Interesting

Golfer

Golfer

Well-Known Member
I think ESPN is in Iowa City tomorrow. I found this interesting. Not saying i agree, or disagree with any, or all of it, just saying I found the question interesting, especially from someone who isn't an Iowa fan.


Jon from Murfreesboro, Tenn., writes: I'm not an Iowa fan, but if I was, I would be expecting more from the program. With the amount of money Ferentz is getting paid and the minimal success he has had there, I just don't get it. Is there a coach in the Big Ten who is getting paid so handsomely for doing less than Ferentz? In 13 years in Iowa City he's had 4 ten win seasons and 2 conference titles, not exactly killing it. Outsider looking in, it sure seems like Iowa is just throwing cash at him and accept his mediocrity in the hopes that he stays and doesn't bolt for one of NFL jobs his name gets rumored about every year.

Adam Rittenberg: Jon, this is one of the topics I want to address when I'm in Iowa City this week. The thing that jumps out to everyone nationally about Iowa is Ferentz's salary. People acknowledge the wins totals, which are pretty respectable, but wonder why Iowa can't get more despite paying its coach top-10 money. With Iowa, you have to look at the bigger picture. There are some inherent disadvantages there, namely location for recruiting, that will always make it tough to be consistently elite. Iowa has some tradition, but it doesn't have the national allure of Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Nebraska. What Ferentz can sell is the ability to get players to the NFL. The pro personnel evaluators love Iowa, and if you're a good recruit with the potential to get a lot better in college, Iowa isn't a bad place to go. But it's certainly fair to expect more from Ferentz, especially at a time when Wisconsin, a comparable program, has reached back-to-back Rose Bowls. As for the constant NFL buzz, it has worked in Ferentz's favor with the school. But Iowa also doesn't want to become a North Carolina or a Washington State, programs that backslide after losing successful coaches (Mack Brown, Mike Price).
 
JugadorHawk said:
Golfer, you're a major donor. Tell us how you feel about Ferentz salary.
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I'm not sure what I think. I do think the contract could have been written differently as it regards performance bonuses, but if what you are asking me is do I think he gets paid too much, then I'm not sure.
 
I think you're response opens up an interesting conservation. On one hand people think Kirk is overpaid for the results on the field, and on the other people think that he absolutely deserves his salary. I lean more to Rittenberg's side because we have experienced great success during Ferentz's tenure; and with our lack of depth and other inherent obstacles, I think he's paid what the market suggests.
 
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I think we should wait till this year is over to have this discussion. I can deffinetly see both sides of the argument.
 
I think it will get more interesting. The 2 conference titles on his resume look pretty impressive, but now with a title game there will be no more 2,3, and even 4 way co-champions.
 
Shouldn't there technically be a 3rd title due to the OSU vacating/cheating as well?

(Not saying, just saying)
 
jugadorhawk brought up a good point. He is paid what the market suggests, so fundamentally, I think he is paid exactly, correctly.

I view the way the contract was written as a separate issue, but that doesn't change my thoughts above. I'm a free market guy.
 
I think he does a good job with the resources he has to work with. I understand that is a very broad statement. But it is tough to get the" big boys" to come to Iowa so he does the best with what he can get.
 
iahawks912 said:
I think he does a good job with the resources he has to work with. I understand that is a very broad statement. But it is tough to get the" big boys" to come to Iowa so he does the best with what he can get.
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I will go a step further and say that he draws SOME good players because we do not have the national aura to get quantities top flite guys to wait their turn on the field, other than the OL.
If Iowa could have capitalized on KF's strong few year stretch then we might be talking about other things right now.
 
The most frustrating thing about Iowa football right now is the number of players we put in the pros and the lack of results in the win column. There is no question our coaches have done an excellent job of developing talent, its the lack of wins when we have the talent that has soared some of the fan base. Therefore, bringing the age old salary question in to debate. As a hawk fan I certainly don't want to begin feeling like a cub's fan. Meaning, even if the product sucks the stadium is still packed to the brim and every year your waiting for next year.
 
BALDIES7980 said:
I will go a step further and say that he draws SOME good players because we do not have the national aura to get quantities top flite guys to wait their turn on the field, other than the OL.
If Iowa could have capitalized on KF's strong few year stretch then we might be talking about other things right now.
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I'll take this a step further and say, initially Iowa did capitalize on Ferentz first couple strong years, but then the wheels fell off the program with all the arrests and trouble. Kirk was able to bring in some good classes in the 2005-2007 years but several of those guys got in trouble and left or where booted. I think this was something the program was not prepared for and those years were not good on field product.
I'm not saying that was Ferentz's fault as the stupidity was all at the hands of the players. But I don't think the program was prepared to handle some of the players it brought in. If that makes sense at all??
 
