I worry about Ferentz leaving this program where he found it

[hawkinn3]

Virtually devoid of talent and a huge rebuilding project on the horizon. So far most of the underclassmen we have seen have been unimpressive.

On offense take away McNutt, Vandy, Reiff, etc. in the next couple years and I don't see anyone on the roster who looks to be on their level. I say this knowing many think Jake Ruddock will be the second coming of Chuck Long. I mean hell, even our TEs have been awful this year, usually a strength of our program is producing great TEs.

Our young guys on defense have been mediocre at best and have not improved as the year has gone on.

 

[treychase]

Virtually devoid of talent and a huge rebuilding project on the horizon. So far most of the underclassmen we have seen have been unimpressive.

On offense take away McNutt, Vandy, Reiff, etc. in the next couple years and I don't see anyone on the roster who looks to be on their level. I say this knowing many think Jake Ruddock will be the second coming of Chuck Long. I mean hell, even our TEs have been awful this year, usually a strength of our program is producing great TEs.

Our young guys on defense have been mediocre at best and have not improved as the year has gone on.

I think you have a valid concern.

 

[herkyattack]

The team this year is due in large part to our poor recruiting classes in '07, and '08. The level of talent was pretty poor in those classes (lots of "developmental" guys with few/no other BCS offers). The last two years have been much, much better. There is hope in this program; it's just going to take another year or two to rebuild.

 

[GhostofBTT]

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

if he leaves now it will be many many years of rebuilding, and IMO, multiple coaches. it will be a very long road...

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

if he leaves now it will be many many years of rebuilding, and IMO, multiple coaches. it will be a very long road...

So you feel Ferentz is the best possible coach Iowa can ever get? You really think he gets the most out of the talent he's brought in?

 

[GhostofBTT]

So you feel Ferentz is the best possible coach Iowa can ever get? You really think he gets the most out of the talent he's brought in?

Do you honestly think a coaching change will solve more problems that it causes?

I don't.

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

Yeah, KF is our coach and I back him when we go to BCS games and when we have bad years. This is a bad year, I back him. He had us ranked in the top 10 four times in 8 years and I back him. Yep

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

Do you honestly think a coaching change will solve more problems that it causes?

I don't.

Correct, we will have more problems with new coache (s) than we have now.... you can almost expect 3 years of "rebuilding" followed by progressively getting better. Its a long road...and that's if you get the right guy, if you dont, expect two or three cycles of that. Just ask Notre Dame....

 

[INTIMIDATORHawk]

This season is starting to feel like 2007 except with the defense being the big problem. In 2007 it was the offense.

I'm now convinced that if a team has to have a weakness, I would rather it be on offense. Iowa's defensive problems this year have been maddening.

2007 seemed bleak. It looked like Iowa Football was going to be in the gutter for a long time. I remember Jon Miller talking about Iowa's long road back to relevance on Soundoff after one of the numerous losses.

Then 2008 rolled around. Signs of hope.

Then 2009 rolled around. Season of mini football miracles.

Now we're back to 2007. Buckle up. Gonna be a bumpy ride. This is Ferentz Football.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Do you honestly think a coaching change will solve more problems that it causes?

I don't.

Yes, I'm beginning to think it will. It's not like we have been a powerhouse at all. Ferentz continues to live off of his 2002-04 run. Since then we are a very average 28-24 in the B10 with only one fluke 10+ win season in there. If we lose out this year, which there is a pretty good chance of happening, Kirk will be a .500 B10 coach over a 7 year period. That's not a small sample size either. With the money we pay him, I'm confident we will be able to find another coach who can go better than .500 in the B10.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Yeah, KF is our coach and I back him when we go to BCS games and when we have bad years. This is a bad year, I back him. He had us ranked in the top 10 four times in 8 years and I back him. Yep

Or just two top twenty five finishes in the last seven years if we want to stop living in the past.

