Open letter to Ferentz

[whammer33024]

And what is this writers credentials? It is about execution. Every coach and player knows that. If we had executed the other day every time we were in the red zone or even ONE time more, how about if we had executed on D and got ONE more stop, none of this would be brought up.
I have never said a bad word about the schemes these coaches use. They work. Dont think so, watch ball on Sunday sometime. Problem is we seem to have a bunch of kids who think they are playing flag football. I also understand him telling them to calm down, I think he should let them be happy and do a jig for a second, but then it's time to focus again. If you have kids or have coached, you know Bill Cosby was right, they all have brain damage, and trying to keep a younger person focused to be the best they can be is very hard. Dont think so, then you are one of those"that never happens" guys, or a one pump chump. Everything is about focus and execution.

while i understand and somewhat agree with what you're saying, i counter with perhaps ferentz needs to focus on the issues with his schemes and how he executes the decisions made in the program. there is obviously SOMETHING wrong with the schemes if they result in consistent losses to lesser opponents. bad day? maybe. players not showing up? perhaps. but the problem is that we don't have an answer for what happened saturday or what happened against ISU. and that's what bothers me. you're the coach of our program and get paid EXTREMELY well to keep having the same issues year in and year out. "FOCUS" on what the problems are and "EXECUTE" the necessary changes so we don't keep repeating the same inexcusable losses

 

[racerhawk]

And what is this writers credentials? It is about execution. Every coach and player knows that. If we had executed the other day every time we were in the red zone or even ONE time more, how about if we had executed on D and got ONE more stop, none of this would be brought up.
I have never said a bad word about the schemes these coaches use. They work. Dont think so, watch ball on Sunday sometime. Problem is we seem to have a bunch of kids who think they are playing flag football. I also understand him telling them to calm down, I think he should let them be happy and do a jig for a second, but then it's time to focus again. If you have kids or have coached, you know Bill Cosby was right, they all have brain damage, and trying to keep a younger person focused to be the best they can be is very hard. Dont think so, then you are one of those"that never happens" guys, or a one pump chump. Everything is about focus and execution.

The coaches are ultimately responsible for that focus and execution, right?

Having said that (and I fully realize 3 of 4 D linemen from the 2010 squad are in the NFL), our D line and linebackers get pushed all over the field by everyone. You can't coach that up very easily. Maybe next year they are stronger, and a few young guys can contribute.

The offense mystifies me. Lots of weapons. Should've rolled it up on Minny but couldn't convert. That's an ongoing problem for our offense, and is still the biggest issue with this team.

 

[racerhawk]

Coker had more than 100 yards against Indiana last year in the first half, too. There's a trend with this team. They should've lost that one as well. Lots of themes offensively. They SHOULD be rolling at times, and aren't. Minny had 5 first downs heading into the 4th q, and Coker rushed for, I think, around 200 by then. How do you ever lose that game...? Oh well, on to meatchicken.

 

[olddude]

while i understand and somewhat agree with what you're saying, i counter with perhaps ferentz needs to focus on the issues with his schemes and how he executes the decisions made in the program. there is obviously SOMETHING wrong with the schemes if they result in consistent losses to lesser opponents. bad day? maybe. players not showing up? perhaps. but the problem is that we don't have an answer for what happened saturday or what happened against ISU. and that's what bothers me. you're the coach of our program and get paid EXTREMELY well to keep having the same issues year in and year out. "FOCUS" on what the problems are and "EXECUTE" the necessary changes so we don't keep repeating the same inexcusable losses

I agree with some of the play calling problems and clock management problems. He needs to remember that every team he plays is going to try to sneak something by at any given point. It is what it is and only he can change that. But the way he teaches and the schemes they run do work. The old saying goes plan your work and work your plan.

 

[olddude]

The coaches are ultimately responsible for that focus and execution, right?

Having said that (and I fully realize 3 of 4 D linemen from the 2010 squad are in the NFL), our D line and linebackers get pushed all over the field by everyone. You can't coach that up very easily. Maybe next year they are stronger, and a few young guys can contribute.

