But what timeframe should we use to determine how well we've played compared to the "norm"? If you use Kirk's entire 14 body of work, then yes, he's right at the norm of Hawkeye football over the last 100 years and is right at what Hayden accomplished. However, if you look at the last 7 years of his tenure, vs the first 7 years of his tenure, it's obvious to anyone but the most ardent ostrich, that we're going in the wrong direction. And it's when you're going in the wrong direction that you have to start considering a change.
For example, Kirk's first 7 years, his B1G record is 32-20...a solid 62%....and that's including a 3-13 record in the B1G his first 2 years as he got the program going his way. His % jumps to 73% when you discount the first 2 rebuilding years. However, in the last 7 years, his record is 27-29 in the B1G....a paltry 48%. The last 3 years, it's even worse.....42%. In addition, as I mentioned in a previous thread, his first 7 years saw him go a perfect 20-0 in games against teams he was favored against by more than 10 points. In the last 7 years, he's lost 10 of those games.
There comes a time when you have to pull the plug when the trend is downward. Unfortunately, his contract is going to dictate that we are going to have to hit rock bottom before a change is made. In looking at the schedule for next year, I think the bottom will be hit next year with a record of 2-10 and winless in the B1G.
