For perspective: Alabama’s six poor seasons in the last 15

[jfwolfe]

Ferentz has won 8 or more games 5 times in 14 years. 6-7 wins is his norm. That's not ok. Maybe 40 years ago, but not now. Iowa isn't that kind of program anymore, or at least it wasn't. Clearly, it's starting to drift back in that direction.

I don't worry about '99 and '00 so let's talk about Ferentz once the program "was on its feet" so to speak.
8 w/yr and 4.5 L/yr since 2001. Also, we need more perspective about Fry. Here is his record by season-
1979 Iowa 5–6 4–4 5th
1980 Iowa 4–7 4–4 4th
1981 Iowa 8–4 6–2 T–1st L Rose
1982 Iowa 8–4 6–2 3rd W Peach
1983 Iowa 9–3 7–2 3rd L Gator
1984 Iowa 8–4–1 5–3–1 T–4th W Freedom
1985 Iowa 10–2 7–1 1st L Rose
1986 Iowa 9–3 5–3 T–3rd W Holiday
1987 Iowa 10–3 6–2 T–2nd W Holiday
1988 Iowa 6–4–3 4–1–3 T–3rd
1989 Iowa 5–6 3–5 T–6th
1990 Iowa 8–4 6–2 T–1st L Rose
1991 Iowa 10–1–1 7–1 2nd T Holiday
1992 Iowa 5–7 4–4 5th
1993 Iowa 6–6 3–5 8th L Alamo
1994 Iowa 5–5–1 3–4–1 7th
1995 Iowa 8–4 4–4 6th W Sun
1996 Iowa 9–3 6–2 T–3rd W Alamo
1997 Iowa 7–5 4–4 T–6th L Sun
1998 Iowa 3–8 2–6 T–7th

So, his first 2 years were bad and then he got it rolling. However, similar to 2006 and 2007 Fry had a hiccup in '88 and '89 and then just so we are all aware, after 14 years Hayden had a big drop off of 3 years in a row going 5-7, 6-6, 5-5-1. The last thing I here thrown around is that Hayden won 3 big ten titles. He won 1 outright and tied for 2 others. Overall, these 2 coaches have had basically teh same amount of success. Fry, however, lost many more bowl games over his career than has Ferentz. We have to keep perspective. And lastly, just so I don't get accused of apologizing for Ferentz, I think Ferentz has gotten very stale- as did Fry- and I think aggressiveness over the last 3 years has been the issue. The hawks were more agressive early in Ferentz's tenure and the lack of that recently is why the bullies of the big ten have become weak. That is all.

 

[tm3308]

I don't worry about '99 and '00 so let's talk about Ferentz once the program "was on its feet" so to speak.
8 w/yr and 4.5 L/yr since 2001. Also, we need more perspective about Fry. Here is his record by season-
1979 Iowa 5–6 4–4 5th
1980 Iowa 4–7 4–4 4th
1981 Iowa 8–4 6–2 T–1st L Rose
1982 Iowa 8–4 6–2 3rd W Peach
1983 Iowa 9–3 7–2 3rd L Gator
1984 Iowa 8–4–1 5–3–1 T–4th W Freedom
1985 Iowa 10–2 7–1 1st L Rose
1986 Iowa 9–3 5–3 T–3rd W Holiday
1987 Iowa 10–3 6–2 T–2nd W Holiday
1988 Iowa 6–4–3 4–1–3 T–3rd
1989 Iowa 5–6 3–5 T–6th
1990 Iowa 8–4 6–2 T–1st L Rose
1991 Iowa 10–1–1 7–1 2nd T Holiday
1992 Iowa 5–7 4–4 5th
1993 Iowa 6–6 3–5 8th L Alamo
1994 Iowa 5–5–1 3–4–1 7th
1995 Iowa 8–4 4–4 6th W Sun
1996 Iowa 9–3 6–2 T–3rd W Alamo
1997 Iowa 7–5 4–4 T–6th L Sun
1998 Iowa 3–8 2–6 T–7th

So, his first 2 years were bad and then he got it rolling. However, similar to 2006 and 2007 Fry had a hiccup in '88 and '89 and then just so we are all aware, after 14 years Hayden had a big drop off of 3 years in a row going 5-7, 6-6, 5-5-1. The last thing I here thrown around is that Hayden won 3 big ten titles. He won 1 outright and tied for 2 others. Overall, these 2 coaches have had basically teh same amount of success. Fry, however, lost many more bowl games over his career than has Ferentz. We have to keep perspective. And lastly, just so I don't get accused of apologizing for Ferentz, I think Ferentz has gotten very stale- as did Fry- and I think aggressiveness over the last 3 years has been the issue. The hawks were more agressive early in Ferentz's tenure and the lack of that recently is why the bullies of the big ten have become weak. That is all.

