Gavin Holmes Talks to HN About Decision to Decommit from Iowa

[Joshbrown]

Yeah, just like Willies, who decided to tear it up elsewhere.

<<If GH and BC all wind up at the same school as Eno, ferentz needs to be gone>>

Funny, my reaction would be, "Has anyone done any forensic accounting to account for this pattern?"

Good point. But look at it this way. If Willies had been more mature and willing to stick it out at Iowa, he would be a star this year on his way to helping Iowa achieve a memorable year. His leaving is on him, I agree with that. But it was still a lose/lose. He could've helped himself by staying and working hard. And Iowa would've benefited in a year when the WR corp. is really lacking.

 

[cincyhawk]

It is the same as it was two weeks ago. Holmes has been in the pipeline to cut ties for a little bit. There is a reason he was at OU with Eno a couple weeks ago when Iowa was beating Iowa. Rob knew this was coming, the staff knew this was coming with Holmes.

Listen you don't have to believe me, just ask Rob, there is more to this story, and I don't think the coaches are all to blame like some here think. There are just too many rumors out there to know which ones are true and which ones are full of shit, so I'm not going to start spouting them on here, I will also say that since there are so many rumors out there, that where there is smoke there is fire. Much like I posted on this board a few weeks before any Eno stuff blew up, there was some smoke there, and some bad signals there, and per usual, where there was smoke there was fire about Eno being gone.

I will say that if both sides of this story was known it wouldn't surprise me that it wouldn't change the minds at all of those who have a negative spin on the program. Others would look at it and say, well I guess I get it, both sides seem to need blame, and others would look at it and say the coaches were right in cutting ties with Eno.

My personal opinion is this isn't much of a loss with Eno. I think it sucks we lost out on 2 very good WR though, which stinks, it is a position of need, and a position we don't recruit well.

This is a message board, not a newspaper. Post your rumors as rumors and stop with the innuendo.

It's not so much that it's this year only. Two years ago, after the facilities were built, Kirk said he would have more time for recruiting. He's gotten worse at it. And he even says it doesn't matter. It does.

You know what it is? Laziness.

 

[Joshbrown]

This is a message board, not a newspaper. Post your rumors as rumors and stop with the innuendo.

It's not so much that it's this year only. Two years ago, after the facilities were built, Kirk said he would have more time for recruiting. He's gotten worse at it. And he even says it doesn't matter. It does.

You know what it is? Laziness.

The staff worked hard to get these guys to verbal. And that work took place before the new contract was signed. After the contract was signed? Start losing games and recruits we shouldn't be losing. This isn't rocket science. When gov't workers are told they can't be fired . . . guess what happens? They show up to work at noon. Work for 40 minutes. Take a two hour lunch. Work for another 40 minutes. Take a 40 minute break. Work another 10 minutes and then go home.

 

[deanvogs]

This is a message board, not a newspaper. Post your rumors as rumors and stop with the innuendo.

It's not so much that it's this year only. Two years ago, after the facilities were built, Kirk said he would have more time for recruiting. He's gotten worse at it. And he even says it doesn't matter. It does.

You know what it is? Laziness.

Seems like you have all the answers already, what do you need me for?

 

[MCHawk]

Why does Holmes go on an official to Iowa then, when he was out the door? Completely curious, did Eno send him on a recon mission? Everything swirling around the Eno friends smells really bad, imagine the toxicity if they all get to a place and he doesn't play. That's how programs dissolve from the inside. To quote Jay-Z "on to the next one.."

 

[Mrke1]

Second school he's walked away from this year.

Would be a valid point, but we're not just talking about a single kid decommiting now are we.

 

[revkev73]

Iowa recruits from Texas are gone because they wanted to visit elsewhere...now Iowa will be digging around the Mid America conference looking for "talent" to come to visit Iowa and commit...how ironic.

 

[ohhawk]

This is a message board, not a newspaper. Post your rumors as rumors and stop with the innuendo.

It's not so much that it's this year only. Two years ago, after the facilities were built, Kirk said he would have more time for recruiting. He's gotten worse at it. And he even says it doesn't matter. It does.

You know what it is? Laziness.

I think Kirk has made it clear in a number of ways over the years that recruiting has not been one of his top priorities or favorite tasks and it shows. It's required more time and energy away from development, practice, game prep, etc........the things he enjoys more about coaching.

 

[STILLBUSTER]

This is one of those times when I look back, shake my head and ask with great regret,
"Why? Why couldn't Jacksonville be a little more aggressive?"
"Hey, Pioli, what the hell went wrong, there, in KC?"
[ SIGH!! ]

 

[seepig]

Well there is NO sign that Kirk is going to change anything. The no visit policy is obviously so they don't have to continue to work to get a kid to sign in Feb. It's obvious by the zero communication from coaches once a kid commits that they just think their job stops. This bunch of losers in recruiting today's kid is amazing. You may not LIKE it as a coach but you better accept it because it's happening around you and to you. Here's more recruiting classes in the 60's people. Kirk is steadfast on bringing you 7 wins a year so his buyout is in tact but he really doesn't want to work that hard to get to 9 or 10 wins on occasion from here on out. Here's to you O Big Dog of the Buyout Gary Barta for setting the bar so low and handing out an extension so long that hell will have to freeze over before we see a Big 10 championship game again!

