This post will probably tick everyone off

[JonDMiller]

Asking for KF's head IS ridiculous.

But, asking some hard questions about just how effective certain members of his staff might be at present is NOT ridiculous.

Also questioning his game management and questionable personnel decisions is NOT ridiculous.

That being said, I think should look at the data how I want it looked at .

There, changed it for you.

The first two years? Kirk took over a program that had hit bottom. I don't hold that against him and am still amazed it only took him two years to get it off the mat.

Do you remember how little Iowa's OL and DL were in those first two years? Why was that? Because the cupboard was mostly bare, that's why.

 

[twinhawkfans]

Great post, Jon. Dead on IMO.

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

yes, they have made changes this year and they are already adjusting for next year going after some JUCO's. I'd really hate to throw out these coaches given what they have done. they have made adjustments and will continue...

 

[JonDMiller]

Not long ago BHGP broke down the stats every which way when it comes to one possesion games. Not only is Jon very correct that fans are still p*ssed about last year, we are also mad as hell that since the infamous 2005 NW game Iowa is 3-14 when we need the offense to score to win the game and just a little better, 6-10, when we need the defense to make a stop to preserve the win.

Iowa's offensive production for much of the KF era has been well below average and there's really little arguing that fact.

Kirk has built this program on playing NFL-like percentages...and the macro numbers show he's been very successful at it and Iowa fans have enjoyed the fruits of that success.

However, there are certain areas, such as those stats, which show the soft underbelly of the dragon.

 

[hwks1]

WOW just WOW.... I am so happy to be .500 over time. Whoohooo we are Iowa we're 6-6 lets roll.

I will give this staff a TON of credit for what they have been able to do with the Bowl Games. Take those stats out and see how the stats change. I would be curious to know.

I think the biggest problem those of us who care enough to post here is the absolute refusal to change.. anything. I will go back to McCann and Christensen for example - the fans had to BOO the coaching staff to force changes.

I like Kirk - my kids like Kirk too. I really don't want to see him go BUT it is obvious the guy is actually playing to be average good... he has no real desire to win a B1G or NC. I honestly believe that he has no real desire, that's not how he is built. He only wants to keep a steady average team on the field.

I'm mostly tired of the mediocre Offense EVERY YEAR. What is the average rank of the Offense production over the KF era - versus Defense? If Kirk didn't have Norm he would have run out of Iowa City a long time ago. I think Norm is tired and ready to let it go, and its probably time for him to do that also.

 

[SooFallsHawkeye]

I don't find any fault in those criticisms at all. These are things that need to be improved on and aspects like this are good discussions.

Good post Jon.

I just hope that this team and staff lays it all on the line the next 4 weeks. You have to scratch and claw to get that 6th or possibly 7th win. A bowl game is a huge must for this team...get some momentum and more practice time for the returning players going into 2012.

 

[vaHawkeye]

It is easy to lose sight of the fact that even an average Iowa defense would have gotten this team wins at Iowa State and at Minnesota. Let's blame the coaching staff for getting too many players ready to be top NFL draft picks too soon.

 

[JonDMiller]

I think the biggest problem those of us who care enough to post here is the absolute refusal to change.. anything. I will go back to McCann and Christensen for example - the fans had to BOO the coaching staff to force changes.

I won't debate the Jake thing, I think Kirk hung on a few games too long in 2008.

As for McCann v Banks circa 2001, I will debate that all day.

The staff had a passing game package for Banks that was very, very thin. Very thin. In fact, you saw almost all of it every game he played. I have spoken with at least seven former players from the 2001 team and each has told me that. All of them starters. One of them would know beyond a shadow of a doubt, and he's not one to hardly ever talk about this stuff. In fact, I had the conversation with him again just last week (not talking about Clauss, either).

McCann got the short shift by the fans that year.

The irony is the passing game package that Iowa had week to week in 2002 was hardly much more advanced from what Banks could handle in 2001, as they really didn't need much due to the OL and running game. Banks threw to more wide open receivers than I can remember any college QB throwing to.

