 Kickoff Classic (I remember because I was there :) ) against a #13 Tennessee team. I also remember us playing a few OOC scheduled games against the highly ranked Miami Hurricanes when they were National Champion contenders year in and year out back then.

Yeah that OOC schedule was a real challenge back then. Not always as tough as the above mentioned but certainly a hell of a lot more challenging then what Ferentz has put on the schedule.

Definitely not apple's to apple's.
 
HaydenHawk56 said:
Fry scratched where it itched. Ferentz scribbles on a piece of paper.
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The scribbles would have a different legacy, if following those scribbles something different happened. You'd say, "wow, remember when we got burned doing that...or blah blah blah happened?". Kirk really took note of that one.... and next time we did THIS instead...great adjustment.

Unfortunately Kirk doesn't do change
 
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Great discussion here.

Fry came in with expectations far lower than Ferentz. 7 wins was down right exciting for Iowa in the early years of Hayden's tenure.

11 game schedule versus 12 game schedule

RECRUITING - We could discuss this in great depth - just initial thoughts

I think recruiting for Fry was a bit easier....it was a networking thing.... ..They players didn't know their national status like they do now. You could find guys who had not been 'discovered'. blue chips are known and they are recruited by blue bloods. Tougher to get a Ronnie Harmon / Andre Tippet now. TV Exposure and Facilities dont' seem to close the gap.

A little thing - I wonder if the Tiger Hawk was newer and cooler then. Now it is associated with 7 wins.
 
NCHawker said:
Great discussion here.

Fry came in with expectations far lower than Ferentz. 7 wins was down right exciting for Iowa in the early years of Hayden's tenure.

11 game schedule versus 12 game schedule

RECRUITING - We could discuss this in great depth - just initial thoughts

I think recruiting for Fry was a bit easier....it was a networking thing.... ..They players didn't know their national status like they do now. You could find guys who had not been 'discovered'. blue chips are known and they are recruited by blue bloods. Tougher to get a Ronnie Harmon / Andre Tippet now. TV Exposure and Facilities dont' seem to close the gap.

A little thing - I wonder if the Tiger Hawk was newer and cooler then. Now it is associated with 7 wins.
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The Tiger Hawk is still cool.

We had some very successful seasons with Kirk Ferentz. In 2009 we lost one game because of an injured Stanzi and a loss that we could have won in the Ohio State game. We had great talent on that team. If Stanzi doesn't get hurt we could have run the table that year and could have been in the National Championship game.

That team had the talent and the excitement that is required for winning and keeping the fan base involved.

So the question is, what the heck happened between 2009 and the present day?
 
VTHawk said:
The Tiger Hawk is still cool.

We had some very successful seasons with Kirk Ferentz. In 2009 we lost one game because of an injured Stanzi and a loss that we could have won in the Ohio State game. We had great talent on that team. If Stanzi doesn't get hurt we could have run the table that year and could have been in the National Championship game.

That team had the talent and the excitement that is required for winning and keeping the fan base involved.

So the question is, what the heck happened between 2009 and the present day?
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You have to ask? :D
 
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