Kirk Ferentz: Living Legend
- Thread starter JonDMiller
- Start date
blubberhawk
Well-Known Member
Ferentz has better wins and worse losses.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
Good, simple way of putting it.
Iowa's football program was dead when Hayden Fry took over. Also, there was far less oversight and parity like there is today. Hayden made Iowa relevant.
The question for me is could Kirk Ferentz do back then what Hayden Fry did? Honestly we'll never know. I do believe and am confident KF would admit, without Hayden Fry, he wouldn't be anywhere close to where he's at now.
My two cents, and that's all my opinion is worth, KF is a living legend just by the fact he stayed in one place for this long. Also, what he and his wife have done for Iowa City, the hospital in particular, adds to his legacy.
As Jon said, KF is a good coach. At least his record says he is. He's not a great coach, but a good one.
If my son were a non-skill player I'd love him to play for KF. If he's a skill player, likely not.
The question for me is could Kirk Ferentz do back then what Hayden Fry did? Honestly we'll never know. I do believe and am confident KF would admit, without Hayden Fry, he wouldn't be anywhere close to where he's at now.
My two cents, and that's all my opinion is worth, KF is a living legend just by the fact he stayed in one place for this long. Also, what he and his wife have done for Iowa City, the hospital in particular, adds to his legacy.
As Jon said, KF is a good coach. At least his record says he is. He's not a great coach, but a good one.
If my son were a non-skill player I'd love him to play for KF. If he's a skill player, likely not.
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ArvadaHawk
Well-Known Member
i would also. but i would have also loved my son to go play for hayden. it would be interesting to see what hayden could do with one of the more flush athletic departments in the country and all of the bells and whistles kirk now has. lets also not forget that it was hayden that lit the fuse for the explosion of financial support from iowa donors to the athletic department.
Kirk has a much better agent. Probably the biggest difference. His name being floated for the NY Giants job is proof. If the Giants take a shot at a 64 year old anti analytics guy, who doesn’t really get involved in play calling and believes in hard work over talent...it’s not the 80s nfl anymore. I’m thinking that KF is trying for another leverage angle against UI/ Barta-maybe Kirk as AD? Maybe Brian as HC? Interesting that both probably cannot happen. Too much Ferentz.
earlkoppelman
Well-Known Member
Like me his AGENT Has a WEIRD sense of humor? Giants job.?? One prays he takes it huh?
Yes KF is very good coach, not good and not great but in between at very good. Maybe his non-game day management is better than some of his game day decisions. I have heard him talk about graduation rates being important and developing players as good people and in this regard I think he is an excellent person. His players graduate at a very high level, KF runs a clean program from what we know, and he cares about his players from what we know (and especially comments of his players).
But I can't go with living legend based on "inspiring many people and philanthropy" because with that definition there would be all types of CEOs of large corporations who would qualify yet they would fall short in many other areas. I try to reserve living legend to people who cure diseases, have a positive effect on large numbers of people, etc. I might say that Ferentz is a HOF coach and a great person is enough of adjective. I would keep the discussion mostly in the frame of the game of football and it is interesting that the article puts KF up there with Hayes and Schembechler who were curmudgeons. I heard Bo many times on postgames and he was very slow to give his opponents any credit. KF is very good with his opponents which goes to his humility.
Living legends might be FDR, Winston Churchill, Michael Faraday who was well known in his time, Thomas Edison, Tesla who took Faraday's ideas to electrify the world, Jonas Salk and polio vaccine, Alex Fleming, Banting and Best and isolation of insulin. And there are many others through history who have highly affected the lives of millions.
Who are some of your living legends in the past and present?
But I can't go with living legend based on "inspiring many people and philanthropy" because with that definition there would be all types of CEOs of large corporations who would qualify yet they would fall short in many other areas. I try to reserve living legend to people who cure diseases, have a positive effect on large numbers of people, etc. I might say that Ferentz is a HOF coach and a great person is enough of adjective. I would keep the discussion mostly in the frame of the game of football and it is interesting that the article puts KF up there with Hayes and Schembechler who were curmudgeons. I heard Bo many times on postgames and he was very slow to give his opponents any credit. KF is very good with his opponents which goes to his humility.
Living legends might be FDR, Winston Churchill, Michael Faraday who was well known in his time, Thomas Edison, Tesla who took Faraday's ideas to electrify the world, Jonas Salk and polio vaccine, Alex Fleming, Banting and Best and isolation of insulin. And there are many others through history who have highly affected the lives of millions.
Who are some of your living legends in the past and present?
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
I agree with you, but I think you're missing the context.
Jon can speak for himself, but I don't think he meant living legend in a worldly context. Rather, Kirk and Hayden are both living legends within the context of Iowa football.
Given the subjectivity, some will never agree, but, given that context, when you tally the combination of longevity, results, philanthropy, honor, humbleness and legacy, it's hard to argue that neither isn't.
Bigtenchamp
Well-Known Member
Kirk has been an enormously successful coach here. I also know people who have dealt with him personally and he from second hand accounts he is a super cool dude. He is great at developing players on the O-line and defense. There isn't anyone better. However his ability to adapt with the times has been difficult. I'd say back in the early 2000's he was possibly the best coach in the nation. As the game has evolved in various ways he has had trouble adapting (eventhough he has tried at times). I've been a part of two successful coaches for Iowa football fandom (Fry and Ferentz) so I've only been through the good times. Fry was innovative and his offenses were often explosive.. though in Fry's later days his teams got pretty predictable. But the article wasn't really about all that.
Great piece Jon.
Great piece Jon.
yeah living legend in the sport of football is ok to say but maybe I missed Jon writing and meaning that. Not going to reread the article.
trj
Well-Known Member
It is the worse losses that causes the debate. It is the worse loses that Iowa isn’t Wisconsin. Ferentz’s record as double digit favorite is what? I am not going to do the homework on this, but if I recall it ain’t great.
trj
Well-Known Member
hawkeyes87
Well-Known Member
Come on 82. I think these guys fail the "living" part of "living legend".
I agree they're more "legendary"/ historically important than a football coach, but in my book a person can't be a living legend after they stop breathing. Call me crazy...
HawkGold
Well-Known Member
So what happens when he dies?
hawkeyes87
Well-Known Member
Hopefully "legend". I don't want any "undead legend"!
Haha, well they were living legends in their time on Earth, I figured that was obvious, not that they are "living legends" now.
And maybe the more important point is those people I mentioned are legends long after they died. I dont know too many people bringing Paul Bear Bryant up all the time as a legend.
HawkGold
Well-Known Member
How so better wins? OSU about the same. HF did beat M when M was arguably better. Nebraska when Nebraska was great. He did pretty well against UCLA when they were pretty good outside the Rose. He beat Washington outside of the Rose. He beat Texas.
He beat some pretty good Illinois teams.
Commings beat PSU when they were pretty good and UCLA.
Some of you are totally leaving reason off the keyboard.
There are 2 differences. KF changed culture in so many ways. The other is that seldom did you feel HF teams left a lot on the table. Maybe late with prevent D...maybe.
CJHawkeye
Well-Known Member
Oh get off your high horse. Because someone doesn't feel the same way as you they must be a moral-less (by your definition) ne'er do well? Is being a judgemental asshole an "Iowa value"?
