RobHowe
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Kirk Ferentz Says He'll Name Offensive Coordinator Next Month
Iowa Targeting January for New OC
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hawkihayes
Well-Known Member
KF was very snarky of USC. Wonder if Matt Entz taking the USC Defense/Asst Head Coach position threw a wrench in potentiality bring in Tim Polasek as OC? We see he goes of script when his plans get messed with? Just a thought as coach Polasek would have made 2 maybe 3 times as much at the O coordinator at Iowa then Head Coach at NDSU??
SCHawkeye2
Well-Known Member
Kirk said as much in his presser about the OC.
The strategy will not change.
The tactics will not change.
We want to "improve" on offense.
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NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
This is true and not true. KF let Davis change things quite a bit. Shot gun, horizontal passing, more west coast type of philosophy. He even brought his own verbiage.
Brian mostly returned things to the old KOK offense, but not completely.
I think the conservative philosophy of KF will always be present (do not turn the ball over, run the ball, get in good punting position, "complimentary football"), but a new OC will be allowed to implement new concepts and ideas.
The more I think about this the most important thing Iowa must get in an OC is someone with a plan to recruit and develop playmaking QBs in whatever system is played. Davis, for all of his faults, went out and found, recruited and developed CJ (who is the most successful NFL QB in the KF era by far). KOK had Banks, Tate, and Stanzi. BF was never able to develop the QB position. It was his downfall. If I am KF, that is the only question I am asking these candidates: tell me how you are going to find and develop a legit QB.
I don't think KF will ever prioritize development of his QBs. His ideal QB is a 6'5" pro-style QB who sits in the pocket and doesn't fumble, doesn't throw INTs, and who can distribute the ball. Someone who can implement his offensive philosophy, which is, in his own words "Possess the ball. Move the ball. Score the ball" -- in that precise order of priority.
Given that reality, the best I'm hoping for is an OCoordinator who can recruit 4-5 star OLinemen, and develop them. If that's Paul Chryst, so be it. Our recruiting of OLinemen has been subpar for a long time -- really no difference-makers other than Lindebaum since Wirf and Jackson. The problem with Chryst, of course, is his offense at Wisconsin his last couple years was more predictable and more one-dimensional that anything we've had at Iowa for many years...and I REALLY don't want to go there.
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Fair point. Davis and CJ arrived on campus the same year, so I suspect Davis had some level of communications with CJ before he showed up on campus, but clearly KOK identified him. Davis, obviously developed him through the entirety of his time at Iowa. I am guessing that Davis recruited Stanley.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
I don't mind the strategy and think it will still work. What I don't like is having crappy WR route and passing schemes that don't get WR's in space or as an option to hit downfield. I think the OC really needs to evaluate the routes and implement their routes/philosophy.
They can improve and still keep that complimentary football philosophy. They can effectively move the ball at the same time.
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NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Look, even if this is all true and KF is not going to change the offense at all, just having a better OC will help. Someone who can develop talent and call plays. BF could not do those things.
rschneider
Well-Known Member
I think Kirk doesn't want to show up Brian with a capable offense under the next hire.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
I'll add into that just having Iowa get back to a power run game similar to those Wisconsin teams is really what Iowa needs to open up other areas of the offense. They would control the ball and TOP to.
MelroseHawkins
Well-Known Member
Could be some truth to that. There is a risk of bringing in an up and comer OC with a different philosophy and immediately succeeding.
I think it might be more that KF wants to get a guy in who can help him ride out his years to retirement. Someone who he knows or is comfortable with and agrees with his philosophy.
Here's the last four paragraphs from Hawkfanatic, and Pat Harty's take on KF's press conference yesterday:
There are two sides to this ongoing debate and neither side seems willing to bend, especially Kirk Ferentz.
Fans are fooling themselves if they think that Kirk Ferentz will suddenly abandon his beliefs about how an offense should be run.
Kirk Ferentz has brought a lot of success and happiness to Hawkeye football by doing things a certain way.
And if anything, the decision to fire his son will cause Kirk Ferentz to dig his heels in even deeper because he resents how it was handled, because he wants to show that his way still works and because he wants his son to be vindicated.
There are two sides to this ongoing debate and neither side seems willing to bend, especially Kirk Ferentz.
Fans are fooling themselves if they think that Kirk Ferentz will suddenly abandon his beliefs about how an offense should be run.
Kirk Ferentz has brought a lot of success and happiness to Hawkeye football by doing things a certain way.
And if anything, the decision to fire his son will cause Kirk Ferentz to dig his heels in even deeper because he resents how it was handled, because he wants to show that his way still works and because he wants his son to be vindicated.
BigD
Well-Known Member
Agree with your point.
For many it comes down to winning records. I guess that is true to a point. Just having a good winning record is very important to reaching loftier goals like conference championships and then working toward the next step of getting in the playoffs.
