This Program

HawkeyeDenis

HawkeyeDenis

Well-Known Member
Iowa has a national level program that has mid level production. In terms of facilities, Iowa is a national level program.
It would be hard to find better sports facilities in the country. Beyond that, Iowa's assistant coaches are among the best paid in the country. And yet, year after year we see the same problems. Particularly on offense. Iowa's offensive problems this year come down to experience, talent, execution and coaching. With the amount Iowa pays it's assistants, Iowa should be able to recruit the best offensive minds available.

We can all jump on the fire Greg Davis band wagon. His direct responsibilities as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach are certainly suspect. Look at what has happened to James Vandenburg and now CJ Beathard in their senior years. Both of them took a step back from their stellar junior performances. While Coach Davis deserves his share of the blame there is plenty to go around. Look at the offensive and defensive lines this year. Both returned a starters from last years 12-0 run. Yet they looked like it was the first day of practice at times. The defense as a group was sub par.

As for the money, it isn't Iowa tax payer money that is going into this, the BTN lucrative contracts pretty much make the program self sustaining. But that doesn't mean that Iowa should be just throwing money away. The money spent needs to produce results.

The argument that, 'Well this is just Iowa', doesn't work when you compare it to programs like Purdue or Indiana. Their stands are empty come game time. Their facilities are ten to twenty years behind the times. Purdue hasn't been out of the bottom of the pack for years. Most of the kids at Purdue have never seen a sold out home game with supporting Boilermaker fans. Yet they find the talent to put on the field. Imagine what CJ could do with Purdue's receivers? Time to change Iowa.
 
HawkeyeDenis said:
Iowa has a national level program that has mid level production. In terms of facilities, Iowa is a national level program.
It would be hard to find better sports facilities in the country. Beyond that, Iowa's assistant coaches are among the best paid in the country. And yet, year after year we see the same problems. Particularly on offense. Iowa's offensive problems this year come down to experience, talent, execution and coaching. With the amount Iowa pays it's assistants, Iowa should be able to recruit the best offensive minds available.

We can all jump on the fire Greg Davis band wagon. His direct responsibilities as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach are certainly suspect. Look at what has happened to James Vandenburg and now CJ Beathard in their senior years. Both of them took a step back from their stellar junior performances. While Coach Davis deserves his share of the blame there is plenty to go around. Look at the offensive and defensive lines this year. Both returned a starters from last years 12-0 run. Yet they looked like it was the first day of practice at times. The defense as a group was sub par.

As for the money, it isn't Iowa tax payer money that is going into this, the BTN lucrative contracts pretty much make the program self sustaining. But that doesn't mean that Iowa should be just throwing money away. The money spent needs to produce results.

The argument that, 'Well this is just Iowa', doesn't work when you compare it to programs like Purdue or Indiana. Their stands are empty come game time. Their facilities are ten to twenty years behind the times. Purdue hasn't been out of the bottom of the pack for years. Most of the kids at Purdue have never seen a sold out home game with supporting Boilermaker fans. Yet they find the talent to put on the field. Imagine what CJ could do with Purdue's receivers? Time to change Iowa.
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I don't really think there are many Iowa fans who wouldn't still like to see ferentz at the helm, if he were to change. The unfortunate this is that he really has proven he won't change his offensive, defensive and personnel philosophies. Last night, I saw the Bills run a diamond formation: 3 rbs and a qb. The point being that even the NFL doesn't exclusively run the pro style offense, anymore. Why do we? Teams don't have to game plan for Iowa; they only have to learn what we do and they know we'll not deviate.
 
You're preaching to the choir, man. It's been this way for decades and it isn't going to change.

The only difference now is that we had a total fluke of a season last year and it regrettably put visions of sugar plums in everyone's head. And as far as the huge salaries, contracts, and facilities, the donors (who have a whole different view of what college football should be) are running that show. Barta's just a puppet. They like Ferentz's lack of controversy, and are just fine with 7-5 seasons and an 8-4 scattered here or there. Unless you think you can find a big group of millionaire Hawkeye fans who think different we are in for the long haul.

