I just don't get it

[cibula11]

I don't have the time, but off the top of my head I'm guessing that most teams don't find the "diamond in the rough" coach after firing their previous coach. Seems like more times than not, programs/fans, etc. get really fickle with coaches, but hiring new ones don't pan out.

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

So what is your plan? Fire a guy whenever he only wins 7 games? Even if $20M is owed him? In 2009, we won the Orange Bowl. Would you have fired him after 2010? 2011?

The stupidity on these boards is awesome.

No your stupidity is awesome. If he can only get 7 win talent then fine. Hes shown that he has better talent than that. See NFL. If KF didnt lose to the worst teams in the country every year then he would not have 7 win seasons.

Kirk is a horrible game day coach. He has had enough talent to win more games. He is now digging a huge hole for the program. Recruits will start decomitting. Also there are a lot of athletes that dont want to play boring try not to lose football. Barta started to dig this hole with the contract. So get ready for awful football.

There is nothing you can say that shows Kirk is a good coach worthy of coaching for this amount of money at Iowa. Every year Kirk shows that he and his staff have one of the most boring ineffective game plans.

 

[patmyne]

This is why I only get on this board once or twice a year. Because morons like IC Hawk like to say idiotic things like calling me a loser because of the town I live in. Get with the program you half wit.

So you come on when things are bad, but hang in the weeds til then? Also responding to an "idiot" by acting like an "idiot" will not help you get your point across. Now carry on...

 

[Sparky]

Kirk has an overall record at Iowa of 98-68. His conference record is 57-47. Stats wise he's not the greatest coach.

 

[TMel]

Maybe Iowa should get rid of Barta, put Kirk in as AD (since he is such a good personnel guy), and bring in some new youngbloods in as OC and DC.

 

[DJL]

Maybe Iowa should get rid of Barta, put Kirk in as AD (since he is such a good personnel guy), and bring in some new youngbloods in as OC and DC.

If KF were the AD, he would just bring someone in who would run the team just like he does. See new OC and DC as examples.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

Iowa is lucky to have a coach the calibre of Kirk Ferentz. 3 top-10 rankings in the final polls, an Orange Bowl win, 2 Big 10 titles. What other coach is going to get these results at Iowa? Remember what happened to the basketball program when Tom Davis was run out of town?

Kirk has....and deserves...to be Iowa's head coach as long as he wants.

The vast majority of the accolades you mention occurred nearly a decade ago. I'll grant you the BCS win in 2009, but since 2004, what else has he done? I mean REALLY done that makes us relevant outside the state of Iowa? Wins in the Outback Bowl and Insight Bowl are well and good, but I don't think it's debateable that the first half of KF's tenure is FAR better than the second half.

And the part in bold above is where you're wrong. KF doesn't deserve a free pass just because. If he is winning, that's one thing. I'll even extend him a little good will for the 2009 season, which is the ONLY reason I too am not calling for his head right now. But since 2009, we've seen two 7-5 regular seasons, and this season, 7-5 looks like it would be a miracle. KF has to get it turned around. He's used all his "get out of jail free" cards with me, unless he gets us back into a the Top 25 or better at the END of a season a time or two here soon.

 

[AdamHawk]

How many bad seasons? How many games lost to bottom feeder programs is it going to take? We stink, so that's awesome that you are good with going to the Insight Bowl every year. That attitude is what is going to help make us completely miss a bowl game this year. I don't even get excited for Iowa football anymore because I know they will just completely disappoint everyone.

How many times have we been to the Insight Bowl? I understand that you think 7 wins is a bad season but what are you looking for? Do you want the results that Jim Tressel brought to OSU? Heck, maybe he would take KF's job if we offered him. Or maybe you would be happier with Mark Dantonio. I understand you want a dynasty here at Iowa (we all do) but you do have to be a little realistic. Is it really that bad being competitive every year and occasionally having a shot at a great season? We all knew we were going to take our lumps this year with KF's youngest team yet and 2 new coordinators but there's no reason to have a meltdown. I guarantee nobody on the staff, the players and even us level-headed fans who are okay with KF are content with 'bad seasons' or are more worried about who goes to the NFL. Just relax a little bit kiddo, the man hasn't forgotten how to coach. Go watch the basketball team for the rest of this season and come back next year (if you want, I don't care).

