Is Fitz Going Pro?

[chucktownhawk]

Zero chance.

Why does everyone seem to think nfl head coaching jobs are better in any way?

Exactly. Fucker has Iowa's#, why would he leave?

 

[proudhawkfan21]

Zero chance.

Why does everyone seem to think nfl head coaching jobs are better in any wa

Not better. It's more along the lines of stature. To be successful at the pinnacle of the sport. It used to be head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, yes...even the Chicago Bears was a dream job. Its probably less volatile than going to Alabama, LSU, USC, Texas, Oklahoma...you'd probably get run out of those places within 2 years with 2 loss seasons. A lot of head coaches would still view success on the highest level of football as the pinnacle to coaching. World Champions. Lombardi Trophy. Its not for every great college coach but the ultimate success at the NFL level is like being Bill Gates vs a multimillionaire owner of a chain of Baskin Robins.

 

[proudhawkfan21]

I imagine being a Cyclone fan is like living your entire life with a huge sweaty ballsack on your forehead...and this year we had to re-position and you got a whiff of clean air...sunlight...hell, maybe even some flowers. But we're still sitting on your head and those balls are coming back.

 

[Fryowa]

The NFL pays better, but you're on a pretty short leash if you don't win.

Pays better with the caveat that (like you said) you have to win. NCAA comes with huuuuuge guaranteed money and at the P5 level you’re gonna make bank no matter what.

Fitz is in the same spot Ferentz is, everyone in the state loves him and he could rack up several losing seasons before he got cut loose.

Have a couple losing seasons in the NFL and all the sudden you’re looking for a job as a wide receivers coach and trying to explain to your wife why she’s gonna have to go house shopping in Buffalo or Green Bay...and how she’s gonna have to cut back because now you’re salary is only $450,000 on a year-by-year contract.

Now your kids are gonna go to 6 different schools because NFL assistants change towns every year, and eventually you’ll get sick of moving every 14 months and take an FCS coaching gig in Utah or North Dakota or some shit.

When you could have just stayed put, made millions, and even been the AD when you got tired of coaching.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Pays better with the caveat that (like you said) you have to win. NCAA comes with huuuuuge guaranteed money and at the P5 level you’re gonna make bank no matter what.

Fitz is in the same spot Ferentz is, everyone in the state loves him and he could rack up several losing seasons before he got cut loose.

Have a couple losing seasons in the NFL and all the sudden you’re looking for a job as a wide receivers coach and trying to explain to your wife why she’s gonna have to go house shopping in Buffalo or Green Bay...and how she’s gonna have to cut back because now you’re salary is only $450,000 on a year-by-year contract.

Now your kids are gonna go to 6 different schools because NFL assistants change towns every year, and eventually you’ll get sick of moving every 14 months and take an FCS coaching gig in Utah or North Dakota or some shit.

When you could have just stayed put, made millions, and even be the AD when you got tired of coaching.

Being able to stay in one place is huge, esp w the wife and kids.

 

[MattinColumbus]

Pays better with the caveat that (like you said) you have to win. NCAA comes with huuuuuge guaranteed money and at the P5 level you’re gonna make bank no matter what.

Fitz is in the same spot Ferentz is, everyone in the state loves him and he could rack up several losing seasons before he got cut loose.

Have a couple losing seasons in the NFL and all the sudden you’re looking for a job as a wide receivers coach and trying to explain to your wife why she’s gonna have to go house shopping in Buffalo or Green Bay...and how she’s gonna have to cut back because now you’re salary is only $450,000 on a year-by-year contract.

Now your kids are gonna go to 6 different schools because NFL assistants change towns every year, and eventually you’ll get sick of moving every 14 months and take an FCS coaching gig in Utah or North Dakota or some shit.

When you could have just stayed put, made millions, and even be the AD when you got tired of coaching.

NFL head coaching contracts are guaranteed. He makes $3.3 million per year now. He could likely get at least $2 million more per year in the pros over 4 or 5 years If he’s THE target of a team, especially the Bears, who need some positive press.