Personally, I don't like to count those first two years, either. But the OP wanted to compare Alabama's last 15 to Ferentz's entire tenure. He also included Saban's first year among the bad seasons. So, in the context of this argument, I have to count those first two seasons.

Fry averaged about the same number of wins, but they also werent playing 12 game regular seasons. Fry has a better win% (.613) than Ferentz (.571). Also, Fry may have lost more Bowls, but just getting to a bowl for much of his time was a lot more of an accomplishment than it is now. Over half the country reaches a bowl these days.

 

[kmurp]

Ferentz has won 8 or more games 5 times in 14 years. 6-7 wins is his norm. That's not ok. Maybe 40 years ago, but not now. Iowa isn't that kind of program anymore, or at least it wasn't. Clearly, it's starting to drift back in that direction.

I may be wrong but i think Iowa IS that "kind of program". At least since the arrival of Hayden. Before that, Iowa was even worse.

 

[aaronzuriel]

Just because I actually read most of this thread and wasted my time I need to respond.

All of you Iowa haters, and you are... and you Ferentz haters need to go away. The idea that you compare IOWA to Alabama is ridiculous.

Over the past hundred years Iowa never cheated as much as 'Bama and never, ever had the athletes and recruiting base that Alabama has to work with.

I won't name any of you personally, so not to embarras, but you people know nothing, are self-hating Hawkeye fans and DICK heads. Can I make it any more clear to you?

 

[tm3308]

I may be wrong but i think Iowa IS that "kind of program". At least since the arrival of Hayden. Before that, Iowa was even worse.

The athletic department has sunk way too much money into the program for that to be okay anymore. Stadium upgrades, new practice facilities, etc. IIRC, Iowa was in the top-15 in revenue among college athletic departments. We know that hasn't been coming from basketball. Everything about the program these days is on par with, or just a tick below the big boys. Except for the on-field results.

 

[kmurp]

The athletic department has sunk way too much money into the program for that to be okay anymore. Stadium upgrades, new practice facilities, etc. IIRC, Iowa was in the top-15 in revenue among college athletic departments. We know that hasn't been coming from basketball. Everything about the program these days is on par with, or just a tick below the big boys. Except for the on-field results.

You have a point

 

[thetrza]

The national media doesn't give us enough credit, we are a major program in every sense of the word. This is where Championships happen. Other fans can't wait to remind us that our state ranks last or next to last in every measurement of education, public health, or economic prosperity. They only count nine out of our fourteen national titles. By the way, the last part was done from the perspective of an Alabama fan.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Are you including next year's campaign of 2-10?

 

[FreedComanche]

Man you guys totally miss the point. A 7-6 record at Alabama is "bad" historically and if you ask their fans it is "bad". Historically 7-6 at Iowa is "OK" . You guys just dont get the point of the thread.

1. All programs are going to have down years and times. Even notre dame, alabama, use, etc.which means Iowa is going to have them.
1a. Yes we are one bad hire from being in the Mike Shula-Dubose situation.
2. The main point is not bashing KF but that **** is going to happen.

Personally since 2005 I have always said to any one who will listen that KF and KOK and sometimes Norm were good for fricking up 1-2 games a year. If the hawks were 8-4 I figured the coaches cost them a 9-3 or 10-2 record somehow. Personally i think you should attack on both offense and defense and try to keep the opponent off guard and confused (which we dont do).

So you guys are weird to delve too deep into the meaning of the thread as to KF. It is only to say it happens, programs hit the wall, they have a bad alignment of events, injuries, law breakers, etc,

Look at TCU this year, if their QB and another top player dont get kicked off the team they beat ISU and have a better season.

"Man you guys totally miss the point."

With respect to you, I do not miss your point at all. You were attempting to point out that every program has their up and down years. That is true. If you would have stopped there, it would have been a good post.

Where you failed was in implying that Alabama's down years and Iowa's down years are similar. They most definitely are not because the Bama coaches responsible for the bad years are gone. ferentz is still here.

By the way, I don't consider a winning regular season record (7-5) bad at Iowa. And no matter what you say, I do believe that your original post here was to make us feel guilty for being critical of ferentz.

FreedComanche

 

[uihawk82]

"Man you guys totally miss the point."