 

[1977Hawkeye]

How many times have we been to the Insight Bowl? I understand that you think 7 wins is a bad season but what are you looking for? Do you want the results that Jim Tressel brought to OSU? Heck, maybe he would take KF's job if we offered him. Or maybe you would be happier with Mark Dantonio. I understand you want a dynasty here at Iowa (we all do) but you do have to be a little realistic. Is it really that bad being competitive every year and occasionally having a shot at a great season? We all knew we were going to take our lumps this year with KF's youngest team yet and 2 new coordinators but there's no reason to have a meltdown. I guarantee nobody on the staff, the players and even us level-headed fans who are okay with KF are content with 'bad seasons' or are more worried about who goes to the NFL. Just relax a little bit kiddo, the man hasn't forgotten how to coach. Go watch the basketball team for the rest of this season and come back next year (if you want, I don't care).

I'm not answering for dob, but speaking for myself, if Mark Dantonio would bring the type of results that MSU has started to get under his coaching, then yes, I would be happier with that. I don't care if he is a "jerk" or whatever, I want a coach that gives us the best chance at winning.

And regarding if it's that bad being competetive with a chance at great every so often, it depends on how you define "competetive". If you mean 7-5 type seasons, ok, it could be worse I guess. But my viewpoint is that 7-5 is only a single win removed from not even having a winning record (6-6). It's losing nearly as much as you're winning. I'm not sure how competetive I call that, but going 7-5 most years does nothing for me at all in terms of excitement. It's just average.

But regardless, I've said it before, if KF would stop losing the games he should win (Minnesota, NW, ISU, CMU, etc.) then those games are the difference between 9-3 and 7-5. 9-3 I would be happy with. 7-5 I am not, particularly when we have the talent to go 9-3 or better.

 

[SixAMtailgate]

At least we can look forward to Basketball season. Thank God we have that program moving in the right direction.

So if Fran goes 16-15 this year......does he get the boot?

 

[TMel]

If KF were the AD, he would just bring someone in who would run the team just like he does. See new OC and DC as examples.

Unfortunately, I think you're right. Just thinking of a positive end for a nice guy but a bad game-day coach.

 

[DJL]

I understand all of the KF support. He's done some amazing things at Iowa. I certainly wouldn't have fired him after last season, although in my opinion, the team underperformed in back to back years. However, this year the team is finding new lows. It's time to start thinking about the future. Is this program set up to be successful in 1 year, 2 years, ever? It seems that this particular down cycle will not end any time soon. How far down does the program have to fall before something is done about it? I hope, as much or more than anyone that this team improves and surprises us all by winning 6 or 7 games. I just don't see it happening, and next year looks like it won't be much better. If Iowa keeps putting up boring subpar seasons year after year, we will lose recruits, we keep losing recruits, we go back to the turn of the century and pray more Bob Sanders and Dallas Clarks come around. With all the resources this program has, we should never get to that point again.

 

[hawkfan33]

The vast majority of the accolades you mention occurred nearly a decade ago. I'll grant you the BCS win in 2009, but since 2004, what else has he done? I mean REALLY done that makes us relevant outside the state of Iowa? Wins in the Outback Bowl and Insight Bowl are well and good, but I don't think it's debateable that the first half of KF's tenure is FAR better than the second half.

And the part in bold above is where you're wrong. KF doesn't deserve a free pass just because. If he is winning, that's one thing. I'll even extend him a little good will for the 2009 season, which is the ONLY reason I too am not calling for his head right now. But since 2009, we've seen two 7-5 regular seasons, and this season, 7-5 looks like it would be a miracle. KF has to get it turned around. He's used all his "get out of jail free" cards with me, unless he gets us back into a the Top 25 or better at the END of a season a time or two here soon.

Two top 25 finishes in 8 years is not impressive (we are not going to finish this year ranked). 8 years is not a small sample size either, but ever since his great 3 year run, that is all KF has been able to accomplish. In my opinion we should be in the Top 25 at least every other year. I don't expect to be top 10 but top 15-25 is not unreasonable. Wisconsin has 6 top 25 finishes in the past 7 years, there's no reason we shouldn't be on the same level as them.

Ferentz also missed a great shot at establishing the program at a time when the B10 was wide open. Michigan was at an all time low, PSU was being held back by employing an 80 year old figure head as head coach, Ohio St. had a coach who was just as conservative as Kurt and didn't take advantage of his talent advantage. If there ever was a time for Iowa to become a top level B10 program this was it, and despite having as much or more NFL talent than any other B10 program over this time period, KF wasn't able to take advantage of it.

 

[hawkfan33]

So if Fran goes 16-15 this year......does he get the boot?

Nah, but if he does that in his 14th year with the program on a definite downhill slide? Then it should be discussed.