So, over 5 years, that’s $25+ million compared to $16.5 million at NW. He’s 46 now. His kids are all over 11. Essentially, he’d be paid for 7-8 years of his NW salary, and potentially for his hometown team. So essentially, he wouldn’t have to move the kids through HS, even if it didn’t work out. Take a TV gig and live large for the rest of his life.

I think it comes down to his ego, as has been mentioned above, and whether he really wants to run a pro team. It’s got to be flattering to hear all this talk. Of course, Phillips and the Family would probably try to low ball him, so the finances might not be as attractive.

 

[okeefe4prez]

NFL head coaching contracts are guaranteed. He makes $3.3 million per year now. He could likely get at least $2 million more per year in the pros over 4 or 5 years If he’s THE target of a team, especially the Bears, who need some positive press.

So, over 5 years, that’s $25+ million compared to $16.5 million at NW. He’s 46 now. His kids are all over 11. Essentially, he’d be paid for 7-8 years of his NW salary, and potentially for his hometown team. So essentially, he wouldn’t have to move the kids through HS, even if it didn’t work out. Take a TV gig and live large for the rest of his life.

I think it comes down to his ego, as has been mentioned above, and whether he really wants to run a pro team. It’s got to be flattering to hear all this talk. Of course, Phillips and the Family would probably try to low ball him, so the finances might not be as attractive.

The Form 990 from 2017 showed he made over 5 million in 2017. He makes more now. I heard a rumor From some dudes I tailgated with there that his salary is based on a formula of the other B1G coaches, so when guys like Brohm get paid insane amounts, he goes up. I can't find the 2019 990, but I'll be shocked if he is making under $6 million.

The college salaries are guaranteed as well as long as you don't get fired for cause. That's why guys like Pelini or Kiffin go take really low tier jobs, they have a duty to mitigate their damages and it forces the old school to keep paying that giant salary while they make like $50k.

If you have a good college job, the NFL is simply not worth it. No way Fitz takes that tire fire job. Absolutely no way. He's on the cusp of becoming the dean of longest tenured active B1G and NCAA coaches and I think that means a lot to him and the money difference will be negligible.

 

[MattinColumbus]

The Form 990 from 2017 showed he made over 5 million in 2017. He makes more now. I heard a rumor From some dudes I tailgated with there that his salary is based on a formula of the other B1G coaches, so when guys like Brohm get paid insane amounts, he goes up. I can't find the 2019 990, but I'll be shocked if he is making under $6 million.

The college salaries are guaranteed as well as long as you don't get fired for cause. That's why guys like Pelini or Kiffin go take really low tier jobs, they have a duty to mitigate their damages and it forces the old school to keep paying that giant salary while they make like $50k.

If you have a good college job, the NFL is simply not worth it. No way Fitz takes that tire fire job. Absolutely no way. He's on the cusp of becoming the dean of longest tenured active B1G and NCAA coaches and I think that means a lot to him and the money difference will be negligible.

If those numbers are true, then I agree. Unless he’s got a God complex.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Wouldn't be surprised if that job is open by tomorrow at this time. Bears found the most preposterous way to lose I've seen in years, and each loss looks progressively worse than the last.

Urb has also been mentioned for the job, as has Harbaugh.

Bears will not go the college route. Never have. That rules out Fitz and most certainly Harbaugh.

And I think the only job Urban Meyer would come back for is Notre Dame.

As for the Bears, their issues start well above Matt Nagy. Their team president Ted Phillips is a businessman, not a football man.

The only thing that will save the Bears is to have a football savant alongside or in place of Phillips. Bobby Bethard, Bill Parcells, Ron Wolf, Jim Finks, Ozzie Newsome. To draw parallels from other sports, someone like Pat Riley or Theo Epstein.