If you expect elite football from U of I then this is the wrong program for you. And contrary to what some fans will tell you, it's never been great. Even Hayden Fry (whose attitude and philosophy I love) finished with a conference record of .500 or below 10 out of the 21 years he was here.

The bad football you are seeing this year is bad even for Iowa; I admit that. I want it to be Alabama or Michigan just as much as you do. But what's happening now is nothing new in the grand scheme of things and isn't going to change anytime soon.
 
This is Kirk's team...his program. He, like many others, go back to their default settings. This is it, predictable, safe, easy to defend, boring. This keeps Iowa in games, wins 60% of games, (especially against cupcakes) and gets steamrolled by talented, well coached programs...who know what is coming from Default Kirk.

Case in point...two weeks to prepare...what's on the menu vs Penn State. Stale, leftovers.
 
Yes I agree it's the coaching mentality we have paid for that we are stuck with. My main point is that, with Iowa's facilities, Iowa's fan base and all the intangibles, Iowa's program performance sucks. Iowa should be getting better players. We seem to get a year of good performance out of some guys, then they are gone, then it's a big drop off to the next guy.

Anyway, that's my rant for the week. I will be watching the debacle at Kinnick this week.
 
HawkeyeDenis said:
Yes I agree it's the coaching mentality we have paid for that we are stuck with. My main point is that, with Iowa's facilities, Iowa's fan base and all the intangibles, Iowa's program performance sucks. Iowa should be getting better players. We seem to get a year of good performance out of some guys, then they are gone, then it's a big drop off to the next guy.

Anyway, that's my rant for the week. I will be watching the debacle at Kinnick this week.
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Regarding recruiting...facilities, fan base, and intangibles mean zero. Winning does, plain and simple. We are living proof of that.

Alabama players could lift weights at the Y and live under a bridge in Tuscaloosa and they'd still get more five stars in one year than Iowa has ever had four stars total. Why? Because their coaching staff knows how to win.
 
Looks like someone got a hold of Wikipedia...

Per Wikipedia:
Despite a lack of offers or rumors of offers to go elsewhere in the NFL or even in college, Ferentz again parlayed a great season into an extension. On September 6, 2016, Iowa extended Ferentz from his 2020 expiration to a contract that will keep him as the head man at Iowa until his early 70s, with the additional six seasons extending the deal until 2026, so Hawkeye fans will have to put up with mediocre football for at least another decade. The extension also gave Ferentz a $500,000 raise per season starting in 2016. This makes him one of the most overpaid coaches in the nation. Once Ferentz produces one good season every six years, Iowa Athletic Director, Gary Barta rewards mediocrity with $4.5 million.
 
HawkeyeDenis said:
Iowa has a national level program that has mid level production. In terms of facilities, Iowa is a national level program.
It would be hard to find better sports facilities in the country. Beyond that, Iowa's assistant coaches are among the best paid in the country. And yet, year after year we see the same problems. Particularly on offense. Iowa's offensive problems this year come down to experience, talent, execution and coaching. With the amount Iowa pays it's assistants, Iowa should be able to recruit the best offensive minds available.

We can all jump on the fire Greg Davis band wagon. His direct responsibilities as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach are certainly suspect. Look at what has happened to James Vandenburg and now CJ Beathard in their senior years. Both of them took a step back from their stellar junior performances. While Coach Davis deserves his share of the blame there is plenty to go around. Look at the offensive and defensive lines this year. Both returned a starters from last years 12-0 run. Yet they looked like it was the first day of practice at times. The defense as a group was sub par.

As for the money, it isn't Iowa tax payer money that is going into this, the BTN lucrative contracts pretty much make the program self sustaining. But that doesn't mean that Iowa should be just throwing money away. The money spent needs to produce results.