As long as Kirk is around the odds dictate he will keep up his eight win average. At the same time a twenty-five year history dictates that there is less than a four percent chance of winning a conference title and zero chance of winning a national title.
Just try to get the most out of it and enjoy going to or watching on tv the games with your friends and family. Hope for the best but never expect or demand it from the football program, or those who manage it. Gable knows what is expected to win national titles, Lute got to the final four as did the women’s basketball team last year.
Kirk figured out what it takes to get pay raises and extensions…………. nothing more. He has blatantly stated that he is not going to change anything as it works for him and his family. Nice.
Below is what KF said about hiring a new OC.
The Hawkeyes play complementary football, he said, and the new coordinator has to understand that.
Below is the definition of complementary.
If something is complementary, then it somehow completes or enhances the qualities of something else.
Please explain to me how Iowa's offense does the latter. The Iowa defense is the something else part obviously.
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My take on KF's presser: Just like each of the past 3 years, where a thorough review of the program was promised, as the offense sank lower and lower until finally reaching literally the bottom rung of total offense yards per game by a wide margin, with the assessment unalterably being: we just need to have better execution and get everyone healthy. No changes in the offensive offense are needed, no changes in coaches are needed either, and none will happen. BF would still be the OC if it was up to KF.
KF to those of you wanting change: pound sand. Maybe you forgot that we won the mild mild B1G West two of the last 3 years and almost won it the 3rd year. (The fact that we were completely uncompetitive against OSU, PSU and MI gets conveniently ignored by KF. In those two title games the scores were 42-3 and 26 -0 ( a combined 68 to 3) with the Hawks never reaching the red zone in the shutout loss. The PSU score was 31 - 0 this year. More punts than first downs. The OSU score last year was 54 - 10, with the IA TD being scored by our defense.
KF harps on the importance of "complimentary football", and yet has an offense that is the polar opposite of Phil Parker's awesome D. KF preaches the ultimate importance of "ball security", and yet played Deacon "Benny" Hill, each and every snap since he was called upon early in the season, even with statistics showing Hill was #1 in the QB nation for being at risk of causing a turnover. Joey Labas, who won the bowl game last year, with zero turnovers and a TD pass, never was given a single snap all season, and he's very understandably gone.
Don't get me wrong: Love, love, love the D and Special Teams. THEY won 10 games this season, in spite of the offense, rather than in anything remotely resembling "complimentary football." Proud of those two amazing units winning 10 games. But for the team to at least be competitive against MI, PSU, OSU and now WA, OR, UCLA and USC being added to the mix, and the mild, mild West being a thing of the past, changes to the offense must be made. Not talking "air raid", but something other than up the gut, and a 3 yard out on 3rd and 9. And on other than obvious passing downs, please don't go 5 wide, leaving no one in the backfield with the statue QB, such that the D knows with 100% certainty that the Hawks are going to pass.
IMHO the bottom line is that to be competitive going forward, the new OC has to have at least some freedom to run his own offense, or the definition of insanity will again be met: doing the same thing over and over again, and hoping for a different outcome.
KF to those of you wanting change: pound sand. Maybe you forgot that we won the mild mild B1G West two of the last 3 years and almost won it the 3rd year. (The fact that we were completely uncompetitive against OSU, PSU and MI gets conveniently ignored by KF. In those two title games the scores were 42-3 and 26 -0 ( a combined 68 to 3) with the Hawks never reaching the red zone in the shutout loss. The PSU score was 31 - 0 this year. More punts than first downs. The OSU score last year was 54 - 10, with the IA TD being scored by our defense.
KF harps on the importance of "complimentary football", and yet has an offense that is the polar opposite of Phil Parker's awesome D. KF preaches the ultimate importance of "ball security", and yet played Deacon "Benny" Hill, each and every snap since he was called upon early in the season, even with statistics showing Hill was #1 in the QB nation for being at risk of causing a turnover. Joey Labas, who won the bowl game last year, with zero turnovers and a TD pass, never was given a single snap all season, and he's very understandably gone.
Don't get me wrong: Love, love, love the D and Special Teams. THEY won 10 games this season, in spite of the offense, rather than in anything remotely resembling "complimentary football." Proud of those two amazing units winning 10 games. But for the team to at least be competitive against MI, PSU, OSU and now WA, OR, UCLA and USC being added to the mix, and the mild, mild West being a thing of the past, changes to the offense must be made. Not talking "air raid", but something other than up the gut, and a 3 yard out on 3rd and 9. And on other than obvious passing downs, please don't go 5 wide, leaving no one in the backfield with the statue QB, such that the D knows with 100% certainty that the Hawks are going to pass.
IMHO the bottom line is that to be competitive going forward, the new OC has to have at least some freedom to run his own offense, or the definition of insanity will again be met: doing the same thing over and over again, and hoping for a different outcome.
BigD
Well-Known Member
Well stated.
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