With respect to you, I do not miss your point at all. You were attempting to point out that every program has their up and down years. That is true. If you would have stopped there, it would have been a good post.

Where you failed was in implying that Alabama's down years and Iowa's down years are similar. They most definitely are not because the Bama coaches responsible for the bad years are gone. ferentz is still here.

By the way, I don't consider a winning regular season record (7-5) bad at Iowa. And no matter what you say, I do believe that your original post here was to make us feel guilty for being critical of ferentz.

FreedComanche

You are totally wrong about my intent. Way wrong. #1 it was just an observation based on facts and to put some things in perspective. And maybe some fans would get off the ledge.

#2 I dont worry about people if they are critical of Ferentz. I can be very critical of Ferentz. If you havent read some of my other posts about my criticism of KF's use of timeouts, game day mgmt, his not going for 4th and a yard at Indiana this year then you dont know me.

You are wrong about my OP.

 

[uihawk82]

Just because I actually read most of this thread and wasted my time I need to respond.

All of you Iowa haters, and you are... and you Ferentz haters need to go away. The idea that you compare IOWA to Alabama is ridiculous.

Over the past hundred years Iowa never cheated as much as 'Bama and never, ever had the athletes and recruiting base that Alabama has to work with.

I won't name any of you personally, so not to embarras, but you people know nothing, are self-hating Hawkeye fans and DICK heads. Can I make it any more clear to you?

We are only looking at records and the fact that almighty Bama has had some bad seasons in the last 15 years. This is not supposed to be a hawk bashing thread. If others are bashing it is a free society but i am a hawk lover.

 

[ColoradoHAWKEYE]

I thought it was a very good OPand see what the intent was. In fact, i'd love to see a post of similar losing records by top tier programs over the past (with coachs attached).

Further, I agree with Freed and Tork (who was on fiyah), that it really does show just how really far we've let our program fall with the top tier support of funds, facilities, and salary that they have.

Basically, we are in a transitional time without the transition of a head coach...Barta has left us with few choices, but I don't think Iowa can continue down this new "experimental" path for more than another year, unless some major strides (via record) are the result. [which is still possible, even though many have already said it's a given that it's not going to happen.]

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

Just because I actually read most of this thread and wasted my time I need to respond.

All of you Iowa haters, and you are... and you Ferentz haters need to go away. The idea that you compare IOWA to Alabama is ridiculous.

Over the past hundred years Iowa never cheated as much as 'Bama and never, ever had the athletes and recruiting base that Alabama has to work with.

I won't name any of you personally, so not to embarras, but you people know nothing, are self-hating Hawkeye fans and DICK heads. Can I make it any more clear to you?

Calm down you write dumb stuff too.

 

[FreedComanche]

I thought it was a very good OPand see what the intent was. In fact, i'd love to see a post of similar losing records by top tier programs over the past (with coachs attached).

Further, I agree with Freed and Tork (who was on fiyah), that it really does show just how really far we've let our program fall with the top tier support of funds, facilities, and salary that they have.

Basically, we are in a transitional time without the transition of a head coach...Barta has left us with few choices, but I don't think Iowa can continue down this new "experimental" path for more than another year, unless some major strides (via record) are the result. [which is still possible, even though many have already said it's a given that it's not going to happen.]

"Basically, we are in a transitional time without the transition of a head coach."

Got that right. This just came to mind, has a D1a college football program ever had a coach in his 14th year have as bad of regular season as 4-8? I really don't know, that is why I am asking. Think about that. 4-8 in is his 14th year. I still don't think I've completely brought myself to realize just how horrible that is.

FreedComanche

 

[NCHawker]

 

[skinnykilmer17]

"Basically, we are in a transitional time without the transition of a head coach."

Got that right. This just came to mind, has a D1a college football program ever had a coach in his 14th year have as bad of regular season as 4-8? I really don't know, that is why I am asking. Think about that. 4-8 in is his 14th year. I still don't think I've completely brought myself to realize just how horrible that is.