 

[PatrickAdamovicz]

I'm ok with what Jon posted other than I would exclude Wisconsin as being an easier place to win. I think recruiting ground is very overrated. Nowadays there are so many players out in the world and many of those kids are willing to leave home. As I posted in another thread, any basketball comparison is wrong. Alford was dealt terrible facilities. Iowa football does not have that. As anyone and they will tell you that Kinnick is one of the better venues in football. Carver Hawkeye wasn't.

As for people that bring up the pre Hayden years, what an outdated argument. That was over 30 years ago. 30 years of pretty much sustained success. If people are going to use 30 years ago as the "what could happen here", then I'm going to use the mid 50's as the standard as to what could happen here, but really none of those have any relevance with 2011 and where Iowa sits currently. Iowa gets good players and produces high level talent every year. Look at the NFL draft. People are simply tired if losing to teams with inferior talent like Iowa St, Northwestern, Indiana, Minnesota, etc....In fact those games shouldn't be close. Many fans, like me are ok with Kirk, but he needs to realize that some philosophy changes are needed, specifically on the defensive side of the ball.

 

[Herkeynerd]

All very good thoughts Jon. But don't fans have the right to expect better coaching from a staff whose head honcho earns (isn't it) 4 million a year? Why do we recruit such slow players? Why are they so unprepared for the predictable when assignment football is supposed to be at the forefront of this staff?

It's not that this staff hasn't been good. I'm not saying to can Kirk. But the staff is missing some mojo. ISU has recruiting challenges but yet a firery coach like Rhoads can get his players to play inspired ball and crush a pretty good Tech team on the road. ISU has won two road games this year. Iowa zero.
Not a troll, just giving the truth. It really hurts, I know, I'm living it, my wife is a clone.

 

[BlackHawk]

WOW just WOW.... I am so happy to be .500 over time. Whoohooo we are Iowa we're 6-6 lets roll.

I will give this staff a TON of credit for what they have been able to do with the Bowl Games. Take those stats out and see how the stats change. I would be curious to know.

I think the biggest problem those of us who care enough to post here is the absolute refusal to change.. anything. I will go back to McCann and Christensen for example - the fans had to BOO the coaching staff to force changes.

I like Kirk - my kids like Kirk too. I really don't want to see him go BUT it is obvious the guy is actually playing to be average good... he has no real desire to win a B1G or NC. I honestly believe that he has no real desire, that's not how he is built. He only wants to keep a steady average team on the field.

I'm mostly tired of the mediocre Offense EVERY YEAR. What is the average rank of the Offense production over the KF era - versus Defense? If Kirk didn't have Norm he would have run out of Iowa City a long time ago. I think Norm is tired and ready to let it go, and its probably time for him to do that also.

You may be the least perceptive person on these message boards. Are you kidding me? Doesn't want to win B1G or NC? Ridiculous.

You can credibly question a lot of things about the coaching staff, but this is not one of them. Again, ridiculous.

 

[QnD4hawks]

Glad to see others have not given up on the Hawkeyes! Saturdays game was as bad as a loss as i've ever seen, but I refuse to come on the message boards and act the way some others have. Maybe watching the game with my three year old son whom cheers with his Mcnutt jersey on the WHOLE time win or lose makes me realize it is still just a game.
GO HAWKS!!!

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

they've changed considerably this year. They have went no huddle, they have went hurry-up, they have passed more than they ever have, they have blitzed more than they ever have, they changed personnell (alvis to end, castillo out, bernstein in, etc.), they are going after some JUCO's for next year which is something they have done rarely. they've made lots of changes....

 

[olddude]

I certainly will blame talent right now. Last's year's defense was not to blame. They were Top 10 in scoring defense and the offense killed this team over the final four regular season games.

There have been a lot of defections along the DL the past two and a half years. Given this staff's history, at least one or two of those guys would have likely turned into something that could be helping right now. That's a big question; why has there been so much attrition at that position? Bad luck? Other? I just don't know.