 

[bcl20]

My thoughts used to be "the lowest Ferentz is going to get us is a .500 record and the highest is BCS bowls and conference championships" and I'm not convinced we'll get someone who is better that (that's pretty damn good by the way)

The problem is, I don't want to see the lowest consistently At this point, since 2004 we have seen barely .500 teams more than we've seen teams that compete for championships, or at least good bowl games like in 2008. I'm not one to get too passionate about firing a coach, never have (but I do get excited with change) and, while, I could easily see Iowa being a good team again, I wouldn't be disappointed with a change (I don't think said change will happen though)

 

[DJL]

My thoughts used to be "the lowest Ferentz is going to get us is a .500 record and the highest is BCS bowls and conference championships" and I'm not convinced we'll get someone who is better that (that's pretty damn good by the way)

We might start seeing below .500 records this year. Not sure I can find 4 wins on this schedule of crappy teams, and if by some miracle that does happen, the bowl game probably won't be pretty.

 

[bcl20]

Wouldn't surprise me if we were. I'm not expecting it until it happens though. We've been a 6-7 loss team at worse every years since 2000. That would be incredible and awesome if it weren't for the fact that most of those years we had exactly 6 or 7 losses. Mediocrity gets kind of boring after a few seasons.

Maybe a ****** season will spice things up a bit.

 

[CAARHawk]

The problem is, I don't want to see the lowest consistently At this point, since 2004 we have seen barely .500 teams more than we've seen teams that compete for championships, or at least good bowl games like in 2008.

LMFAO!

Thank you for making my point regarding the creative record keeping. Why on earth would you identify this stretch? 2004 until 2012? Well, let's see KF goes 3 years 7 wins or under, 3 years 8 wins or over. In 2004 he ended a 3 year 8 or over run. So, if I start there, then I get one and a half down cycles and only one up cycle. See, that will show he sucks.

Never mind three straight bowl victories against the SEC, B12 and an Orange Bowl victory! Those are just blips.

I am sorry if some of you were too stupid to see the writing on the wall and you invested too much during a down time. But, it was pretty obvious this was going to happen, just like it is completely reasonable to believe the last two strong recruiting classes will result in another upswing in 2014 at the latest.

Now, if that upswing doesn't happen, then start talking about trends. Because it will indicate something is different. If he actually gets things changed for next year, he will actually be showing historic improvement.

 

[IowaFan81]

If KF averaged a 8-4 or 9-3 record, but under the same circumstances, would you all call for his dismissal? He's the same coach and the same things happen every year, yet when he wins nobody complains. Why not, maybe he shouldn't have lost those 3 games like they did. Most fans call for changes when a team loses, but when a team wins, but everything is the same nobody says anything. Everyone focuses on the losses that Iowa should lose, but nobody has said anything about the wins that Iowa shouldn't win. Usually Iowa loses a game they shouldn't, but they counter it with a win they shouldn't win. It sucks what is happening this year, but we all knew it coming in since we have 2 new coordinators (the first in KF's tenure) and are very young. We all understand that everyone wants to win all the time, but give it a year or two with new guys in place. We all had to live through Alford then Lickliter years with basketball, do you want that to happen with football?

 

[DJL]

LMFAO!

Thank you for making my point regarding the creative record keeping. Why on earth would you identify this stretch? 2004 until 2012? Well, let's see KF goes 3 years 7 wins or under, 3 years 8 wins or over. In 2004 he ended a 3 year 8 or over run. So, if I start there, then I get one and a half down cycles and only one up cycle. See, that will show he sucks.

Never mind three straight bowl victories against the SEC, B12 and an Orange Bowl victory! Those are just blips.

I am sorry if some of you were too stupid to see the writing on the wall and you invested too much during a down time. But, it was pretty obvious this was going to happen, just like it is completely reasonable to believe the last two strong recruiting classes will result in another upswing in 2014 at the latest.

Now, if that upswing doesn't happen, then start talking about trends. Because it will indicate something is different. If he actually gets things changed for next year, he will actually be showing historic improvement.

My concern is that in 2010, there was enough talent, coupled with a leauge that was down a little bit to avoid a "down cycle" and win 8 or 9 games. Same thing in 2011. However, the team underperformed, and now the "down cycle" is as low as it's been in awhile. I hope you're right, I hope things get better, but I fear that this down cycle might be the one KF can't recover from. Things change, and cycles are broken. We had a chance to break the cycle the last 2 years and didn't do it, now things are turning the wrong way.