Howe: It’s Brian Ferentz’s Time to Be Iowa’s Offensive Coordinator

It wouldn't take much to take our philosophy and make it into a Wisconsin/Michigan type of offense. Remember that BF is good friend with O'Brien, and worked with him at New England when he was the OC. O'Brien did well at Penn St. with a pro style with Hackenberg at QB, and Franklin could do shat with Hackenberg at QB.

There a lots of good pro style offenses out there, we just didn't have one under Greg Davis.
It's the right style for the Big ten and the right style for an Iowa team. It was not the right style for Greg Davis. I still don't get how that relationship was ever concocted
 
Why do people keep saying "Brian may be only one who can talk Kirk out of....." or override his decisions?

First of all, that shows we have a coach who's out of touch and doesn't listen.

Second, what evidence do we have that Brian even disagrees with his dad? Do I think the staff is happy with the offense, no.

The offense hasn't gotten any better since Brian has been here. So that tells me either Das isn't listening to anyone, including his son. Or the staff agrees with this philosophy

Brian did make some changes to the running game. Small tweaks that were important. But F me, where was Brian on every god damn 3rd and short when we ran into 10 man fronts with Daniels?

You mean to tell me Brian thought that was a good idea.....the 30x it got stuffed for a loss?

This still shows the lack of creativity and adaptability of our head coach. And if his son, who was in charge of the running game couldn't convince Greg Davis and his dad to quit being so predictable, then what real hope do we have with Brian as OC?

I will say that even if the offense could have ranked 70th - 80th we probably win the division again.

But hey, why score more points and risk a turnover? We won 8 games with one of the worst offenses ever at Iowa
 
No, and his son has no business being the OC. What the hell has he done? Daddy got him a job with Belichek and the Pats. Wow. KF needs to go. He can't recruit, his son can't recruit, and that is where it all begins. Talent. You trot out a bunch of 2 stars and walk ons at WR and it doesn't matter what schemes you run. This was the plan all along though. Daddy could get his kid in there as OC as soon as Davis retired, then groom him to be the head coach when he finally retires. What a joke this program has become.
So who do you prefer? Do you prefer a young hungry type or a Charlie Weiss, Cam Cameron type of retread that's been around forever with a resume. But they'd have no skin in the game. They don't care about the school just the pay check they'd be getting. Brian remember grew up in IC. Graduated a Hawkeye. Have you watched him on the sidelines. He's not his Dad. He gets fired up both good and bad. I sincerely think giving a crap is 3/4ths of it. I don't think Davis cared enough to stand up to Kirk when it came to calling plays. He was just happy to have a gig. Brian is hungry he wants to not only do well for Iowa but show what he's made of himself and climb the ladder. He can have difficult conversations with KF that others wouldn't dare. There's been younger just as inexperienced coaches in positions like this do well. I think he'd be a perfect fit
 
So who do you prefer? Do you prefer a young hungry type or a Charlie Weiss, Cam Cameron type of retread that's been around forever with a resume. But they'd have no skin in the game. They don't care about the school just the pay check they'd be getting. Brian remember grew up in IC. Graduated a Hawkeye. Have you watched him on the sidelines. He's not his Dad. He gets fired up both good and bad. I sincerely think giving a crap is 3/4ths of it. I don't think Davis cared enough to stand up to Kirk when it came to calling plays. He was just happy to have a gig. Brian is hungry he wants to not only do well for Iowa but show what he's made of himself and climb the ladder. He can have difficult conversations with KF that others wouldn't dare. There's been younger just as inexperienced coaches in positions like this do well. I think he'd be a perfect fit

That's great. Let's see him put together a passing scheme, let's see him teach QBs, let's see him coach WRs and their footwork, route depth, etc....The UofI rara shit is great, but can we go get someone who actually has had success and experience doing these things. This is a OC job for one of the top half Big 10 programs, go get someone to run this offense instead of a fn learn on the job experiment.
 
That's great. Let's see him put together a passing scheme, let's see him teach QBs, let's see him coach WRs and their footwork, route depth, etc....The UofI rara shit is great, but can we go get someone who actually has had success and experience doing these things. This is a OC job for one of the top half Big 10 programs, go get someone to run this offense instead of a fn learn on the job experiment.
We just did that.... Look what that got us... Look they are expanding coaching staffs so they can hire another person. I say for the passing game/WR side of things they look for another person to help him with just that. I think Kennedy should be looking for another gig too.
Lavar Woods is has been coaching the TEs... He was a LB forever and a LB coach till a year or so ago when they flipped him to TE coach. I don't remember anyone saying what gives to that. I'm not saying it's the same thing by any means but experience isn't the end all be all of everything. Brian has been around football his whole life.
 