I think you can also ask the question; why didn't Iowa try to get some Juco DL help this past winter? It knew what it had coming back. Either they grossly overestimated what these guys could do this year, which would be a swing and a miss, or they chose not to go the Juco route for help, which is also a swing and a miss.

None of what I wrote was about not being able to question this coaching staff on some things, and this is an area that is a huge head scratcher.

Now, they are already looking to the Juco ranks for next year, so at least they are acknowledging that what they are bringing back next year needs bolstering, to put it nicely.

Thats more what I have been doing is "head scratching". I mean we have no real right to expect anything, but we have become accustomed to a good D and when it suddenly falls apart it leaves you dazed and going wtf just happened, what changed. I do like the fact it has been released they are after some good juco players, so it's not like they dont see it and I am sure they are looking into why people left and how to plug that gusher as well. SO I guess that answers my question about what are they doing about all this. I brought it up in another thread about all the youth we have (something like 7 fresh on the DL) so I know we will be back. I think people are a little shell shocked about just how much of a drop we had, so I hope these younger guys spend alot of time building bulk and stamina, cuz we are going to need them sooner rather than later.

 

[hwks1]

they've changed considerably this year. They have went no huddle, they have went hurry-up, they have passed more than they ever have, they have blitzed more than they ever have, they changed personnell (alvis to end, castillo out, bernstein in, etc.), they are going after some JUCO's for next year which is something they have done rarely. they've made lots of changes....

True.... but when the building is on fire your attention to matters is heightened. Maybe more care should have gone into not setting the building on fire in the first place?

Really the only thing that has changed is that our Defense has taken a 1999 step backwards. The Offense is the same as it has been for the last 13 years.

 

[spudhawk]

By my count, Iowa has been involved in 53 games decided by one possession or less since 2001 (I count that as eight points, as you can score eight points on a single possession). Iowa is 25-28 in those games (including the 1-2 record this year). Iowa has played 134 games in that 2001-2011 span, so that means roughly 40% of Iowa's games played since the start of the 2001 season have been one possession games. (from Jon's post)

I feel that this illustrates a point that maybe you are missing. How many of those one possession wins are against good teams? How many are against teams that Iowa should have beaten soundly? Ferentz style keeps both teams in the game. How much of the attrition from the last few classes were due to never getting game reps? When we let teams that are not as good as us hang in games it eliminates opportunities for younger players to play in games. When you let a terrible Minnesota team have a fighting chance after the first half you are inviting disaster. This team should be no less than 7-1 at this point and last season's team should have been no worse than 10-2 heading into the bowl.

Before this season our road record versus Big Ten teams and ISU was exactly .500 since '02. There is no killer instinct from this coaching staff. I was pleasantly surprised last week when Iowa used the timeouts and scored on Indiana and that score effectively ended the game. JVB has only 4 interceptions this season. Two of those were late in the PSU game when Iowa was basically behind the 8 ball. 1:07 and 2 timeouts on the clock is an opportunity. Why do we take the ball at the beginning of every game? To waste the extra possession it gains us at the end of every first half.

I am tired of opposing defenses selling out versus formations and rarely paying for it. They can sell out because the coaches don't break tendencies nearly enough, have done a terrible job of utilizing the talent that THEY RECRUITED, and fail to attack bad opposing offenses. And when the players are held accountable for not executing by the coaching staff they fail to acknowledge the staff are the ones calling the plays that are doomed to fail.

 

[hwks1]

You may be the least perceptive person on these message boards. Are you kidding me? Doesn't want to win B1G or NC? Ridiculous.

You can credibly question a lot of things about the coaching staff, but this is not one of them. Again, ridiculous.

Not kidding... its an outside goal, only if everything should happen to go juussst right. If it were an actual goal, over 13 years he would demand that the Offense reach for a higher standard. He is CONTENT with average. He is content in letting the opponent beat itself - he has no desire to go out BEAT them... hence he is coaching for average good and if some luck comes along the way maybe we will have a shot. Sort of even a blind squirrel eventually finds an acorn.