 

[seepig]

This is sad, who once looked like a program advocate Enos now looks like he may have set back recruiting at Iowa. What's also sad is that only 1 side of the story is getting told so everyone is taking sides with the recruit.

Well is there or isn't there a NO visit policy once someone commits? If this policy is in place then the kid is telling some truth is he not?

 

[seepig]

For some reason Kirk and the boys don't understand that these kids text each other endlessly so right or wrong they are going to bolt in droves once one breaks rank.

 

[HawkeyeWalker]

Well is there or isn't there a NO visit policy once someone commits? If this policy is in place then the kid is telling some truth is he not?

Here's the thing though, aren't the kids aware of the policy before they commit? not saying I agree with the policy or not. Just odd that this kids seemed surprised.

 

[cincyhawk]

Seems like you have all the answers already, what do you need me for?

Dean, I don't have your rumors. Guess - The kid is anti-recruiting Iowa now that they dumped him? I'm shocked.

I know Kirk doesn't like to recruit. I know he likes the kids that make good stories, and he prefers player development. Be a good CEO, then, and hire a recruiting coordinator or a OC/DC that likes to recruit to the whistle. Otherwise you are losing recruits and you have to backfill anyway, which just means even more time doing the thing you don't like to do.

No, I don't think Iowa will ever be a top ten recruiting school. But my expectations are that it be a top 35 recruiting school. My expectations are for it to be a top 25 school year in and year out. That's 8 - 9 wins a season. That's beating everyone but the top two east teams you have to face and losing to one or two of the top west schools. That's being a little better than a sanctioned 65 scholarship, no bowl berth Penn State level of recruiting. I don't think that's too unreasonable.

If I were Barta, the extension would have been written in terms of top 25 finishes. Every year finishing in the top 25 is a 75 percent year on the contact buyout, plus bonus money and raises for coordinators. Top 20, 85 percent and more bonus. Top 15 100 percent and more bonus.

 

[blubberhawk]

I think Kirk has made it clear in a number of ways over the years that recruiting has not been one of his top priorities or favorite tasks and it shows. It's required more time and energy away from development, practice, game prep, etc........the things he enjoys more about coaching.

Game prep is a funny one. Just exactly what is it that he changes from game to game? Certainly not enough that it should take away from recruiting.

 

[cincyhawk]

Game prep is a funny one. Just exactly what is it that he changes from game to game? Certainly not enough that it should take away from recruiting.

They work very hard to recognize things on defense. They make adjustments on the line all the time. The backs ate working on picking up the routes of blitzes that week's defense is going top give you, etc. There is a ton done every week just to gain 250 yards in this type of offense. When execution has to be perfect to work, you have to practice our perfectly hundreds of times.

 

[blubberhawk]

I can tell you missed Brian Kelly's pressers where he said they don't care about vacating wins.

MSU is having a down year after many years of national relevance. Not just one fluke year.

Texas is firing their staff because they boosters and fans don't settle for mediocrity.

Any coach that can have 3 consecutive losing seasons at a school like Texas should not have a job anywhere. He had a team full of 4 and 5 star recruits and coaches in the worst Power 5 conference in the country.
Mediocrity is hardly the word to describe the past 3 seasons at Texas..

Notre Dame is a cesspool and a sham of a program. Another school that gets their pick of recruits and underperforms most of the time. Kelly doesn't care about the vacated wins. Are they going to take away his paychecks for that season? Just like Ferentz, he has his school over a barrel. He wins and he makes big money. He loses and he makes big money. He gets fired, he makes big money.

And MSU? They have had a few years of National relevance. I would hardly call it "many". How would you define "National Relevance"? Top 10 in the country? Top 5? Iowa has 5 top 10 finishes in the past 16 years. MSU is probably in that neighborhood also.

 

[blubberhawk]

They work very hard to recognize things on defense. They make adjustments on the line all the time. The backs ate working on picking up the routes of blitzes that week's defense is going top give you, etc. There is a ton done every week just to gain 250 yards in this type of offense. When execution has to be perfect to work, you have to practice our perfectly hundreds of times.

Ok, you have one night of practice covered. What do they do the rest of the week? My God, we should have our 3 running plays down pretty well by now.

 

[dwghawk]

And the band played on.

 

[seepig]

Here's the thing though, aren't the kids aware of the policy before they commit? not saying I agree with the policy or not. Just odd that this kids seemed surprised.

That I agree with. IF true about coaches DCing communication once committed I think part of the issue is that coaches still come after them and offer them the world so then they want to go see if the grass is greener. I think expecting kids to act like 40 year olds when people are throwing themselves at the kids trying to get them on campus is a little much.