Bears have always been about business first. And they have consistently drafted terrible for a long time. And had the misfortune of being in the same division as Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Barry Sanders, Randy Moss, etc. They need more than a new head coach. Fitz would be walking into a shaft of land mines.

 

[trj]

I think people are overlooking how hyper-competitive these dudes are. Some guys are wired where the challenge is the thrill. I guarantee there is kicking of the tires on both sides. Other than the Steeler job(which isn't open) the Bear gig is the only other pro job I think Fitz would even consider.

 

[Northside Hawk]

I think people are overlooking how hyper-competitive these dudes are. Some guys are wired where the challenge is the thrill. I guarantee there is kicking of the tires on both sides. Other than the Steeler job(which isn't open) the Bear gig is the only other pro job I think Fitz would even consider.

I remember Beano Cook all but guaranteeing that Kirk would be Bill Cowher's successor and return to his hometown.

Cook was annoying, but frequently spot on. But not on this one. Any rumors of Ferentz leaving for an NFL job did just what they were intended to do-force Iowa to ante up.

If Beano Cook hadn't sampled so much of Beano's Cook he might still be with us today.

 

[Fryowa]

NFL head coaching contracts are guaranteed. He makes $3.3 million per year now. He could likely get at least $2 million more per year in the pros over 4 or 5 years If he’s THE target of a team, especially the Bears, who need some positive press.

So, over 5 years, that’s $25+ million compared to $16.5 million at NW. He’s 46 now. His kids are all over 11. Essentially, he’d be paid for 7-8 years of his NW salary, and potentially for his hometown team. So essentially, he wouldn’t have to move the kids through HS, even if it didn’t work out. Take a TV gig and live large for the rest of his life.

I think it comes down to his ego, as has been mentioned above, and whether he really wants to run a pro team. It’s got to be flattering to hear all this talk. Of course, Phillips and the Family would probably try to low ball him, so the finances might not be as attractive.

The Form 990 from 2017 showed he made over 5 million in 2017. He makes more now. I heard a rumor From some dudes I tailgated with there that his salary is based on a formula of the other B1G coaches, so when guys like Brohm get paid insane amounts, he goes up. I can't find the 2019 990, but I'll be shocked if he is making under $6 million.

The college salaries are guaranteed as well as long as you don't get fired for cause. That's why guys like Pelini or Kiffin go take really low tier jobs, they have a duty to mitigate their damages and it forces the old school to keep paying that giant salary while they make like $50k.

If you have a good college job, the NFL is simply not worth it. No way Fitz takes that tire fire job. Absolutely no way. He's on the cusp of becoming the dean of longest tenured active B1G and NCAA coaches and I think that means a lot to him and the money difference will be negligible.

$3.3M is just the base.

All P5 coaches have huge bonuses written into their contracts for winning a certain number of games, the season ending AP ranking, making bowl games, winning bowl games, winning their division, winning the conference, etc. Fitz probably doesn’t have any academic incentives in his contracts because NW players have to be nerds to even go to that school, but Ferentz does. If you look at Ferentz’s he gets a family membership to the CC, tuition for his kids (that was easily half a million right there) unlimited use of facilities at Kinnick and Carver, he gets two vehicles, a whole bunch of season tickets, a certain amount of hours using University airplanes for personal travel, and “personal services” which I’m sure is a catch all for shit like dry cleaning, errand runners (this is the fund that Chad Liestikow gets paid from), and so on. The college jobs make it super comfortable for coaches to stay

There’s literally nothing appealing about the NFL if you’re already a semi-successful and long-tenured P5 coach.

 

[SmokeTownHawk]

I think people are overlooking how hyper-competitive these dudes are. Some guys are wired where the challenge is the thrill. I guarantee there is kicking of the tires on both sides. Other than the Steeler job(which isn't open) the Bear gig is the only other pro job I think Fitz would even consider.

I could see someone like Fitz using this as a negotiating point for a better contract from NW.
Have a decent season and interest from the local pro team and he can get a bump in pay without the hassle of being in the NFL.

