Seriously, what's with all the fluff pieces

[SpiderRico]

There have been multiple pieces talking about BF being the "perfect" hire, being "brilliant", being "groomed" for this position, etc.

Look, I like the guy as well. Local kid, part of 2 conference titles, got a cup of coffee in the League, spent 4 years on the NE staff, position coach here...seems smart, aggressive, etc.

But let's be real...we're hiring a guy who has never in his life, at any level of football, designed an entire offense, called a single play in any game, or mentored a single skill player outside of TE. And not only are Jon and Rob okay with this, but are singing his praises as if he's the 2nd coming of Bill Snyder. Have we just decided that critical thinking is not required because his last name is Ferentz?

At the end of the day, BF is only the 6th OC in the last 39 years at Iowa and it's not even close that he's the least qualified of all of them by a country mile. Heck, even KOK was a former HC that had a 79-10 record and won a national championship and he was coming to a team coming off a 3-8 season and had a stable of 250lb OL. After 18 years of KF, and coming off a 12-2 season just a year ago, this is what we end up with? BF may be the best fit, but was he really the best we could do? Seems like another "union card" situation to me...

 

[rschneider]

Its the best you can do if you don't want to try. Or if you want to help your son become a head coach somewhere.

 

[JonDMiller]

There have been multiple pieces talking about BF being the "perfect", being "brilliant", being "groomed" for this position, etc.

Look, I like the guy as well. Local kid, part of 2 conference titles, got a cup of coffee in the League, spent 4 years on the NE staff, position coach here...seems smart, aggressive, etc.

But let's be real...we're hiring a guy who has never in his life, at any level of football, designed an entire offense, called a single play in any game, or mentored a single skill player outside of TE. And not only are Jon and Rob okay with this, but are singing his praises as if he's the 2nd coming of Bill Snyder. Have we just decided that critical thinking is not required because his last name is Ferentz?

At the end of the day, BF is only the 6th OC in the last 39 years at Iowa and it's not even close that he's the least qualified of all of them by a country mile. Heck, even KOK was a former HC that had a 79-10 record and won a national championship. BF may be the best fit, but was he really the best we could do?

For probably the past three seasons, I have felt:

a) that Davis was a horrible fit with what Kirk wants to do and
b) that I think Brian would be a very good fit. And have written and said as much

So...when Davis retires, and KF hires Brian...for me, that is what I wanted to see.

Would you rather me be disingenuous and contrive controversy when I don't buy it? Just because it doesn't fit your narrative doesn't mean that opinions contrary to yours are fluff or intentionally toeing some company line.

So you're skeptical. That's cool, and you've shared it. But just because others have a genuine and different opinion than yours doesn't mean there is an agenda or that there is a lack of critical thinking. It just means we see things differently on this one.

 

[JonDMiller]

At the end of the day, BF is only the 6th OC in the last 39 years at Iowa and it's not even close that he's the least qualified of all of them by a country mile. Heck, even KOK was a former HC that had a 79-10 record and won a national championship and he was coming to a team coming off a 3-8 season and had a stable of 250lb OL. After 18 years of KF, and coming off a 12-2 season just a year ago, this is what we end up with? BF may be the best fit, but was he really the best we could do? Seems like another "union card" situation to me...

Brian has played for or worked for two coaches who will be in their respective Hall of Fames; Kirk Ferentz and Bill Belichick. He was a co-worker and spent tons of times around Bill O'Brien, who wanted to hire him on his staff with Houston. He's grown up on football, high level football. He may be more qualified to be Iowa's OC than Kirk Ferentz was to be Iowa's HC...or just as qualified, given his time around the game and around two future Hall of Famers.

But...since that runs contrary to what you think, or the opinions you hold, folks aren't thinking clearly or critically...which, unfortunately, is a sign of the times. It's not enough just to agree to disagree any more. We live in times where if you disagree with me, you're stupid or you have some hidden agenda.

 

[SpiderRico]

For probably the past three seasons, I have felt:

a) that Davis was a horrible fit with what Kirk wants to do and
b) that I think Brian would be a very good fit. And have written and said as much

So...when Davis retires, and KF hires Brian...for me, that is what I wanted to see.

Would you rather me be disingenuous and contrive controversy when I don't buy it? Just because it doesn't fit your narrative doesn't mean that opinions contrary to yours are fluff or intentionally toeing some company line.

So you're skeptical. That's cool, and you've shared it. But just because others have a genuine and different opinion than yours doesn't mean there is an agenda or that there is a lack of critical thinking. It just means we see things differently on this one.