SamsonHawk515 said:
The most frustrating thing about Iowa football right now is the number of players we put in the pros and the lack of results in the win column. There is no question our coaches have done an excellent job of developing talent, its the lack of wins when we have the talent that has soared some of the fan base. Therefore, bringing the age old salary question in to debate. As a hawk fan I certainly don't want to begin feeling like a cub's fan. Meaning, even if the product sucks the stadium is still packed to the brim and every year your waiting for next year.
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Not a good analogy IMO. The Cubs have not won anything and have been pathetic for decades. Kirk has guided the Hawks to conference titles and BCS bowl games (one win).

I think when we've had disappointing years ('05 and '10) it's because of our returning lettermen and preseason expectations, but Ferentz has overachieved so many seasons ('02, '03, '04, '08 & '09) and that is a great balance for Iowa.
 
I am split on the issue. I am leaning towards the argument that he is properly paid and makes the right amount. However, I cannot say it without hesitation.

Golfer said:
jugadorhawk brought up a good point. He is paid what the market suggests, so fundamentally, I think he is paid exactly, correctly.
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The point made by Golfer doesn't sit well with me, at all. I get what it is trying to say: if you want a big program, you have to pay big money to a big coach. But it makes me wonder, the 'market' suggests we pay our guy almost $4,000,000 for 7 wins?
 
IowaTeddy said:
I am split on the issue. I am leaning towards the argument that he is properly paid and makes the right amount. However, I cannot say it without hesitation.



The point made by Golfer doesn't sit well with me, at all. I get what it is trying to say: if you want a big program, you have to pay big money to a big coach. But it makes me wonder, the 'market' suggests we pay our guy almost $4,000,000 for 7 wins?
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He's not getting paid for '10 and '11, he earned $4 Mil prior to the last two years.
 
Here's my opinion...It was not that many moons ago that when OSU, PSU, or Michigan came to town Iowa didn't have a prayer of even being competitive...the fact that we get upset when we lose to schools like that is mind boggling and incredible. Not to mention that there is not a better ambassador for Hawkeye sports, or the University of Iowa than Kirk Ferentz.

People will say what they want about "if it happened to Joe Pa it can happen to anybody" but Joe was too concerned about his own legacy to do the right thing....part of the reason I am perfectly ok with Kirk's salary is because I know Kirk will run the kind of program we can be proud of (minus the arrests, but they are 18-22 year old kids...you can't babysit them all the time.) But some arrests are inexcusable, and Kirk has always dealt with those swiftly.

After meeting him a few times, Kirk is one of the nicest, most down to earth people I have ever met. As long as we are respectable and graduating kids...Kirk has my support to stay for however long he wants. In my mind he's worth every last penny.
 
The great ambassador line gets thrown around a lot, and while accurate, is highly symbolic of why Iowa football is never going to be much better than it is right now. This isn't a kids' flag football team where they don't keep score--wins and losses do matter, and there are a lot of people who could come in, smile for the cameras, and win 7 games a year for less than 4 million per.

I like KF and think he's a good coach. I'd be fine with Iowa paying him 10 million a year if he was achieving Top 20 results, but that clearly isn't happening. Ultimately, KF should be judged like every other coach in the profession--by his win/loss record. The fact that people continually bring up his great personality seems to be a defense unique to Iowa fans--not sure that any other big time program uses that line of reasoning.
 
SamsonHawk515 said:
The most frustrating thing about Iowa football right now is the number of players we put in the pros and the lack of results in the win column.
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Add to that the lack of results in recruiting. The last two years have been pretty decent, but we still do a lot of "diamond in the rough" hunting. As you say, Iowa builds a lot of NFL players, so it's frustrating that more kids can't see that fact.
 
The salary debate is stupid.

If we were 7-5 the past two years and paying some dude 2MM a year, people would be complaining that we weren't making an investment in the program.

We make an investment in the program, and it hasn't worked out the way we want it to. We'll see how this goes.

I do know this. If Wisconsin had been to Beef O Brady bowl the past two seasons and not the Rose Bowl, people wouldn't be nearly this ******.

But seeing a program that is a mirror image of Iowa, in a similar state, at a similar school with an Iowa player as coach doing so well proves that the li'l ole Iowa crap is a big ole pile of steaming ********.
 
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