If Brian was currently the oline coach at another school, with the exact same resume, but his last name wasn't Ferentz....how many of you pro-Brian people would have him on your candidate list?

Making Brian the OC just because his last name is Ferentz is a BIG mistake.
 
If Brian was currently the oline coach at another school, with the exact same resume, but his last name wasn't Ferentz....how many of you pro-Brian people would have him on your candidate list?

Making Brian the OC just because his last name is Ferentz is a BIG mistake.

Agree.

I think it would be awesome if we could find a coach who is experienced at developing QBs, like that's what they're known for. Granted the next OC isn't going to change the scheme too much, but I'm sick of our Senior QBs looking different than before. Greg Davis turned two Junior QBs who had great seasons (JVB passing, CJB with his moxie) and ruined them.

We need someone who will turn around the passing game. Maybe Brian can/will (if hired), but if we go outside the staff, then I want someone with those credentials
 
Iowa wins 20 games the last two seasons and the name "Ferentz" is dragged through the mud, as if it were synonymous with "loser" by so many Hawk fans. Imagine if Brian does get the gig. We struggle on offense and the amount of vitriol towards the Ferentzes would increase two-fold.

It might just be in the best interest of the University of Iowa, the fans and the Ferentz family that he takes a coordinator gig elsewhere.
 
Just what I want. Another OLine coach in a offensive coordinator position. Because linemen excite young skilled RBs, qbs, and receivers so much.

Let's put in the Notre Dame offense from 1945 while we're at it.

Rob,

What credentials does Brian Ferentz actually have -- do you think he could be the offensive coordinator here for three years and be ready to head coach a team like Miami of Ohio, Western Michigan, Houston, or Boise State? The run game hasn't veen tops in the league while he's been the running game coordinator. The line pass blocking has regressed.

If he wasn't named Ferentz he wouldn't be considered for the job.
 
Iowa wins 20 games the last two seasons and the name "Ferentz" is dragged through the mud, as if it were synonymous with "loser" by so many Hawk fans. Imagine if Brian does get the gig. We struggle on offense and the amount of vitriol towards the Ferentzes would increase two-fold.

It might just be in the best interest of the University of Iowa, the fans and the Ferentz family that he takes a coordinator gig elsewhere.
Don't go away mad, just go away...
 
I see people attacking Rob for his opinion. I'd like nothing more than a rising oc who thinks outside the box but if anybody believes we're going to get someone like that is in denial about what Iowa/Kirk Ferentz is. I'd say the odds are 10-1 that Brian will be the new oc. It's been in the works for years. If Brian is the new oc at least I believe we start using tight ends like we used to and maybe a few more passes downfield.
 
It's my opinion and I stated the reasons why I feel that way in my column. I don't expect others to agree and with the amount of venom spewed at KF on this board, repeatedly, by the same group of posters, I certainly expected blowback on my opinion.

I stand by my opinion for the reasons I've stated. Brian came here with no experience coaching the offensive line. He was a tight ends coach in the NFL. He's done pretty well coaching his position. And then he added the running game to his plate and that has done well. You don't need a guy who's done the job before or there would never be any new offensive coordinators. We'd just recycle the others.

Guys move up the ladder like this all the time. He's handicapped around here because his name is Ferentz. If he was Nick Saban's kid who just coached the OL to the Joe Moore award at Alabama (with much more blue blood talent, mind you) not as many people would be opposed to him being the new OC here. See. It cuts both ways.
 
Regardless of his potential ability, this is nepotism. Brian does not have the credentials yet to fill the void. This is a public university and under due process.

Rob, it's the kind of thing that allows Penn States to happen. No real accountability. Very little transparency if this happens. Media can't/won't ask hard questions due to fear of being kept out of the circle.

There is something that is very wrong with a program that allows a QB to be abused like we saw over the season, culminating in the Outback.

Google Rhabdo and see how many other universities come up.

Just plain a bad idea.

As per you recent comment, you can do a little better. You just lumped those who disagree with KF with those over the top spewing venom. It doesn't take a genius to know something is wrong with Iowa football and it's not just Greg Davis.

BF hurt by being Ferentz? You think he was going to play P5 anywhere else? You think the name has helped him get though the heaps?

Abuse happens when people sit back and do nothing. If he's hired, the amount of accountability will get worse.

Iowa has 2 abusive coaches with the main sports with wildly different styles. What happened to CJ was abuse.
 
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That's great. Let's see him put together a passing scheme, let's see him teach QBs, let's see him coach WRs and their footwork, route depth, etc....The UofI rara shit is great, but can we go get someone who actually has had success and experience doing these things. This is a OC job for one of the top half Big 10 programs, go get someone to run this offense instead of a fn learn on the job experiment.

Many OC's have QB coaches and WR coaches for technique. And Brian will need them both, IF he's OC. OC should be a schemes, personnel, and play call guy, using input from assistants and position coaches.

