I must be out of my mind, but why in the heck if Kirk Ferentz so untouchable?

[KnightHawk9]

To whom are you comparing us? The all-time win% for the Iowa Hawkeyes is 53%. Under Hayden Fry it was 62%. Under Kirk Ferentz it's 59%.

Non-rhetorical question: What makes you believe Iowa has the potential to be better than those numbers?

So we should stop trying to do better?! That's the attitude that bring perpetual mediocrity to the forefront. Go away troll

I absolutely want to do better. My question remains: What makes Iowa so special that you think we can do better. I'm not asking rhetorically. I'm saying that 120 football teams and fans want to win more games. Why do you think we can do it better than them?

 

[SpiderRico]

I absolutely want to do better. My question remains: What makes Iowa so special that you think we can do better. I'm not asking rhetorically. I'm saying that 120 football teams and fans want to win more games. Why do you think we can do it better than them?

This is why:

1. We have the 15th largest athletic dept revenue in the country.
2. We are willing to pay our head football coach top 10 money
3. Our facilities are now in the top tier of the country
4. We have some of the best fans in the entire country

So we don't have mountains or oceans....big deal. Neither does Manhattan, Kansas, neither does Norman, Oklahoma, neither does Columbus, Ohio, neither does Boise, Idaho (well, they might have a few mountains ).

Bottom line is that we have the money, facilities and fans in place. All we need is a head coach who understands how to sell that and who understands what it takes to win consistently.

 

[HawkU]

I absolutely want to do better. My question remains: What makes Iowa so special that you think we can do better. I'm not asking rhetorically. I'm saying that 120 football teams and fans want to win more games. Why do you think we can do it better than them?

Let's look at Kansas State. Before Snyder's first tenure they were 299-510 (.370) in 93 years of play, which was easily the most losses of any team in Division I-A at the time. The school had been to only one bowl game (the 1982 Independence Bowl), had not won a conference title since 1934 and had enjoyed four winning seasons in the previous 44 years (including two in the previous 34 years). The program had also gone winless in 27 consecutive games.

When he left his record with them was 136–68–1(.666) That's what I call a culture change.

Do you think K-State has more, less, or the same advantages as Iowa?

Personally I doubt more. So how did Snyder turn a door mat into a door knocker?

 

[HomerChampless]

(1) the buyout
(2) majority of fans who refuse to put KF on a hotseat
(3) Barta
(4) major-money athletic supporters of the football program (intentional)

EDIT: Responding to Knighthawk9's question of the need for Iowa
be better, I say: KH9 is an example of the group listed in number 2. Ironically, some posters who refuse to put pressure on KF put all kinds of pressure on O'Keefe.
Maybe it's a lovers of defense thing?

I want Iowa to be better. Offense and defense.

 

[BigD]

As toez said, you do have to factor in the whole package. Iowa student athlete graduation is 77%, which is 12 points higher then the national avg. The football program has a grad success rate of 82 and the national avg is 68.

That is impressive and should be something to be proud of. I am sure a lot of effort went into getting those numbers that high. Now that they are that high can we please use some of that focus and effort on having a winning program?

Those numbers and on field performance seem to indicate Iowa would fit right in with an Ivy League school. KF's salary would also fit in with some of the salaries of the top Ivy League grads. Not sure how that ranks with the average income per household in Iowa? What's that about $40,000?

 

[alexzelada]

I absolutely want to do better. My question remains: What makes Iowa so special that you think we can do better. I'm not asking rhetorically. I'm saying that 120 football teams and fans want to win more games. Why do you think we can do it better than them?

In 1961 I'm sure there were hundreds of nations wanting to become so wealthy they could fight a war and create a moon-landing program at the same time. But only one nation did it. Why? Resources. The Hawkeyes have more resources than 100 other FBS programs. Why do you think we've leapfrogged teams like Penn State (11) and Michigan (05) and Northwestern in the bowl pecking order in the last decade? Ever notice how the Hawkeye message boards are busier than most others? Ever notice how Iowa was able to make Alford and Ferentz two of the highest paid coaches in their respective sport? Our fans are obsessive in a unique way.

Resources.

 

[hawkforlife9]

Capt. has pictures of Barta. He'll probably get an extension adding another $10M to the buyout.

 

[seepig]

This is why:

1. We have the 15th largest athletic dept revenue in the country.
2. We are willing to pay our head football coach top 10 money
3. Our facilities are now in the top tier of the country
4. We have some of the best fans in the entire country

So we don't have mountains or oceans....big deal. Neither does Manhattan, Kansas, neither does Norman, Oklahoma, neither does Columbus, Ohio, neither does Boise, Idaho (well, they might have a few mountains ).

Bottom line is that we have the money, facilities and fans in place. All we need is a head coach who understands how to sell that and who understands what it takes to win consistently.

Thank you at least someone on this post has some smarts. Knighthawk the obvious answer is BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE IT BEFORE..that's why. Fry and Ferentz have proven you can win in Iowa City so, falling to the basement isn't acceptable. It's real simple sluggo. What's Kirk's JOB? Win football games PERIOD! If he can't do that consistently then it's time for a change. Other posts have stated the real reason why he's not going anywhere for a few years $20M Greenbacks baby!

 

[J10Hawk]

I must be out of my mind, but why in the heck is Kirk Ferentz so untouchable?