Never said anything about an agenda...I'll leave that to the board conspiracy theorists. What I was getting at was...where's the questioning attitude as to experience and pedigree...given where Iowa is currently at...which is the 2nd best team in the West and winning 20 games over the last 2 years. With the wealth of experience throughout the country, this is what we get?

 

[SpiderRico]

Brian has played for or worked for two coaches who will be in their respective Hall of Fames; Kirk Ferentz and Bill Belichick. He was a co-worker and spent tons of times around Bill O'Brien, who wanted to hire him on his staff with Houston. He's grown up on football, high level football. He may be more qualified to be Iowa's OC than Kirk Ferentz was to be Iowa's HC...or just as qualified, given his time around the game and around two future Hall of Famers.

But...since that runs contrary to what you think, or the opinions you hold, folks aren't thinking clearly or critically...which, unfortunately, is a sign of the times. It's not enough just to agree to disagree any more. We live in times where if you disagree with me, you're stupid or you have some hidden agenda.

Same argument could be made in reverse...he fits your narrative, so you refuse to even acknowledge or bring up the critical questions that should be asked. And I like how you artfully dodged my comment...that BF is, in fact, our least qualified OC in 39 years:..

 

[HawkeyeHypnosis]

Never said anything about an agenda...I'll leave that to the board conspiracy theorists. What I was getting at was...where's the questioning attitude as to experience and pedigree...given where Iowa is currently at...which is the 2nd best team in the West and winning 20 games over the last 2 years. With the wealth of experience throughout the country, this is what we get?

We just had an OC with wealth of experience. How'd that work out?

 

[uihawk82]

Its the best you can do if you don't want to try. Or if you want to help your son become a head coach somewhere.

Well I think this post hit the nail on the head. This hire was really fast and it makes it surely seem that KF did not talk to anyone else's agents or any other OCs. Did they even post this as an open position?

Now Brian F has done a very good job as run game coord but not so good coaching his Off Line to pass block. I am only hoping that he has absorbed a lot of Bill Obrien and his time with the Pats so he will start using the middle of the field in the passing game. If BF can improve the passing game by 30-50% we should be better.

The deal is done so I hope he can do the job.

 

[SpiderRico]

We just had an OC with wealth of experience. How'd that work out?

So because something doesn't work out once, you give up on it? We all acknowledge it didn't work. Doesn't mean you just shelve ever trying to get an experienced person for the spot...

 

[skinnykilmer17]

No of course not. And anyone who tells you otherwise is either a fool or being disingenuous.

He might be the best "fit" as many "experts" are saying. And what this means is NO OC of quality and in his right mind would work for a HC who admittedly meddles too much with the offense. And a meddler who is quite possibly the least creative and overmatched football mind in college football.

I had to chuckle today as one of those local football radio "experts" reasoned that KF would back off because he didn't want or wouldn't let his son fail. So suddenly KF is gonna back off?? Quite the contrary. I imagine he will exert himself even more for this very reason to disastrous results. Because he thinks he knows offense but really he only knows the line of scrimmage.

 

[proudhawkfan21]

Well here is where the anti KF group realizes that all of their worst nightmares are about to come true. He is going to be groomed for the job of HC. The good news...he has good experience..he is doing a good job at each step along the way..and will have a definite grooming. And if you think sons become their fathers, I think youd be mistaken in this case. He will respect KF as a head coach... but he will challenge him as only family can.

If KF knows he needs a young influence, I think he's comfortable in changing for family. BF is perfectly placed to write his future and if you think his goal is to be the best KF son he can be...you will be in for an education. He has experience as a player. As a leader of one of the most respected program position groups of the last 20 years. He had an NFL experience. He worked under a future Hall of Fame NFL head coach, had direct experience and contact with Bill O'Brien...coached an NFL skill position...knows scheme....and is coaching under a future college hall of fame coach. I like the resume BECAUSE of the family connection. I think knowing scheme and how to attack a defense on the ground is harder than running a wide open West coast offense. With our lack of 4/5 * receiving options every year combined with our use of play action and TE's, I think BF will find a lot of success. He has checked the boxes so far, quite successfully.

 

[JonDMiller]

Never said anything about an agenda...I'll leave that to the board conspiracy theorists. What I was getting at was...where's the questioning attitude as to experience and pedigree...given where Iowa is currently at...which is the 2nd best team in the West and winning 20 games over the last 2 years. With the wealth of experience throughout the country, this is what we get?