While many OC's did coach QB, RB, WR in the past, it sounds as though many think this is where most OC's have expertise...not sure that's true.

I don't know if BF is gonna get the OC gig, and honestly, I have no idea if he'd be great if he does. But I do think there's logical reasons that it might work out.

There's others, mentioned, that I would like as well.

That said, I do believe there wouldn't be as much issue if the same resume and experience was hired as OC, if the last name wasn't Ferentz.
 
The media doesn't ask hard questions because it's afraid of retribution is just a tired, tired take. And you're going WAY overboard comparing the hiring of an offensive coordinator to what happened at Penn State. Way overboard.

They're not just going to hand the job to Brian. They'll open up the job, receive applications and go through the process. If the guy who runs the program, who is here for the foreseeable future whether you like it or not, thinks the best man is his son, he will hire him. If not, he'll hire someone else.

I'll Google the Rhabdo case and see how many cases I come up with. You Google academic fraud and other NCAA violations and see if Iowa pops up.
 
If Brian was currently the oline coach at another school, with the exact same resume, but his last name wasn't Ferentz....how many of you pro-Brian people would have him on your candidate list?

Making Brian the OC just because his last name is Ferentz is a BIG mistake.

Just like now, that candidate wouldn't be at the top of my list. But still a solid resume, and the NE connection would excite folks.

That said, using your example of an unknown name, the anti-Ferentz crowd wouldnt be quite so loud either.
 
We just did that.... Look what that got us... Look they are expanding coaching staffs so they can hire another person. I say for the passing game/WR side of things they look for another person to help him with just that. I think Kennedy should be looking for another gig too.
Lavar Woods is has been coaching the TEs... He was a LB forever and a LB coach till a year or so ago when they flipped him to TE coach. I don't remember anyone saying what gives to that. I'm not saying it's the same thing by any means but experience isn't the end all be all of everything. Brian has been around football his whole life.

Then shame on kirk for hiring davis and taking 5 seasons to realize he'd made a mistake; a mistake most fans realized in year one and a mistake JVB realized game one. So, you now feel kirk hiring brian is a good decision because kirk makes good OC decisions after 5 continuous bad decsions to hire davis and then not get rid of him?
 
The media doesn't ask hard questions because it's afraid of retribution is just a tired, tired take. And you're going WAY overboard comparing the hiring of an offensive coordinator to what happened at Penn State. Way overboard.

They're not just going to hand the job to Brian. They'll open up the job, receive applications and go through the process. If the guy who runs the program, who is here for the foreseeable future whether you like it or not, thinks the best man is his son, he will hire him. If not, he'll hire someone else.

I'll Google the Rhabdo case and see how many cases I come up with. You Google academic fraud and other NCAA violations and see if Iowa pops up.

and media can be an outlet to take the pulse on a given topic. Rob, i respect your work and i know you have a lot of knowledge and insight of the UofI, but when I saw your article, that tells me it's already brian. i could be wrong.
 
Regardless of his potential ability, this is nepotism. Brian does not have the credentials yet to fill the void. This is a public university and under due process.

Rob, it's the kind of thing that allows Penn States to happen. No real accountability. Very little transparency if this happens. Media can't/won't ask hard questions due to fear of being kept out of the circle.

There is something that is very wrong with a program that allows a QB to be abused like we saw over the season, culminating in the Outback.

Google Rhabdo and see how many other universities come up.

Just plain a bad idea.

As per you recent comment, you can do a little better. You just lumped those who disagree with KF with those over the top spewing venom. It doesn't take a genius to know something is wrong with Iowa football and it's not just Greg Davis.

BF hurt by being Ferentz? You think he was going to play P5 anywhere else? You think the name has helped him get though the heaps?

Abuse happens when people sit back and do nothing. If he's hired, the amount of accountability will get worse.

Iowa has 2 abusive coaches with the main sports with wildly different styles. What happened to CJ was abuse.

Nepotism does happen, all the time, everywhere. Almost every company I've worked for has it, I've even benefited from it at times, and been angered by it others.

Drawing a connection between Iowa's situation and what happened at PSU is beyond reaching though, it's insulting, and inaccurate.

CJ was not abused, to say otherwise is ridiculous. He absolutely should have been pulled out of the game, but he wasn't being forced to play, he was demanding to play, and while he shouda have been told no, for the team's best interest, to say it was abuse is this victim mentality that gets talked about these days. And it's horseshite.
 
Brian will be the oc and we'll here how it provides the smoothest transition to a new oc and that it keeps our recruits at home. Kirk is conservative. He's not going to gamble on a new guy who might change everything when he has Brian to keep things relatively similar to what's always been done. I'll be interested to see who interviews but in the end we all know who's going to be the oc.
 

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