Joe Labas

[Hawkboys]

Absolutely correct.

P5 football is as close to the mafia in structure as it gets.

Don Kirk, too bad Brian wasn't "Made"

 

[Fryowa]

Don Kirk, too bad Brian wasn't "Made"

Brian = Fredo.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

Wrong.

People whose names are on buildings and on the walls of athletics facilities "had Goetz pull the trigger."

Wilson stays out of sports. You think she's going to mess with Brian Ferentz's situation when her official comment during the Rob Sand fiasco was, "not interested" in commenting? That's a direct quote from her.

And Barta's had a nice run ever since.

 

[SwirlinLingerie]

Wrong.

People whose names are on buildings and on the walls of athletics facilities "had Goetz pull the trigger."

Wilson stays out of sports. You think she's going to mess with Brian Ferentz's situation when her official comment during the Rob Sand fiasco was, "not interested" in commenting? That's a direct quote from her.

I think we're saying the same thing. Wilson doesn't want to deal with sports and the Bri thing was increasingly something she was hearing about from a reputation standpoint. She didn't give a shit until she had to. I don't doubt donor influence.

 

[HawkPowerlifter]

I think it was a plethora of things that made this ugly. Barta's attempt try to address Brian's poor performance with the stipulations for points per game. Which only made national news and become a focus by national media. It became an embarrassment to say the least. Memes flew and every week it was discussed on talk shows, podcasts and so on.

Kirk has run a successful program. Hayden (god love him) left the cupboards bare and Kirk took the torch and has made the program a successful program for much of a quarter century. KF is a polarizing figure in this state and respected by most nationally.

The ugliness of this was the nepotism and the lack of success the last few years with Brian at OC. And with it under the national spotlight and growing frustration. Absolutely, the people writing checks became increasingly irritated for the situation.

Goetz was the "cleaner". I think she was given the marching orders to fire Brian. Something Barta couldn't do. I do believe that there was the hope that Brian would get through the season and with the terms not being met on his contract, he would just go away.

The temperature in the room got too hot with the threats of taking big money elsewhere, and Goetz's hand was forced. Much to the dismay of KF, this happened mid season to save face and keep the money train flowing.

Obviously, KF was not happy not only because it's not how he has ever conducted things with his assistants but I'm sure with it being his son, it added a little salt to the wound. In a perfect world, I think Brian survived the season, and found other employment, but with the other factors, an announcement and decision had to be made at that time.

I have also heard that Barta was a great fundraiser but hated the NIL and didn't work with the Swarm well. Goetz allegedly has embraced the collective and has a positive relationship with them which is necessary in this day and age.

I will always be a pro-KF guy and I think he has earned his right to do about anything he wants. But I can admit there was a blind spot when it came to Brian and how it was handled. KF was given the reigns to do whatever he thought was best for team. He has had success in doing it his way but with some of the losses of recruits and how the NIL has changed the terrain of recruiting, what Goetz did was necessary for the program.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Both Alabama and Michigan also prefer game managers to playmakers in their QB rooms. But they both have infinitely better gameplans to put their game managers into more manageable 3rd downs or avoid them altogether.

True but they also get stud WR's which can really help the game managing QB, especially with another option of throwing a bit more downfield to keep the D from sitting on the out routes, screens and all short plays by the offense.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

If QBs can't get on the field here, they generally do not have success elsewhere. About the only exception is Nic Shimonek, but he didn't see the field because he was behind Ruddock and Beathard.

Christensen went to an Ill directional school and had some success. There was another QB I think from AZ or a SW state that ended up having success elsewhere. His name slips my mind at this moment.

Oh Cody Sokol??

 

[MelroseHawkins]

KF said continually through Hill's struggles that he gave Iowa the best chance to win. He said Deacon was clearly ahead of Labas and Lainez.

What does that tell you?

Tells me two things.

1) We really have QB roster issues.
2) Iowa's QB room (Coaching/Direction/Development) is a complete mess.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

What I want to know is if he will blow his knee out carrying his books to class?

Man your old. They don't have books anymore.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Naaah, I don't even think a Jordan Palmer-quarterback-guru-type can fix Deacon. He is just not a good enough quarterback on a P-5 level.

When he was in the portal, no other P5 team bit on him. All others were lower or directional schools from what I remember hearing when he was being interviewed. It almost sounded like he pretty much gave up on a P5 level team and then at the end here comes Iowa and he took it.

Was that Budmayr?

 

[MelroseHawkins]

My boss is a six-figure a year donor to football and 5 figure to wrestling. He's medium potatoes compared to a lot of them. I can tell you with 100% certainty Beth Goetz was told by a group of very wealthy people who write very big checks, that those checks would stop if Brian Ferentz wasn't let go. If you want me to name names, you're out of luck. I couldn't give a shit less if you believe me or not. I actually kind of like it that you don't believe me. It gives me material.

