My Attempt to Read the Iowa Football Tea Leaves

Fortunately, maybe KF and athletic dept are not waiting until Feb just before or after signing day to make any off season moves, as has been done in past...it does smell highly like a PR ploy to keep eyeballs around this fall...

I'm guessing no new names will be mentioned as new hires yet, as iirc the university has to publically post the job openings (seemed silly, but wasn't that the case in the past?) for like 2 or 3 weeks.

Presser is probably a way to announce upcoming vacated asst positions, and I agree that KF is in all probability going to keep GD around if he is looking to really "attempt" to go forward with CJB.

If JD is spot on about Texans' O-line vacancy, the NFL team is probably pressuring to release BF name asap. Another reason for the Jan presser.

We shall see...
 
Among the possible changes it wouldn't surprise me if Reese Morgan finally makes his retirement official after a couple years of rumors of such action. I think it fits the Ferentz MO to announce changes prior to the Feb signing date for recruits thus allowing them to change decisions vs. being accused of playing games with their future.
 
JonDMiller said:
This January two deep is (I think) unprecedented for Kirk...and this January presser next weeks is incredibly rare..the last one was following the bowl-less 2007 season, then there was Rhabdo in Jan of 2011. Here is an expanded version of what I think is going down

http://hawkeyenation.com/football/reading-two-deep-tea-leaves
Click to expand...

I believe you threw as much at the wall as possible. Might be right, might be full of nothin. Buzz up north for the presser and ask him.
 
The only reason to keep GD is if he still wants to hand the reigns over to BF the following year. If Brian leaves and he keeps GD, the writing will be on the wall.
 
The fact is that shuffling the depth chart and shuffling assistant coaches won't help. Therefore, those are not the "changes" that will get me to support KF again. He made changes to his staff 3 years ago and it has not helped. Our recruiting has not improved at all. Our players actually look like they are coached less effectively than they were 3 years ago. KF made the hiring decisions in '12, so that's on him. I think KF has proven that he cannot relinquish enough control over his assistants to hire the kinds of coaches that we would need to drastically improve recruiting and schemes.
....and next year's O-line? I agree. A guy could get himself killed playing behind that O-line.
 
JonDMiller said:
This January two deep is (I think) unprecedented for Kirk...and this January presser next weeks is incredibly rare..the last one was following the bowl-less 2007 season, then there was Rhabdo in Jan of 2011. Here is an expanded version of what I think is going down

http://hawkeyenation.com/football/reading-two-deep-tea-leaves
Click to expand...

Why would Jake Rudock transfer after this season to possibly play 1 year at another school? Rudock is no Russell Wilson and his career will definitely be in something other than football. As smart as the kid seems to be, I wouldn't be surprised at all if he stayed at Iowa and got his graduate degree at Iowa. Academics are going to carry Jake a whole lot further than transferring to another school to possibly play for 1 year. If he is thinking long term in his career, I just don't see where transferring to possibly play QB at another school is in his best interest.
 
Releasing a 2 deep with cjb as starter is just an attempt to boost season ticket sails (as John states, supply the fans with hope). However, I think putting Kirk in front of the media again may be counterproductive unless he has significant new and hope inspiring information to share. I don't classify assistant coaching changes as hope inspiring.
 
Here is my prediction on what happens:

-KF leaves the 3 at top in place (Himself, Greg Davis, and Phil Parker).
-Three to five position coaches are changed.
-CJB is the QB
-Move around some linebackers
-Offensive and defensive schemes remain exactly the same.

Kirk Ferentz will then proclaim that all issues have been address........result is we get more of the same with a few different position coaches......basically more stale KF solutions.

Watch out, this will get really, really ugly if both Brian moves on, and Reese retires. That just means that KF is throwing a life line to those he really cares about, and is getting them out, before he goes down with the ship.
 
knighthawk13 said:
The only reason to keep GD is if he still wants to hand the reigns over to BF the following year. If Brian leaves and he keeps GD, the writing will be on the wall.
Click to expand...

Barring a major turnaround, Brian Ferentz will never be the OC at Iowa under Kirk Ferentz.
 
ImInTheSouth said:
Releasing a 2 deep with cjb as starter is just an attempt to boost season ticket sails (as John states, supply the fans with hope). However, I think putting Kirk in front of the media again may be counterproductive unless he has significant new and hope inspiring information to share. I don't classify assistant coaching changes as hope inspiring.
Click to expand...
The best thing KF could do in that press conference would be to tell the unabashed truth, show a definitive willingness to do what it takes to win another BIG title and cease and desist all snarkyness.
The worst thing he could do is come out and fire Gary Barta only to announce Mary Ferentz as his replacement.
At this point....it's 50/50.
 
