Ol’ KF Has Rebuilt the “O”

[HuckFinn]

You have to read Chad L.’s latest article on Hawk Central. Back when Brian was on his way out, I harped on the need to get someone from the NFL to resurrect Iowa’s O. That is precisely what KF did. That was predictable because KF trusts the NFL. His program is widely recognized as being highly organized around NFL principles. So, the article clearly implies that KF made major changes with Tim Lester’s expertise. In short, Kirk is a lot smarter than we thought. Catch the part in the article where it becomes pretty clear why coach puts so many into the NFL already “ready.”

I promise you will be amazed when you read this stuff. And, your confidence in Tim and some recent staff additions will grow. You will see the plan.

Yes. Results come next. No excuses.

 

[haydensly]

I read the article, it was excellent. Leistekow really does a nice job, IMO. It's hard not to get too excited after reading this. But, like you said, no excuses.

 

[guffus]

For those of who don't have access, can you summarize what the article said?

 

[HuckFinn]

For those of who don't have access, can you summarize what the article said?

Wish I could help, but would likely be a futile effort on my part. Will take another look. Damn. You would really soak this up. Right up your alley.

 

[trj]

My biggest complaint against Kirk is that he is reactive, instead of being proactive. Granted, he was never forced into a position where he had to be proactive. Kirk deserves credit for changing, I would my make the argument that in his 26 year run at Iowa, you wish that he could have been a little quicker cracking the code.

 

[JoeyLabasForPresident]

Someone with access can archive the page here:

Wayback Machine

web.archive.org

 

[Grady]

For those of who don't have access, can you summarize what the article said?

1. Lester's offense, the 'Shanahan system' is extremely complicated. Each play is often 2 sentences long, with a single word change indicating a completely different play.
2. Almost no other college teams run the offense, due to its complexity.
3. This fact will be a huge advantage when facing college defenses in the future, when Iowa QBs are familiar enough with the offense to audible at the LOS to adjust to what the defenses are doing.
4. Iowa QBs were not able to do this last season, so coaches had to make the adjustments at halftime, which explains why Iowa's offense was so much better in the 2nd half of games last season.
5. Most NFL offenses run some variation of the 'Shanahan system', so Iowa's players drafted this past year were substantially ahead of other draftees, according to NFL coaches.
6. This should create an advantage for Iowa in recruiting going forward, if players want to be best prepared for the NFL.
7. This will be especially true of QBs. He expects to be able to recruit the top QBs in the nation, selling them on the idea Iowa will get them most ready for the NFL.

 

[haydensly]

1. Lester's offense, the 'Shanahan system' is extremely complicated. Each play is often 2 sentences long, with a single word change indicating a completely different play.
2. Almost no other college teams run the offense, due to its complexity.
3. This fact will be a huge advantage when facing college defenses in the future, when Iowa QBs are familiar enough with the offense to audible at the LOS to adjust to what the defenses are doing.
4. Iowa QBs were not able to do this last season, so coaches had to make the adjustments at halftime, which explains why Iowa's offense was so much better in the 2nd half of games last season.
5. Most NFL offenses run some variation of the 'Shanahan system', so Iowa's players drafted this past year were substantially ahead of other draftees, according to NFL coaches.
6. This should create an advantage for Iowa in recruiting going forward, if players want to be best prepared for the NFL.
7. This will be especially true of QBs. He expects to be able to recruit the top QBs in the nation, selling them on the idea Iowa will get them most ready for the NFL.

Nice summary.

 

[Grady]

I think the above optimistic scenario would be more likely prior to the NIL era. While players looking for stability will gravitate more and more to Iowa City, that's not necessarily the BEST players -- those guys are typically looking for the most cash, and most exposure, i.e. conference championships, playoff titles, etc. That ain't gonna be Iowa going forward.
A system that takes 2 years for each player to learn is not conducive to the massive transfer portal movements we've seen in recent years. Maybe that will change going forward. But I doubt it.

 

[HuckFinn]

1. Lester's offense, the 'Shanahan system' is extremely complicated. Each play is often 2 sentences long, with a single word change indicating a completely different play.
2. Almost no other college teams run the offense, due to its complexity.
3. This fact will be a huge advantage when facing college defenses in the future, when Iowa QBs are familiar enough with the offense to audible at the LOS to adjust to what the defenses are doing.
4. Iowa QBs were not able to do this last season, so coaches had to make the adjustments at halftime, which explains why Iowa's offense was so much better in the 2nd half of games last season.
5. Most NFL offenses run some variation of the 'Shanahan system', so Iowa's players drafted this past year were substantially ahead of other draftees, according to NFL coaches.
6. This should create an advantage for Iowa in recruiting going forward, if players want to be best prepared for the NFL.
7. This will be especially true of QBs. He expects to be able to recruit the top QBs in the nation, selling them on the idea Iowa will get them most ready for the NFL.

Thanks, man! You did a great job! The article sure has me excited.

 

[SCHawkeye2]

1. Lester's offense, the 'Shanahan system' is extremely complicated. Each play is often 2 sentences long, with a single word change indicating a completely different play.
2. Almost no other college teams run the offense, due to its complexity.
3. This fact will be a huge advantage when facing college defenses in the future, when Iowa QBs are familiar enough with the offense to audible at the LOS to adjust to what the defenses are doing.
4. Iowa QBs were not able to do this last season, so coaches had to make the adjustments at halftime, which explains why Iowa's offense was so much better in the 2nd half of games last season.
5. Most NFL offenses run some variation of the 'Shanahan system', so Iowa's players drafted this past year were substantially ahead of other draftees, according to NFL coaches.
6. This should create an advantage for Iowa in recruiting going forward, if players want to be best prepared for the NFL.
7. This will be especially true of QBs. He expects to be able to recruit the top QBs in the nation, selling them on the idea Iowa will get them most ready for the NFL.