If you don't in fact believe me, maybe you should listen to podcasts of certain Iowa media. They've said the same as me and I'm sure you trust them more.

Honestly though, if you think Beth Goetz is 1) making this decision on her own, and 2) has the power to do so on her own, you are a moron. That's not an insult, it's the truth. If you think for one second that she could waltz into a program brand new and start firing people like Brian Ferentz, you are simply not intelligent when it comes to the workings of P5 football. If she did so without donor direction or approval, she would be run out of town on rails.

I also happen to know (again, whether you believe me or not is none of my concern), that Beth Goetz was head hunted by donors as a replacement for Gary Farta. But I'm sure you think the BOR and president went out looking for a new AD and found her just waiting in the wings...right?

This is absolutely correct. As an interim, she would have just waited until the end of the season I think.

When do you think they will announce her as the new permanent AD? How come they haven't yet???? Kind of weird.

 

[CP87]

Christensen went to an Ill directional school and had some success. There was another QB I think from AZ or a SW state that ended up having success elsewhere. His name slips my mind at this moment.

Oh Cody Sokol??

Are you thinking Wiegers at Eastern Michigan? He got beat out by Stanley, and had one okay year at EMU as a grad transfer (didn't light the world on fire there).

Good call on Sokol, he had a good season at La Tech. He was in the 2012 class with Rudock, so also ended up being behind Rudock and Beathard.

You know what is wild? It is possible that Rudock and Sokol (2012 recruiting class) and Beathard and Shimonek (2013 recruiting class) are the 4 best QBs that have been on Iowa's roster in the last decade, and they were all in the QB room at the same time. At the very least, I think you can make a strong argument they take up 4 spots of the top 5 based upon proven college production (Stanley with the remaining spot). Maybe we need to give Davis more credit than we do, especially as a QB recruiter and coach.

bonus Iowa QB transfer info: Peyton Mansell (Abilene Christian) and Ryan Boyle (Ind St.) both transferred and had mild success at lower levels, nothing eye-popping

 

[CP87]

Who was our QB that wasn't starting, but who stuck around and served as an emergency punter for us? Was that Christensen?

 

[BigD]

Man you’re old. They don't have books anymore.

Lol, good point. Blow his knee out carrying his laptop????

I am not as old as the Kirkster and his offensive dinosaur philosophy.

 

[ChosenChildren]

Agreed with all of that, however, there is that "IF" word in both comments. Here's a what if for you all, what if the new OC is an outsider coming in, and he doesn't like the McNamara situation? He wants his own guy, who has two good legs and talent.

He won't bring that type of O coordinator into the program.

It will be McNamara and then Hill or Lainez #2. That is my prediction. He won't bring a QB in from the portal.

 

[ChosenChildren]

They do need to seriously look at McNamara and figure out why these injuries keep happening to his legs.

I may be laughed at for the following comment, but is it the type of shoes the Iowa players wear? When Cooper DeJean goes down with a non-contact injury, something doesn't add up. Foot stuck in the ground? That shouldn't ever happen - the foot needs to "give" or "slip" a little bit if a cut or a pivot is too severe.

I really think the footwear is an issue at Iowa.

 

[ShemHawk]

Who was our QB that wasn't starting, but who stuck around and served as an emergency punter for us? Was that Christensen?

Are you thinking of Wienke?

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

They do need to seriously look at McNamara and figure out why these injuries keep happening to his legs.

I may be laughed at for the following comment, but is it the type of shoes the Iowa players wear? When Cooper DeJean goes down with a non-contact injury, something doesn't add up. Foot stuck in the ground? That shouldn't ever happen - the foot needs to "give" or "slip" a little bit if a cut or a pivot is too severe.

I really think the footwear is an issue at Iowa.

If you ask the NFL dudes, it's the turf monster. I don't actually know how many injuries field turf causes that natural grass wouldn't.

 

[kicker22]

If you ask the NFL dudes, it's the turf monster. I don't actually know how many injuries field turf causes that natural grass wouldn't.

I don't know football specifics, however in professional soccer turf contributes to 20% more non-contact injuries when compared to natural grass. I can only imagine that the percentages are higher in football.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I don't know football specifics, however in professional soccer turf contributes to 20% more non-contact injuries when compared to natural grass. I can only imagine that the percentages are higher in football.

It's either a turf issue or it's an issue that these players are now just getting to big and fast for one's body to handle. I sometimes wonder about that, if the players are pushing the limits of what a human body can handle. I would think the turf now would be engineered to be a more consistent surface and better than dirt/grass field. I mean, we all know the inconsistent ruts in natural fields that can occur and change with weather. I would think the turf would be better now. It's not like it is the old Astro turf back in the early 1980's.