He absolutely has not produced results to have this kind of job security. This will make 3 bad seasons in a row. At any other major D-1 school, he would be fired after this season, but not at Iowa! All this tells me is that Gary Barta and the athletic department think that our football program is so horrible, that Kirk taking us to an average 7-5 record most seasons is an amazing feat. I will always love and support the Hawkeyes, but it's hard to be proud of this program any longer. What other profession and at what other university could you be this average and be a legend???? Only at Iowa! We are very close to becoming another Illinois or Indiana, just another meaningless Big Ten program.

You do understand we ARE Iowa right? We aren't OSU, Florida, Alabama and likely never will be. we'll never win 10 -11 games on a consistent basis. on average since Fry got here we've been an 8 win team. I think that extremist fans forget that point. I'm just as mad as anyone about this season, but think about it. Iowa was dog poo before Fry got here. He turned us into mildly relevant. Kirk saved the ship from completely sinking when he got here and has done it with teams that overachieve. We rarely, if ever, have a team full of truly dominant athletes. We are Iowa, we all want to be a top tier team. It's just really tough to get to that point.

 

[1st]

Maybe Barta gets a kickback!

 

[dobhawk43]

The Kirk Ferentz situation reminds me of someone spending 300k and getting a beat up trailor for it. When you spend that kind of money, you should be getting a very nice home with a lot of upgrades. Essentially, we are getting ripped off.

This obviously isn't going to get better anytime soon. Barta needs to start working on getting the money together for a buyout or handle in like KOK and tell him behind closed doors to go find another job.

 

[DTF]

As toez said, you do have to factor in the whole package. Iowa student athlete graduation is 77%, which is 12 points higher then the national avg. The football program has a grad success rate of 82 and the national avg is 68.

That is impressive and should be something to be proud of. I am sure a lot of effort went into getting those numbers that high. Now that they are that high can we please use some of that focus and effort on having a winning program?

Let's make him the team mentor, not coach.

 

[kameltoez102]

Let's make him the team mentor, not coach.

This may not be too far of in the horizon. I cannot remember the interview but I believe Ferentz said that would be his type of dream job. To be around the game and be an adviser (in the interview I think he meant at the NFL level). I just can't put my finger on the inconsistency and I do not blame the coach for all of it either.

 

[tksirius]

Well, once we stop paying Todd, we'll have a little more cash on hand for a buyout.

 

[seepig]

I love it people are talking graduation rates on a football forum. Are u kidding me!!!!!!! He is paid to win footfreakingball games people. The graduation rate is a side dish!

 

[seepig]

Let's make him the team mentor, not coach.

+1. You are exactly right.

 

[olddude]

I love it people are talking graduation rates on a football forum. Are u kidding me!!!!!!! He is paid to win footfreakingball games people. The graduation rate is a side dish!

Remind me to never let you around my kids. It is his job to win ball games, but it is his job to care for these kids as well. When you sit in someones living room, what do you say? I can get your kid to win ball games but after that he is on his own? Another thing is it his job to donate and be so involved with the childrens hospital?
I am as upset as anyone with the W/L, but I am not willing to throw anyone under the bus just yet. That solves nothing.

 

[seepig]

Remind me to never let you around my kids. It is his job to win ball games, but it is his job to care for these kids as well. When you sit in someones living room, what do you say? I can get your kid to win ball games but after that he is on his own? Another thing is it his job to donate and be so involved with the childrens hospital?
I am as upset as anyone with the W/L, but I am not willing to throw anyone under the bus just yet. That solves nothing.

First OLD DUPE I was a college athlete myself I know the recruiting gig. I never suggested we forget about the care of the young men or women that make up the athletic teams. Go support Harvard or Yale if you don't think it's about W's. You are as naive as you are old. I'm not even assaulting KF's character I think he's a great Dad, probably a Great husband, probably a Great Teacher. Never said he wasn't any of those things. But read the title of the thread gimp. We are talking about coaching PERFORMANCE here not your feel good namby pamby crap. Also, as I've posted numerous times I think he deserves 2 more seasons. Kaczinski did us NO favors before he left for Nebraska so I get that. But NO ONE deserves a lifetime contract if they are not performing NO ONE. Sorry we disagree on this one.

 

[olddude]

First OLD DUPE I was a college athlete myself I know the recruiting gig. I never suggested we forget about the care of the young men or women that make up the athletic teams. Go support Harvard or Yale if you don't think it's about W's. You are as naive as you are old. I'm not even assaulting KF's character I think he's a great Dad, probably a Great husband, probably a Great Teacher. Never said he wasn't any of those things. But read the title of the thread gimp. We are talking about coaching PERFORMANCE here not your feel good namby pamby crap. Also, as I've posted numerous times I think he deserves 2 more seasons. Kaczinski did us NO favors before he left for Nebraska so I get that. But NO ONE deserves a lifetime contract if they are not performing NO ONE. Sorry we disagree on this one.

Can I root for ND? Like I said, don't get me wrong I am upset as well, but to say winning is his only job is not fair. I also do not think ANY coaching job at a higher level should be an open contract. I am a VERY big fan of the idea of all coaching positions at a high level being performance based. I am sorry if it sounded like I was jumping on you, all this doom and gloom has me on edge.