FreedComanche

See Terry Donahue's record below. But what an impressive string of 7 bowl wins including 3 Rose Bowls.
[h=2]Head coaching record[/h]

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	Coaches[SUP]#[/SUP]	AP[SUP]°[/SUP]
UCLA Bruins (Pacific-8/Pacific-10 Conference) (1976–1995)
1976	UCLA	9–2–1	6–1	2nd	L Liberty	15	15
1977	UCLA	7–4[SUP][n 1][/SUP]	5–2[SUP][n 1][/SUP]	T–2nd
1978	UCLA	8–3–1	6–2	2nd	T Fiesta	14	12
1979	UCLA	5–6	3–4	7th
1980	UCLA	9–2	5–2	2nd	[SUP][n 2][/SUP]	13	14
1981	UCLA	7–4–1	5–2–1	T–4th	L Bluebonnet
1982	UCLA	10–1–1	5–1–1	1st	W Rose	5	5
1983	UCLA	7–4–1	6–1–1	1st	W Rose	17	13
1984	UCLA	9–3	5–2	T–3rd	W Fiesta	9	10
1985	UCLA	9–2–1	6–2	1st	W Rose	7	6
1986	UCLA	8–3–1	5–2–1	T–2nd	W Freedom	14	14
1987	UCLA	10–2	7–1	T–1st	W Aloha	9	11
1988	UCLA	10–2	6–2	2nd	W Cotton	6	6
1989	UCLA	3–7–1	2–5–1	9th
1990	UCLA	5–6	4–4	T–6th
1991	UCLA	9–3	6–2	T–2nd	W John Hancock	19	18
1992	UCLA	6–5	3–5	8th
1993	UCLA	8–4	6–1	T–1st	L Rose	18	17
1994	UCLA	5–6	3–5	T–5th
1995	UCLA	7–5	4–4	T–5th	L Aloha
UCLA:	151–74–8	98–50–5
Total:	151–74–8
National championship Conference title Conference division title
[SUP]#[/SUP]Rankings from final Coaches' Poll. [SUP]°[/SUP]Rankings from final AP Poll

 

[FreedComanche]

See Terry Donahue's record below. But what an impressive string of 7 bowl wins including 3 Rose Bowls.
Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	Coaches[SUP]#[/SUP]	AP[SUP]°[/SUP]
UCLA Bruins (Pacific-8/Pacific-10 Conference) (1976–1995)
1976	UCLA	9–2–1	6–1	2nd	L Liberty	15	15
1977	UCLA	7–4[SUP][n 1][/SUP]	5–2[SUP][n 1][/SUP]	T–2nd
1978	UCLA	8–3–1	6–2	2nd	T Fiesta	14	12
1979	UCLA	5–6	3–4	7th
1980	UCLA	9–2	5–2	2nd	[SUP][n 2][/SUP]	13	14
1981	UCLA	7–4–1	5–2–1	T–4th	L Bluebonnet
1982	UCLA	10–1–1	5–1–1	1st	W Rose	5	5
1983	UCLA	7–4–1	6–1–1	1st	W Rose	17	13
1984	UCLA	9–3	5–2	T–3rd	W Fiesta	9	10
1985	UCLA	9–2–1	6–2	1st	W Rose	7	6
1986	UCLA	8–3–1	5–2–1	T–2nd	W Freedom	14	14
1987	UCLA	10–2	7–1	T–1st	W Aloha	9	11
1988	UCLA	10–2	6–2	2nd	W Cotton	6	6
1989	UCLA	3–7–1	2–5–1	9th
1990	UCLA	5–6	4–4	T–6th
1991	UCLA	9–3	6–2	T–2nd	W John Hancock	19	18
1992	UCLA	6–5	3–5	8th
1993	UCLA	8–4	6–1	T–1st	L Rose	18	17
1994	UCLA	5–6	3–5	T–5th
1995	UCLA	7–5	4–4	T–5th	L Aloha
UCLA:	151–74–8	98–50–5
Total:	151–74–8
National championship Conference title Conference division title
[SUP]#[/SUP]Rankings from final Coaches' Poll. [SUP]°[/SUP]Rankings from final AP Poll

Ok, got the answer. Thanks.

FreedComanche

 

[hoffahawk]

Bear Bryant's 12th and 13th years

1969- 6-5 overall 2-4 conference 8th
1970- 6-5-1 overall 3-4 conference T- 7th

 

[archfiend]

"Basically, we are in a transitional time without the transition of a head coach."

Got that right. This just came to mind, has a D1a college football program ever had a coach in his 14th year have as bad of regular season as 4-8? I really don't know, that is why I am asking. Think about that. 4-8 in is his 14th year. I still don't think I've completely brought myself to realize just how horrible that is.

FreedComanche

Joe Pa: not going to bother getting actual records b/c Iowa fans remember how bad his teams were in early part of century.

 

[DTF]

This can only mean that Ferentz will lead Iowa to 3 of the next 4 NCG's, right?

Keep grasping at straws...