Kirk is a lot of things. Stubborn is one of them. He also has a vision for what he believes can consistently be accomplished at Iowa...and after 18 years of his era, and another 20 years of watching Iowa and Big Ten football before that, I have come to agree with him.

Iowa can consistently and repeatedly find and or build offensive linemen...and they have done a great job on the LOS on defense. I think it begins there. So when you know that is going to be the area that you can most likely and confidently get players every year, you build your program around that identity. It's what Hayden did at Iowa, too, although people just remember the occasional flea flicker or statue of liberty play...those were outliers. Iowa won with OL play and stout defense under Hayden Fry, and they also had two QB's in a 6 out of 7 year span (82-85 and then 87-88) where they had slingers at QB...

Iowa has struggled my entire lifetime in recruiting and or retaining playmakers on the outside...and I think they probably always will.

One of the most important lessons I have learned in my life was to recognize what I was not and quit trying to be something I was not wired or meant to be. I think Kirk gets this as it relates to Iowa football...and I know Brian understands who and what Iowa is and what they can be...and I think Brian, more than any other person out there, can make tweaks within that framework that can work.

Iowa is a great place...a unique place...the fans help make it so. But it is also not without its challenges, inherent challenges that have spanned decades and will span decades more; demographics. You can't just close your eyes and wish those challenges don't exist. I have been writing about these things for nearly two decades...and they have...not...changed.... Not that Kirk hasn't changed, but the demographics have not, or will not.

Iowa's best chance is to win at the LOS...and they do that far more than they don't over a span of five or ten years. That is their advantage area. It's not the state that produces enough skill position players to where you tailor your program in that way. You have to go to other states, where the Iowa brand is not #1, and kids don't grow up dreaming about playing for Iowa, to get those players. For every Amara Darboh, there are 8 offensive lineman that you can bring in and hit with. This is just how it is, it's Iowa's lot in life.

So you match a coordinator in a good marriage with your head coach and the realistic lot in life you have....and that is why I think Brian is the perfect fit.

 

[SpiderRico]

No of course not. And anyone who tells you otherwise is either a fool or being disingenuous.

He might be the best "fit" as many "experts" are saying. And what this means is NO OC of quality and in his right mind would work for a HC who admittedly meddles too much with the offense. And a meddler who is quite possibly the least creative and overmatched football mind in college football.

I had to chuckle today as one of those local football radio "experts" reasoned that KF would back off because he didn't want or wouldn't let his son fail. So suddenly KF is gonna back off?? Quite the contrary. I imagine he will exert himself even more for this very reason to disastrous results. Because he thinks he knows offense but really he only knows the line of scrimmage.

I've got 2 sons. Ask them how well it works when they try to tell their old man what's what!

 

[BVHawk95]

We just had an OC with wealth of experience. How'd that work out?

Yup. Davis was trying to fit square pegs into round holes here at Iowa. While I agree he lacks experience, Brian Ferentz is extremely familiar with Iowa's philosophy and how to match it, and has the leverage to stand up to Kirk on some things that an outside hire wouldn't. I wouldn't call myself optimistic with his hiring, but it certainly makes sense to me and leaves me at least a bit hopeful.

 

[SpiderRico]

Kirk is a lot of things. Stubborn is one of them. He also has a vision for what he believes can consistently be accomplished at Iowa...and after 18 years of his era, and another 20 years of watching Iowa and Big Ten football before that, I have come to agree with him.

Iowa can consistently and repeatedly find and or build offensive linemen...and they have done a great job on the LOS on defense. I think it begins there. So when you know that is going to be the area that you can most likely and confidently get players every year, you build your program around that identity. It's what Hayden did at Iowa, too, although people just remember the occasional flea flicker or statue of liberty play...those were outliers. Iowa won with OL play and stout defense under Hayden Fry, and they also had two QB's in a 6 out of 7 year span (82-85 and then 87-88) where they had slingers at QB...

Iowa has struggled my entire lifetime in recruiting and or retaining playmakers on the outside...and I think they probably always will.

One of the most important lessons I have learned in my life was to recognize what I was not and quit trying to be something I was not wired or meant to be. I think Kirk gets this as it relates to Iowa football...and I know Brian understands who and what Iowa is and what they can be...and I think Brian, more than any other person out there, can make tweaks within that framework that can work.

Iowa is a great place...a unique place...the fans help make it so. But it is also not without its challenges, inherent challenges that have spanned decades and will span decades more; demographics. You can't just close your eyes and wish those challenges don't exist. I have been writing about these things for nearly two decades...and they have...not...changed.... Not that Kirk hasn't changed, but the demographics have not, or will not.

