#retireFerentz, not fire

[CJHawkeye]

I'm fairly active on twitter (@imahawki if you care) and I have been tagging some tweets with #FireFerentz in moments of frustration this year and I see more of this tag after Friday. Not that I'm the twitter police or even really care that much but I think that's taking it a bit far. I've started using #retireFerentz instead. My ideal scenario is that Kirk realizes he could potentially damage his legacy if he doesn't time his departure right. Firing him is unrealistic given what he's done and how great a guy he is, but I don't see him finishing out his contract going anywhere good. So he needs to retire.

Part of me has a defeatist attitude and I've started and then closed this new thread page multiple times. But, I think to a degree the fans do need to mobilize. I don't know that students are going to march on Gary or Sally's office a la Michigan (and I'm not a student and don't live in IC) but that doesn't mean we totally give up on applying any heat. If we got #retireFerentz trending on twitter it would be noticed.

 

[1hawkeye1]

I like your sentiment, but I don't think it would matter. KF is gonna do what he do, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

 

[CJHawkeye]

Respectfully, no one is immune to all levels of pressure. Realistically, he's our coach for 1-2 more years. I already don't think he makes it to 2020.

 

[hawkinn3]

Anyone remember that scene in Dirty Harry where the bad guy pays that guy to beat him up so he can blame it on Harry? The guy is getting massacred and keeps saying "every dime".

This is Kirk, we are paying him to punch us in the face at this point and he will give us every dime worth of it.

 

[okeefe4prez]

Holy smokes. I wish I would have thought of this. A hashtag campaign to effectuate change. Best of luck with this endeavor.

#Justice4Trayvon

#Ferguson

 

[CJHawkeye]

This last loss was extra painful. Probably because I live in Omaha and have to hear about it, probably because we ****** away the lead and went away from what was working, probably because we were at the game and had to watch it, fingers and toes numb, surrounded by Husker fans, probably because my 8 year old daughter cried when we lost and then still wanted to buy a tigerhawk charm bracelet afterwards. Mostly it sucks not knowing but really kind of knowing that nothing is going to change.

 

[CJHawkeye]

Holy smokes. I wish I would have thought of this. A hashtag campaign to effectuate change. Best of luck with this endeavor.

#Justice4Trayvon

#Ferguson

Twitter chatter doesn't change anything any more than liking something on facebook cures famine. But it does draw attention. #FireHoke was trending on twitter for weeks going back a couple weeks. People notice, fans notice, the media notices, and the administration notices (assuming they don't have their heads up their butts).

 

[MrPlastic]

Holy smokes. I wish I would have thought of this. A hashtag campaign to effectuate change. Best of luck with this endeavor.

#Justice4Trayvon

#Ferguson

#BringbackVintage

Nice

 

[okeefe4prez]

Twitter chatter doesn't change anything any more than liking something on facebook cures famine. But it does draw attention. #FireHoke was trending on twitter for weeks going back a couple weeks. People notice, fans notice, the media notices, and the administration notices (assuming they don't have their heads up their butts).

#Kony2012

 

[Camhawk]

This last loss was extra painful. Probably because I live in Omaha and have to hear about it, probably because we ****** away the lead and went away from what was working, probably because we were at the game and had to watch it, fingers and toes numb, surrounded by Husker fans, probably because my 8 year old daughter cried when we lost and then still wanted to buy a tigerhawk charm bracelet afterwards. Mostly it sucks not knowing but really kind of knowing that nothing is going to change.

If history gives any indication nothing will change and 2020 will be the next change.

 

[OUTofTOWNHAWK]

Holy smokes. I wish I would have thought of this. A hashtag campaign to effectuate change. Best of luck with this endeavor.

#Justice4Trayvon

#Ferguson

#thumbup #like

 

[Rosebowler]

Kirk will totes see these every time he logs in to twitter!

 

[CJHawkeye]

This thread is probably a pretty good study of where the Iowa fanbase is at. Make fun of fans who are angry and dissatisfied and say nothing is going to change. I never said a twitter campaign would get Ferentz fired or get him to retire. I said it would get noticed and as such would be a factor, as would not buying tickets and not donating to the university and writing a letter to Barta or Mason. If you don't think this particular venue will help then don't participate. I understand what social media will and will not accomplish without your snarky comments.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Holy smokes. I wish I would have thought of this. A hashtag campaign to effectuate change. Best of luck with this endeavor.

#Justice4Trayvon

#Ferguson

Maybe if we put really mopey looks on our faces......

 

[okeefe4prez]

Kirk will totes see these every time he logs in to twitter!

I know that if I was party to a contract that was going to pay me somewhere near $20 million over the next several years, I would totes consider breaking it based on what I read on the twitter. Wouldn't you?

 

[Rosebowler]

I know that if I was party to a contract that was going to pay me somewhere near $20 million over the next several years, I would totes consider breaking it based on what I read on the twitter. Wouldn't you?

Absolutely, especially if I was someone who so strongly values Twitter and socialmedia in general the way Kurt does.

 

[CJHawkeye]

You are posting on a forum run by a man who thinks Ferentz doesn't see 2020 as HC and has stated so multiple times. If you're happy with Ferentz then I'm happy for you. I don't think all of you are.

It isn't about Kirk seeing the tweets for crying out loud. Its about other fans seeing them. Respectfully, if you don't think social media can shape a collective mentality and result in pressuring organizations to make or change decisions then I'm not sure where you've been the past 5 years.

 

[DJL]

Twitter chatter doesn't change anything any more than liking something on facebook cures famine. But it does draw attention. #FireHoke was trending on twitter for weeks going back a couple weeks. People notice, fans notice, the media notices, and the administration notices (assuming they don't have their heads up their butts).

This is a big assumption.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

If history gives any indication nothing will change and 2020 will be the next change.

Before 2020 hits, Iowa either needs to fire KF or he needs to retire. If KF doesn't make any progress with the program and he doesn't retire willingly, you have to fire him or force him to agree to retirement so that he can bow out gracefully. Otherwise you drop the hammer. I'm sure KF would rather be paid.

The only other option is to (gasp!) extend him. Does anyone really want KF hanging around until 2020 with no extension beyond that, and be a lame duck coach the way Tom Davis was? That would really work wonders for recruiting, wouldn't it? Not to mention, the program would be 6 years farther from relevance than it is today.

You can NOT let KF simply hang around and finish out his contract.

If the admins are stupid enough to allow that, then heaven help us.

Edit: All of this is also going under the assumption that the power that be will not fire KF any time in the immediate future.

 

[CJHawkeye]

I'll also add its not about just the hashtag, its about sharing of information. Look at the data Jon has been sharing in his podcast. If you'd quizzed me on things like 1) How many times has Iowa flat out lost when being a double digit favorite? or 2) How many teams under .500 have we lost to? or 3) What is our rank in win % compared to our average recruiting class rank? I probably would have given Iowa more credit than what reality reflects on all of those questions.