 

[CornellHawk]

With the money that we are giving to our HC position there would not be a lot of coaching changes, ect. Almost 4 mill a yr can bring in the best of the best and not someone who will be here and leave. Money like that can produce top ten results. The entire country can see that. It's unfortunate the Iowa decision makers can't. We have the fan base that will still sell tickets and I'm afraid that's our biggest fear in making a switch.

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

do you think we can find someone who can give us more than four top ten finishes in that time period? Maybe, maybe not. Im sticking with KF. Those four years were good and he's the same coach he was then and we can do it again and he's the coach I would prefer to do it with.

 

[GhostofBTT]

Yes, I'm beginning to think it will. It's not like we have been a powerhouse at all. Ferentz continues to live off of his 2002-04 run. Since then we are a very average 28-24 in the B10 with only one fluke 10+ win season in there. If we lose out this year, which there is a pretty good chance of happening, Kirk will be a .500 B10 coach over a 7 year period. That's not a small sample size either. With the money we pay him, I'm confident we will be able to find another coach who can go better than .500 in the B10.

In the Big 10, firing and replacing a coach means many seasons of mediocrity. Even at Michigan.

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

yeppers, usually does

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

do you think we can find someone who can give us more than four top ten finishes in that time period? Maybe, maybe not. Im sticking with KF. Those four years were good and he's the same coach he was then and we can do it again and he's the coach I would prefer to do it with.

He is the same coach and that's the problem. He's not going up against the same style of football which is why we've had one top ten finish in the last seven years, which will probably one top 10 finish in nine years soon enough. He's not adjusting to new styles of play and it's showing, that's why fans like you have to refer to what he did a decade ago to defend him.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

In the Big 10, firing and replacing a coach means many seasons of mediocrity. Even at Michigan.

Illinois fired Turner and went to a Rose Bowl three years later. Purdue fired Joe Colletto, hired Joe Tiller and went from B10 doormat to above average to playing in the Rose Bowl in four years. Ohio St fired Cooper and won a national title two years later.

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

Illinois fired Turner and went to a Rose Bowl three years later. Purdue fired Joe Colletto, hired Joe Tiller and went from B10 doormat to above average to playing in the Rose Bowl in four years. Ohio St fired Cooper and won a national title two years later.

Illinois, even though they have some wins this season, has been miserable for a long time. What's the zookers record again? You are using Illinois as your example? Oh boy. Purdue as your example? Purdue has done nothing in years and years and years... wow. Purdue, Illinois are your examples? Give HN fans those two teams history and they would REALLY want a new coach... yikes

 

[Clark]

I was going to post this in a new thread but I think it fits well right here. Next year isn't going to be much better but in two years, Iwa is going to be in very good shape

2013

QB: Rudock (So)
RB: Coker(Sr) McCall (Jr)
FB:Rogers (Sr)
WR: KMM (Jr)Hillyer(So)Grant(Jr)Cotton(Sr)
TE: CJ(Sr) Hamilton(Jr)
T:Scherff(Jr) Donnal(Jr)(Van Sloten (Sr)
G: Blythe(So) Walsh(So) MacMillan (Sr) Haier(Sr)
C:Boffeli(Sr)

DE:Alvis(Sr) Trinca-Pasat(Jr)
DT: Davis(Jr) Cooper(So)
LB: Alston(Jr) Kirksey(Sr) Morris(Sr) Spears(Jr) Poggi(Jr)Derby(Jr)
CB:Lowery(Sr) Campbell(Jr) Lomax(So)
S:Miller(Sr) Law(Jr)
K:Meyer(Sr) Koehn(So)
P: Kornbrath(So)

I didn't include a lot of D-linemen in the list because at this juncture I don't know which ones are going to be DE's and DT's but there are quite a few of them.

Another thing to notice is that not many of these players are going to be seniors in 2013 so that means Iowa is going to be set up for at least a two year window of success.

Also note the only player I included in this years recruiting class was the punter. So that's two years of recruiting classes that Iowa will have to add to this roster.

As others have said, the '07 and '08 recruiting classes is what is responsible for this mess Iowa is in currently.