The offense mystifies me. Lots of weapons. Should've rolled it up on Minny but couldn't convert. That's an ongoing problem for our offense, and is still the biggest issue with this team.

Thats what I was saying, the kids are playing flag football on D. Our O is all execution problems, when they hit they hit, when they are off, they are off. That is focus and execution.

 

[FML]

Bump. Every hawk fans needs to read this.

 

[smoot27]

Poor execution: KF code for, "it's not really my fault, blame the players."

 

[olddude]

Poor execution: KF code for, "it's not really my fault, blame the players."

So if your boss asks you to do something and you dont or you screw it up it's your bosses fault? Heck I heard Bo say the same thing right before half time when they played OSU. They came back out and beat OSU. (granted OSU lost Miller)

 

[BSpringsteen]

Jon, care to respond?

 

[Dominate]

Excellent article. Most honest assessment of the Iowa football program I've seen in a very long time.
I just want to see the Hawks play with the same passion and intensity they did during Coach Ferentz first 3 years at Iowa. We had minimal talent to win games in the Big 10 the first two years but at least the kids played with fire/passion!!

 

[KnightHawk9]

One of the first comments below the article is from a Gopher fan. You guys need some perspective...


I realize it's hard for me to say this as a Gophers fan and not sound like a troll
But you aren’t Auburn, you aren’t Georgia, and you aren’t Tennessee. I read recently a Hawkeyes fan say that his expectations were reasonable; he just wanted to win the Big Ten and play in a BCS bowl every 4-5 years.

Well, Hayden Fry, who coached for 20 years and basically reconstructed Hawkeye football (not that I need to tell you), NEVER had a team finish above #9. In 20 freaking years.

I think there’s a serious sense of spoiled entitlement in Iowa City, thanks in large part due to Kirk Ferentz. Not that you don’t have ever reason this season to expect to beat this years Iowa State and Minnesota teams. But you are in a talentless, rural, and yes, unsexy place (if you’d rather live in Iowa City than Madison, you’re in the minority).

We Gophers fans envy the **** out of you guys for having such an excellent coach. Please, please, please, keep pushing the agenda that Ferentz is the problem. I’ll never try to contradict you again.

by Gophermike on Oct 31, 2011 11:45 AM CDT reply 2 recs

 

[Dominate]

One of the first comments below the article is from a Gopher fan. You guys need some perspective...


I realize it's hard for me to say this as a Gophers fan and not sound like a troll
But you aren’t Auburn, you aren’t Georgia, and you aren’t Tennessee. I read recently a Hawkeyes fan say that his expectations were reasonable; he just wanted to win the Big Ten and play in a BCS bowl every 4-5 years.

Well, Hayden Fry, who coached for 20 years and basically reconstructed Hawkeye football (not that I need to tell you), NEVER had a team finish above #9. In 20 freaking years.

I think there’s a serious sense of spoiled entitlement in Iowa City, thanks in large part due to Kirk Ferentz. Not that you don’t have ever reason this season to expect to beat this years Iowa State and Minnesota teams. But you are in a talentless, rural, and yes, unsexy place (if you’d rather live in Iowa City than Madison, you’re in the minority).

We Gophers fans envy the **** out of you guys for having such an excellent coach. Please, please, please, keep pushing the agenda that Ferentz is the problem. I’ll never try to contradict you again.

by Gophermike on Oct 31, 2011 11:45 AM CDT reply 2 recs

Perspective....yes. Reality is there is no reason the Hawks did not compete hard and beat Minny the past two years. Hawk program has slipped ever since the Mich State game last year and I've seen nothing to make me believe it will turn the corner in the near future.

 

[hawkIhoops]

No offense to Herky01, but I call BS on somebody here. One camp of fans thinks KF is a dictator who tells his coaches how to coach and the other says he is all about autonomy and lets his coordinators do what they want.

A high school coach would do a better job with our offensive play calling and personnel packages or lack thereof. What message is being sent to current players and recruits when we are the only team on the face of the earth that plays ONE RB? Lots of incentive for Johnson, Canizeri, Bullock and McCall to stay. I expect some of these guys to leave... I would. There is some serious talent standing on the sidelines every Saturday being wasted and it makes no sense.