I'm really not trying to fault Kirk.. but I know who he is. We all know how he is built. I quess we just all have to be happy knowing what were going to get.

 

[hwks1]

By my count, Iowa has been involved in 53 games decided by one possession or less since 2001 (I count that as eight points, as you can score eight points on a single possession). Iowa is 25-28 in those games (including the 1-2 record this year). Iowa has played 134 games in that 2001-2011 span, so that means roughly 40% of Iowa's games played since the start of the 2001 season have been one possession games. (from Jon's post)

I feel that this illustrates a point that maybe you are missing. How many of those one possession wins are against good teams? How many are against teams that Iowa should have beaten soundly? Ferentz style keeps both teams in the game. How much of the attrition from the last few classes were due to never getting game reps? When we let teams that are not as good as us hang in games it eliminates opportunities for younger players to play in games. When you let a terrible Minnesota team have a fighting chance after the first half you are inviting disaster. This team should be no less than 7-1 at this point and last season's team should have been no worse than 10-2 heading into the bowl.

Before this season our road record versus Big Ten teams and ISU was exactly .500 since '02. There is no killer instinct from this coaching staff. I was pleasantly surprised last week when Iowa used the timeouts and scored on Indiana and that score effectively ended the game. JVB has only 4 interceptions this season. Two of those were late in the PSU game when Iowa was basically behind the 8 ball. 1:07 and 2 timeouts on the clock is an opportunity. Why do we take the ball at the beginning of every game? To waste the extra possession it gains us at the end of every first half.

I am tired of opposing defenses selling out versus formations and rarely paying for it. They can sell out because the coaches don't break tendencies nearly enough, have done a terrible job of utilizing the talent that THEY RECRUITED, and fail to attack bad opposing offenses. And when the players are held accountable for not executing by the coaching staff they fail to acknowledge the staff are the ones calling the plays that are doomed to fail.

+1

 

[FML]

It's really hard for me to buy the "recruiting" argument. I don't care what Rivals says, Iowa puts more people in the league than about anyone in the conference not named OSU. We have the talent to be at or near the top of the conference every year.

I don't think anyone expects Iowa to win the conference ever year. But we lost to a Minnesota team that we should beat 10 out of 10 times. That is inexcusable. Bottom line....look at NFL talent, Iowa DOES NOT DO MORE WITH LESS.

 

[blkngoldUofI]

So basicly Jon is saying that KF can't recruit worth a **** and needs to recruit lesser players and develop them??

12 players signed by NFL teams and KF knows that these players are going to be drafted because he is/was a NFL guy but yet he can't find the next Clayborn, Klug or Ballard in two-three years of recruiting?

One year it's the d-line, the next it will be the secondary and the next after that the LB will be young or the O-line will be young or this and that. Let the kids go out and play, make mistakes and learn from them, because it's obvious to me the coaching staff doesn't learn from their mistakes at all.

With television these days, Iowa's program sending players to the NFL just what hinders recruiting besides the oh so cold weather. Is it the fact that KF babies his older players in terms of "you put in your time, you will play"? Is it the vanilla defense that is ok but lacks any type of energy and just waits for the opposing team to make a mistake instead of trying to force teams to make mistakes? Or is it the lack of letting athletes that have played football since they were 6 years old just go out and make plays? Marvin has set records in his short time at reciever, CJ is supposed to be the next big thing that can run like a deere and catch the ball and by the way is 6'7" but Iowa's coaching staff doesn't take advantage of that. Is it the fact that Iowa's offensive scheme doesn't seem to make the defense adjust to us but we have to adjust to the defense. With the weapons that are and can be utilized Iowa's offense should have no problem scoring 40 points a game but the OC does his best to kill a drive because he can't figure out how to stop the pass rush.........maybe a screen pass or 2 or 3??

250 yard rusher, 100 yard reciever and Iowa gets beat, it isn't about being up for the game or prepared it is all about the in game coaching and that has lacked for years and now it's biting KF in the ***.