ColoradoHAWKEYE said:
Fortunately, maybe KF and athletic dept are not waiting until Feb just before or after signing day to make any off season moves, as has been done in past...it does smell highly like a PR ploy to keep eyeballs around this fall...

I'm guessing no new names will be mentioned as new hires yet, as iirc the university has to publically post the job openings (seemed silly, but wasn't that the case in the past?) for like 2 or 3 weeks.

Presser is probably a way to announce upcoming vacated asst positions, and I agree that KF is in all probability going to keep GD around if he is looking to really "attempt" to go forward with CJB.

If JD is spot on about Texans' O-line vacancy, the NFL team is probably pressuring to release BF name asap. Another reason for the Jan presser.

We shall see...
Click to expand...


Naah, The Texans have more pressing issues than finding another O-line coach.........one of them is finding a QB.
 
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This should make for an interesting off season for sure.... The coaching carousel will continue to swirl and what assistants will be back and or replaced will fascinating. I would love to know how this depth chart release came to be and why. A bunch of people have been in Ferentzs ear since the bowl game and it'd be interesting to know who's impacted him to do this.
 
lightning1 said:
The fact is that shuffling the depth chart and shuffling assistant coaches won't help. Therefore, those are not the "changes" that will get me to support KF again. He made changes to his staff 3 years ago and it has not helped. Our recruiting has not improved at all. Our players actually look like they are coached less effectively than they were 3 years ago. KF made the hiring decisions in '12, so that's on him. I think KF has proven that he cannot relinquish enough control over his assistants to hire the kinds of coaches that we would need to drastically improve recruiting and schemes.
....and next year's O-line? I agree. A guy could get himself killed playing behind that O-line.
Click to expand...

I agree with your assessment that he needs to relinquish his control over the assistants. That being said I also see a need for the OC and DC to be released and get some new blood on board that can defy Kirk to some degree. We need a proven OC that will be given free reign to run the offense that he see fits the personnel that we have. He can be hamstrung by Kirk in any fashion. That OC should have complete control of the offense and the personnel in his offense. No more Wiesman plays over Daniels/Canzeri crap. Kirk can still work with the line as that seems to be his passion and it's a place that we need help with but let the OC run the offense. I think to some degree Phil Parker is serviceable but he strikes me as as yes man type of guy. I'd prefer someone with some passion and fire than what I see out of him. Scheme wise I think we are fine but our defense lacks playmakers. I also think the trial run for the recruiting coordinator Seth Wallace can be let go. His Valdosta State roots did not serve him well in this recruiting class and its time to get someone in there that can recruit. In both the new OC DC hires BOTH need to be BOSSES on the recruiting front. If I remember right I know Norm Parker didn't recruit but I thought I read something that GD doesn't recruit. This is 2015, and I can't think of any worthy staff that the OC or DC gets a hall pass from recruiting. The focus as you can see in my dissertation needs to be on coaches that are freaks at recruiting. The x's and o's will fall into place when we get better recruits.
 
lightning1 said:
The fact is that shuffling the depth chart and shuffling assistant coaches won't help. Therefore, those are not the "changes" that will get me to support KF again. He made changes to his staff 3 years ago and it has not helped. Our recruiting has not improved at all. Our players actually look like they are coached less effectively than they were 3 years ago. KF made the hiring decisions in '12, so that's on him. I think KF has proven that he cannot relinquish enough control over his assistants to hire the kinds of coaches that we would need to drastically improve recruiting and schemes.
....and next year's O-line? I agree. A guy could get himself killed playing behind that O-line.
Click to expand...

This^. It doesn't matter what changes are made, as long as Ferentz is here it will be more of the same. Recruiting is worse now than it has been in a long time, KF made changes 3 years ago, and the program is in worse shape now. He is not capable of hiring the assistants necessary to recruit at a high level, and install a brand of football that will bring the more talented skill players we so desperately need. The slate needs to be wiped completely clean in Iowa City. Until then, the program will continue to sink. Those 2 deeps that were posted are a pathetic attempt to appease the fans and try and generate some excitement. Never before has KF done this, so why now? Also, I don't recall in recent memory seeing an Iowa football 2 deep so devoid of talent on both sides of the ball. Tough times are ahead next year, and even worse after that as the schedule gets tougher again.
 
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