 

[HuckFinn]

$3.3M is just the base.

All P5 coaches have huge bonuses written into their contracts for winning a certain number of games, the season ending AP ranking, making bowl games, winning bowl games, winning their division, winning the conference, etc. Fitz probably doesn’t have any academic incentives in his contracts because NW players have to be nerds to even go to that school, but Ferentz does. If you look at Ferentz’s he gets a family membership to the CC, tuition for his kids (that was easily half a million right there) unlimited use of facilities at Kinnick and Carver, he gets two vehicles, a whole bunch of season tickets, a certain amount of hours using University airplanes for personal travel, and “personal services” which I’m sure is a catch all for shit like dry cleaning, errand runners (this is the fund that Chad Liestikow gets paid from), and so on. The college jobs make it super comfortable for coaches to stay

There’s literally nothing appealing about the NFL if you’re already a semi-successful and long-tenured P5 coach.

Yup. No argument there. I would add that cynicism aside, KF is an “Iowa guy” through and through. He loves the community, shows that with his generosity, and has lived here a long time. His kids went through the IC public school system and played for him. Plus, my guess is that his wife would kick his ass if he thought to leave. Sometimes, even in the 2000’s, old fashioned values rule some people’s lives. I have hung out on this planet for 75 years and serve, good or bad, as an example.

I would add that I have given KF somewhat of a pass on his position that he was trying to do what he thought was best for our African American brothers when he chose the path to incorporate what have been assumed as “White values.” Yes. I am relieved that he has apparently adjusted his views. Clearly necessary. But he truly thought he was acting in their best interests, IMHO.

Well. That was blunt.

 

[Luftgekuehlt67]

I remember Beano Cook all but guaranteeing that Kirk would be Bill Cowher's successor and return to his hometown.

Cook was annoying, but frequently spot on. But not on this one. Any rumors of Ferentz leaving for an NFL job did just what they were intended to do-force Iowa to ante up.

If Beano Cook hadn't sampled so much of Beano's Cook he might still be with us today.

Beano Cook! I had completely forgotten about that dude.

 

[okeefe4prez]

There’s literally nothing appealing about the NFL if you’re already a semi-successful and long-tenured P5 coach.

The only appealing NFL job is the one where a guy from a solid team with all the pieces in place is retiring. Like the Steelers job when Cowher left and the Cowboys job when Johnson left. Other than that it is a house of pain. Your tenure is exclusively in the control of your QB, the salary cap and the injury bug. For every guy like Belichick who lucks into a situation where he has not one, but two franchise quarterbacks on his roster and strings together an unreal run, there are 50 other guys who got chewed the hell up and spit out.

 

[Ian Pike Hammer]

The offensive line is, well, offensive too. At this point, no quarterback could survive with that blocking.

That's b/c they stopped drafting Iowa players!

 

[BILLBUCKNER]

I’m a Packer fan so this isn’t me being positive, all the Bears need is a QB. They have an elite defense and some good skill guys. The problem is the whole team knows their dogshit QB can’t score any points so it doesn’t matter how well they play and they are quitting.

Yep, the NFL is a QB league. Bears have been futile in finding a decent QB. Just crazy they can't figure it out.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Beano Cook! I had completely forgotten about that dude.

By the end of his life he looked worse than Lee Corso on TV.

 

[Northside Hawk]

Yep, the NFL is a QB league. Bears have been futile in finding a decent QB. Just crazy they can't figure it out.

They've certainly dealt with enough good ones in their own division....

They gutted their draft in 2009 to get Jay Cutler. It went a long way toward Denver playing in two super bowls in the mid 2010's.

They traded up to draft Trubisky, passing on DeShawn Watson and Patrick Mahomes who they could probably have traded DOWN for and still drafted. No worries. Ryan Pace liked the fact that Trubisky was humble enough to drive a used Toyota Camry or whatever it was. You know the McCaskey's were smitten as well.