Iowa's best chance is to win at the LOS...and they do that far more than they don't over a span of five or ten years. That is their advantage area. It's not the state that produces enough skill position players to where you tailor your program in that way. You have to go to other states, where the Iowa brand is not #1, and kids don't grow up dreaming about playing for Iowa, to get those players. For every Amara Darboh, there are 8 offensive lineman that you can bring in and hit with. This is just how it is, it's Iowa's lot in life.

So you match a coordinator in a good marriage with your head coach and the realistic lot in life you have....and that is why I think Brian is the perfect fit.

Jon - I agree with everything you just wrote. But I just don't think Iowa is in a position to need to have OJT for an OC with no experience calling plays when the bullets are flying. But it is what it is and we'll see how it plays out...

 

[JonDMiller]

Jon - I agree with everything you just wrote. But I just don't think Iowa is in a position to need to have OJT for an OC with no experience calling plays when the bullets are flying. But it is what it is and we'll see how it plays out...

I guess I don't see it as a huge jump for someone who has literally grown up in and around the sport and has spent every year of their cognizant life living, eating and breathing the game. He's worn a headset for five years. You pick up the pacing of the job...you learn how to think ahead to the next play after you call the present play...if it goes for a first, you will do x, if it's short you do y, if it's no gain or a loss, you go to z....and the plays are grouped into tiers during the week and the game plan.

Some quarterbacks, even in the college game, call their own plays here and there. Not a lot of them, but some. In the NFL, it happens more...none of these guys were OC's...by sheer osmosis I think Brian will be fine. And it's not like seasoned OC's don't call some head scratchers from time to time.

 

[SpiderRico]

I guess I don't see it as a huge jump for someone who has literally grown up in and around the sport and has spent every year of their cognizant life living, eating and breathing the game. He's worn a headset for five years. You pick up the pacing of the job...you learn how to think ahead to the next play after you call the present play...if it goes for a first, you will do x, if it's short you do y, if it's no gain or a loss, you go to z....and the plays are grouped into tiers during the week and the game plan.

Some quarterbacks, even in the college game, call their own plays here and there. Not a lot of them, but some. In the NFL, it happens more...none of these guys were OC's...by sheer osmosis I think Brian will be fine. And it's not like seasoned OC's don't call some head scratchers from time to time.

No doubt on your last sentence! As long as he doesn't abandon the run for the sake of being balanced like KOK and remembers that there is a middle of the field on pass plays unlike his predecessor...then I'll consider it a success

 

[JonDMiller]

No doubt on your last sentence! As long as he doesn't abandon the run for the sake of being balanced like KOK and remembers that there is a middle of the field on pass plays unlike his predecessor...then I'll consider it a success

I'll admit that I am hoping he has seen enough of that bad....and what works...that he can be the chosen one to bring balance to the force

 

[HawkU]

So because something doesn't work out once, you give up on it? We all acknowledge it didn't work. Doesn't mean you just shelve ever trying to get an experienced person for the spot...

I could be wrong but it seems that you feel there is a plethora of up-and-coming OCs just trying to beat down the doors of Ft. Kinnick.

If you were an experienced OC with an eye on a head coach position in the near future would you want to work for KF knowing that you will have to do things the "Iowa way" with no or minimal allowance for out-of-the-box creativity? (If you don't think the "Iowa way" is important watch the video of how KF introduced his new OC today.)

KF has given us many head-scratchers through the years but the hiring of Greg Davis has to be among the top 3 in my opinion. Was he desperate for a name hire with experience (or experience period) or did he just not see how bad of a fit it was?

Either way it was a marriage that the preacher should have called off.

 

[HawkGold]

For probably the past three seasons, I have felt:

a) that Davis was a horrible fit with what Kirk wants to do and
b) that I think Brian would be a very good fit. And have written and said as much

So...when Davis retires, and KF hires Brian...for me, that is what I wanted to see.

Would you rather me be disingenuous and contrive controversy when I don't buy it? Just because it doesn't fit your narrative doesn't mean that opinions contrary to yours are fluff or intentionally toeing some company line.

So you're skeptical. That's cool, and you've shared it. But just because others have a genuine and different opinion than yours doesn't mean there is an agenda or that there is a lack of critical thinking. It just means we see things differently on this one.

Put the way you put it...that is a fair. The title implies multiple articles. The loyalty article was very fluffy...it was like the question that is asked...what it your gtreatest weakness and the fluff response. KF likely did not change q bs because of loyslty. There were likely a number of factors such as lack of game time and practice experience of the back up. It is stuff like that that seems fluffy.