Defensively we have gotten progressively worse as more teams in the conference moved to dynamic offenses. Tiller gave us fits most years, but it was only one game. Now that every other team except Penn State has adopted a mobile QB and some variation of the spread, pistol etc., we get gashed week after week for season highs in points, yards, catches, etc. Crimminy, we turned a juco QB in his 2nd start into the Man of Steel at ISU. I won't even bring up D line recruiting because apparently it hasn't taken place in a few years.

 

[FML]

One of the first comments below the article is from a Gopher fan. You guys need some perspective...


I realize it's hard for me to say this as a Gophers fan and not sound like a troll
But you aren’t Auburn, you aren’t Georgia, and you aren’t Tennessee. I read recently a Hawkeyes fan say that his expectations were reasonable; he just wanted to win the Big Ten and play in a BCS bowl every 4-5 years.

Well, Hayden Fry, who coached for 20 years and basically reconstructed Hawkeye football (not that I need to tell you), NEVER had a team finish above #9. In 20 freaking years.

I think there’s a serious sense of spoiled entitlement in Iowa City, thanks in large part due to Kirk Ferentz. Not that you don’t have ever reason this season to expect to beat this years Iowa State and Minnesota teams. But you are in a talentless, rural, and yes, unsexy place (if you’d rather live in Iowa City than Madison, you’re in the minority).

We Gophers fans envy the **** out of you guys for having such an excellent coach. Please, please, please, keep pushing the agenda that Ferentz is the problem. I’ll never try to contradict you again.

by Gophermike on Oct 31, 2011 11:45 AM CDT reply 2 recs

I can understand the comments from the Gopher fan. Trust me, people have not forgotten the great things Ferentz has done here. Whenever Ferentz leaves, people will remember him the way they remember Hayden Fry. However, something is clearly not working right now with this team and staff.

 

[ohhawk]

Everything is about focus and execution.

It also about being motivated.....something the Coach and staff haven't figured out how to do well enough without 70,000 Hawkeye filling that void for them.

 

[OccupyKinnick]

This pretty much sums up the way I feel, but with a lot more tact.

 

[JonDMiller]

Very well done and largely what I'm thinking, but much more diplomatically.

JonDMiller should read this. Perhaps he would gain some fresh insight.

I read it and it was well done. Fair criticisms one and all, and no jackassery.

 

[cibula11]

One of the first comments below the article is from a Gopher fan. You guys need some perspective...


I realize it's hard for me to say this as a Gophers fan and not sound like a troll
But you aren’t Auburn, you aren’t Georgia, and you aren’t Tennessee. I read recently a Hawkeyes fan say that his expectations were reasonable; he just wanted to win the Big Ten and play in a BCS bowl every 4-5 years.

Well, Hayden Fry, who coached for 20 years and basically reconstructed Hawkeye football (not that I need to tell you), NEVER had a team finish above #9. In 20 freaking years.

I think there’s a serious sense of spoiled entitlement in Iowa City, thanks in large part due to Kirk Ferentz. Not that you don’t have ever reason this season to expect to beat this years Iowa State and Minnesota teams. But you are in a talentless, rural, and yes, unsexy place (if you’d rather live in Iowa City than Madison, you’re in the minority).

We Gophers fans envy the **** out of you guys for having such an excellent coach. Please, please, please, keep pushing the agenda that Ferentz is the problem. I’ll never try to contradict you again.

by Gophermike on Oct 31, 2011 11:45 AM CDT reply 2 recs

All very true. It's the ups and downs of college athletics.

 

[MoseSchrute]

Perspective....yes. Reality is there is no reason the Hawks did not compete hard and beat Minny the past two years. Hawk program has slipped ever since the Mich State game last year and I've seen nothing to make me believe it will turn the corner in the near future.

That's the bottom line. All of the recent evidence we have points downward.

 

[ColoradoHAWKEYE]

I'd sign my name to that original assessment. it's what I feel as well.