Instant Reaction: More than Just a Loss to Huskers
- Thread starter JonDMiller
- Start date
What took so long to see the end of the Ferentz era?
Ferentz has been done here for awhile, you were a long time denier as I recall.
The only difference between fFerentz and Alford is that the fans have continued to show up, and probably still will
Iowa sports in general are very very sad. Instead of talking about Ferentz we should probably be calling out Barta
Ferentz has been done here for awhile, you were a long time denier as I recall.
The only difference between fFerentz and Alford is that the fans have continued to show up, and probably still will
Iowa sports in general are very very sad. Instead of talking about Ferentz we should probably be calling out Barta
ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
Jon, if kf is back next season (you're probably right, but maybe your friend has a point and kf doesn't see finishing his contract term), do you see Gary Barta gone? Wouldn't it make sense for a new AD to be brought in to initiate the end? That would also make a statement to any prospective new coach.
HaydenHawk56
Well-Known Member
Great podcast Jon. I agree we are officially in the end stages. Just how is the last chapter going to be written?
A lot will depend on how the media reaches the low-information Iowa fan...you know, the kind that tweets "good game!" after every loss and budgets for those bowl games no matter where they are. KF has had the benefit of a pretty sycophantic local media...in fact, I'm sure many of them are already recycling their "of course we can't fire KF" articles for the third time this year. National media figured it out this year and went from "one of the greats" to "how does this guy still have a job?". We'll see if the locals follow suit. If they don't, Ferentz may never leave.
JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
I like to wait for seasons to play out...I know, that's crazy, but I am that way sometimes
It's played out.... In more ways than one.
ferentz4life
Well-Known Member
There appears to be a strong correlation between Jon's criticisms of the Iowa program/Ferentz (or lack thereof) and his need for access to the program.
JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
When this was my main thing, Iowa wasn't barely over .400 in Big Ten play over a 10 year span, nor had this season happened against the easiest schedule I can recall...and in 2007 I was pretty much saying all year long that Iowa's offensive philosophy did not match it's talent and was very critical.
'Access to the program', under the Ferentz regime, is limited in general. A few assistant coaches did do some talking early on in his era, but once they climbed the mountain, that stopped by and large. It's pretty equal treatment with Kirk...he is respectful, but they are very closed.
That said, no, I am not considering what a comment might do to future opportunities, speaking engagements, etc. So in many ways, I prefer the way things are now....in fact, two years ago following the 2012 season, prior to my getting back into the energy biz, I had basically declined several I-Club emcee events because it felt hypocritical to be criticizing all week long then doing that sort of thing. Time moves on, things change..I prefer how things are now.
IMO, there has really not been a reason to be THIS critical at any point in time of the KF era. Now, there really is
The one thing I would have to take issue with you on in the instant reaction Jon is your feeling that Kirk quite possibly has only one more year left. I'm positive they won't ever fire him and I'm pretty certain that he won't step down any time soon, and by soon I mean in the next 3 or 4 years. I don't know if he'll be here for the entire term of his contract but I think it's almost a certainty that he'll be here through the 2018 season. Maybe, and it's a big maybe, but if attendance just goes completely into the toilet (40K in Kinnick on Saturdays) for a couple of seasons then the administration may finally move on getting rid of him. I think he's going to end up being like a bad rash, getting rid of him will be a lengthy, painful and frustrating endeavor.
BigD
Well-Known Member
To me it's a sad thing to see happen. I was one of those voices who supported Kirk those rough first two years when a lot of fans were angry about the Stoops situation. I said give him time to build it up and rebuild the offensive and defensive lines it seemed to come together starting in his third season and carried on in magnificent grandeur his fourth, fifth, and sixth season. That now looks like a fluke as we have not seen that level of success in back to back years since.
Was it caused by assistant coaches moving on? Did opponents simply figure out how to beat KF's schemes? Did recruiting fall off? If so was it caused by recruiting burnout. Did a fat cat mentality set in? Did the Big Ten Channel play apart by leveling the field and giving tens of millions to all of the schools in the conference. Giving them money to recruit at a level that they (lower tier B1G teams) didn't have before?
Just as Alford was in his fourth season and I could see the writing on the wall I have had that same sinking feeling about KF for about seven or eight years. I kept hoping I was wrong and would happily accept my misjudgment. Unfortunately and sadly it appears that I may have been right.
i can only hope that Kirk will sit down and reflect on his tenure as Iowa's head coach with a spirit of appreciation for the opportunity the U of I offered him and his family. He still has the opportunity at this point to leave most fans with a feeling of appreciation for all that he has done and the things he has accomplished. However those good feelings of good will can change and fond memories can be replaced with feelings and memories of a man who became a gold digger and unworthily milked the U of I dry of every penny he could take from them.
Lets hope Kirk is better than that and frees Iowa from this contractual agreement and allows the university to pursue other coaching options.
Was it caused by assistant coaches moving on? Did opponents simply figure out how to beat KF's schemes? Did recruiting fall off? If so was it caused by recruiting burnout. Did a fat cat mentality set in? Did the Big Ten Channel play apart by leveling the field and giving tens of millions to all of the schools in the conference. Giving them money to recruit at a level that they (lower tier B1G teams) didn't have before?
Just as Alford was in his fourth season and I could see the writing on the wall I have had that same sinking feeling about KF for about seven or eight years. I kept hoping I was wrong and would happily accept my misjudgment. Unfortunately and sadly it appears that I may have been right.
i can only hope that Kirk will sit down and reflect on his tenure as Iowa's head coach with a spirit of appreciation for the opportunity the U of I offered him and his family. He still has the opportunity at this point to leave most fans with a feeling of appreciation for all that he has done and the things he has accomplished. However those good feelings of good will can change and fond memories can be replaced with feelings and memories of a man who became a gold digger and unworthily milked the U of I dry of every penny he could take from them.
Lets hope Kirk is better than that and frees Iowa from this contractual agreement and allows the university to pursue other coaching options.
STILLBUSTER
Well-Known Member
That's cool, but which time ... this is like the 5th or 6th underachieving season in the last 7. How many seasons did you need to see play out that look just like this one? At some point it becomes an expectation.
Rosebowler
Well-Known Member
I agree with this, unfortunately. If 7-5 is the best he could do with this year's schedule, I hate to see what he does when he does when he gets OSU/MSU/Mich (assuming they rebound) on the schedule. I think the best we can hope for is that he doesn't completely take the program into the ditch so that the next coach we hire doesn't have to start at rock bottom. Hopefully the average number of wins/season stays at 7 or whatever it's been lately and we don't have more of the 4-8 stuff he had in 2012.
BILLBUCKNER
Well-Known Member
Kf will not step down. He has assistants and their families to think about not to mention Brian's future. I am sure that kf thinks he can win big again and he'll do it his way while giving the fan base the middle finger.
BigD
Well-Known Member
I hope you are wrong but I am afraid you are probably right.
Rosebowler
Well-Known Member
That would be a disaster. I don't think Kirk has the personality.
mopkins
King Kong
Thinking KF will ever "step down" is really silly. Why would he ever release an employer from a contract THEY offered. Foolish to even think its a possibility. Its the University that is to blame for the contract, not KF. If KF has mailed it in or has stopped trying then that's something else, but he's actually the same KF he's always been, it's just not working anymore.
Oh, he// to the no. Kf as AD would be very frightening. Talk about zippo accountability.