I recall a fair amount of discussion on this board regarding the 'complexity' of the previous OC's offense. So much so, it became an regular excuse for not playing underclassmen or backups at the offensive skill positions. (see Deacon Hill)
I hope the offensive talent we have on board will be up to the tasks associated with a more complex offense.

 

[HuckFinn]

I recall a fair amount of discussion on this board regarding the 'complexity' of the previous OC's offense. So much so, it became an regular excuse for not playing underclassmen or backups at the offensive skill positions. (see Deacon Hill)
I hope the offensive talent we have on board will be up to the tasks associated with a more complex offense.

Yes. And a O coordinator who is an good teacher and a guy who has recruited his own QB’s and receivers.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

I recall a fair amount of discussion on this board regarding the 'complexity' of the previous OC's offense. So much so, it became an regular excuse for not playing underclassmen or backups at the offensive skill positions. (see Deacon Hill)
I hope the offensive talent we have on board will be up to the tasks associated with a more complex offense.

The most maddening contradiction of the KFz tenure. The offense is so complex it takes a long time to learn, while at the same time opponents say it's so predictable.

 

[SCHawkeye2]

The most maddening contradiction of the KFz tenure. The offense is so complex it takes a long time to learn, while at the same time opponents say it's so predictable.

Agree. Never understood why the worst offense in FBS was so difficult to master.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

Agree. Never understood why the worst offense in FBS was so difficult to master.

If your offense is hard to learn and it doesn't produce at a high level...there just might be something wrong with your offense.

 

[trj]

The most maddening contradiction of the KFz tenure. The offense is so complex it takes a long time to learn, while at the same time opponents say it's so predictable.

We all have seen it. Linebackers and safeties coming down hill, and crashing running lanes, even before Iowa can run a play. It has been that way for the last 20 years or so.

 

[NCHawker]

Chad Leistikow's article discusses how Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes are attempting to update and potentially resurrect their offense by implementing a new, NFL-style system. Offensive coordinator Tim Lester believes this system, a variation of the Shanahan offense used by teams like the Dolphins, Rams, 49ers, and Packers, can become a significant recruiting advantage for Iowa.

Leistikow highlights Lester's confidence that once players grasp the complexities of this system, it will translate seamlessly to the NFL, making Iowa an attractive destination for quarterbacks. He notes that while the offense showed improvement in scoring in the latter half of the 2024 season, the passing game still ranked low nationally.

The article points out that learning the system is like learning a new language, but its familiarity in the NFL allows for easier transitions for quarterbacks. With key offensive players returning and the addition of new coaching staff to support Lester, there's optimism that Iowa's offense will take a significant step forward in the upcoming season.

from Generative AI Gemini

 

[NorthKCHawk]

I am not sure praising KF for being stubborn for two years with his dopey, underqualified kid running this offense, only to have his hand forced by his boss, and then finally hiring a competent OC is all that laudable. To be clear, elevating Brian to OC was justifiable at the time. He had put in his time at Iowa and otherwise, and had the pedigree to warrant him as an OC. But, it became clear a few years into his tenure that he had risen above his level of competence and was not a good OC. KF should have nudged Brian out the door at least a season before he did, and honestly, if Beth had not stepped in, I don't know that BF wasn't still there last season. KF wasted some historically good defenses and the last couple of gasps in the BT West by fielding offenses that were a national joke. Just imagine if last season was Lester's second season on campus, what might have been.

Better late than never rings hollow for me right now.

 

[guffus]

Brian's offenses weren't terrible until the 2nd half of 2021. Nate Stanley actual threw a ton of TD passes, thanks in part to Brian recognizing he had 2 TE's with 2st round NFL talent. It also helped that Kirk brought back Ken Okeefe to mentor Brian and act as the QB coach.

I don't know exactly what happened with Ken Okeefe in 2021, but at the end of 2021 KOK decided it was time to retire. It seems like it was Kirk's decision in 2022 to double down on Brian and also make him the QB coach that ended up being a complete disaster.

 

[NorthKCHawk]

Brian's offenses weren't terrible until the 2nd half of 2021. Nate Stanley actual threw a ton of TD passes, thanks in part to Brian recognizing he had 2 TE's with 2st round NFL talent. It also helped that Kirk brought back Ken Okeefe to mentor Brian and act as the QB coach.

I don't know exactly what happened with Ken Okeefe in 2021, but at the end of 2021 KOK decided it was time to retire. It seems like it was Kirk's decision in 2022 to double down on Brian and also make him the QB coach that ended up being a complete disaster.

All true. Stanley is an underrated QB in the KF era. Yes, he was not spectacular, but he could throw a decent ball and his QB sneaks with Lindy were as good as the Eagles. He helped make Brian look better and KOK's veteran presence helped I am sure.

Heck, the offense was down right explosive by Iowa standards the COVID year with Petras as the first year starter. That next season I thought Iowa's offense would be formidable. Man, it got ugly from there. Brian is just not a good OC, and he cannot recruit or develop at the QB position. Took way too long to figure that out. We had a couple playoff worthy defenses paired with junior high level offenses BF's last couple years.