The argument that, 'Well this is just Iowa', doesn't work when you compare it to programs like Purdue or Indiana. Their stands are empty come game time. Their facilities are ten to twenty years behind the times. Purdue hasn't been out of the bottom of the pack for years. Most of the kids at Purdue have never seen a sold out home game with supporting Boilermaker fans. Yet they find the talent to put on the field. Imagine what CJ could do with Purdue's receivers? Time to change Iowa.
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You can't hide your coaches in college football.
 
HawkeyeDenis said:
Iowa has a national level program that has mid level production. In terms of facilities, Iowa is a national level program.
It would be hard to find better sports facilities in the country. Beyond that, Iowa's assistant coaches are among the best paid in the country. And yet, year after year we see the same problems. Particularly on offense. Iowa's offensive problems this year come down to experience, talent, execution and coaching. With the amount Iowa pays it's assistants, Iowa should be able to recruit the best offensive minds available.

We can all jump on the fire Greg Davis band wagon. His direct responsibilities as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach are certainly suspect. Look at what has happened to James Vandenburg and now CJ Beathard in their senior years. Both of them took a step back from their stellar junior performances. While Coach Davis deserves his share of the blame there is plenty to go around. Look at the offensive and defensive lines this year. Both returned a starters from last years 12-0 run. Yet they looked like it was the first day of practice at times. The defense as a group was sub par.

As for the money, it isn't Iowa tax payer money that is going into this, the BTN lucrative contracts pretty much make the program self sustaining. But that doesn't mean that Iowa should be just throwing money away. The money spent needs to produce results.

The argument that, 'Well this is just Iowa', doesn't work when you compare it to programs like Purdue or Indiana. Their stands are empty come game time. Their facilities are ten to twenty years behind the times. Purdue hasn't been out of the bottom of the pack for years. Most of the kids at Purdue have never seen a sold out home game with supporting Boilermaker fans. Yet they find the talent to put on the field. Imagine what CJ could do with Purdue's receivers? Time to change Iowa.
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Is the assistant salary statement true? I known Doyle's is one of the highest for S & C coaches, but is that true for all assistants? I hope so because that will benefit Iowa with hiring of new coaches in the future (whenever that day might be). Good HC want to pay assistants top dollar, simply because then good assistants want to come to your program. I think I remember reading something about BB heading to the SEC because he was unhappy with the money being paid to his Assistant coaches at Wisconsin (along with other reasons).
 
The only thing I would question in your statement is about the facilities. They only recently became on par with any program in the country. Prior to the new facility Iowa was very much sub-par in what it had to offer. It will take a couple years to see if there is any affect with new facilities.
 
Iowa is a 7-5 program who sometimes (like last year) takes advantage of a soft schedule. This year we are just about average. It's the average culture of the program that needs to change. Hard to do when the Athletic Director gives bonuses for the 7 win average. Some blame the coaching, but what good is a new coach going to do if Barta is going to be the one hiring him? The culture needs to change and it starts with Barta.
 
I believe we have everything to offer from Kinnick Stadium, fan base, facilities, a great conference ect... to be a power house football program year in and out, but we won't with our current head coach and the way he run's his program.
 
I think we could definitely be a very good Big10 team. One that is in the conversation for the Big10 Championship game year after year (with a down year thrown in from time to time).

We won't have OSU, UM type recruiting classes, but WI doesn't either and they do very well against these teams. Much better than we do.

But we simply refuse to change anything and expect different results from average. We will never get to a WI or MSU level again under this staff. We are stuck with hoping for very soft schedules, and luck.
 
If you were an elite level receiver, would you want to play in this offense? What's baffling, from a recruiting standpoint, is why we can't get more 4 and 5 star offensive linemen.
 
revkev73 said:
This is Kirk's team...his program. He, like many others, go back to their default settings. This is it, predictable, safe, easy to defend, boring. This keeps Iowa in games, wins 60% of games, (especially against cupcakes) and gets steamrolled by talented, well coached programs...who know what is coming from Default Kirk.

Case in point...two weeks to prepare...what's on the menu vs Penn State. Stale, leftovers.
Click to expand...


We lose to cupcakes all the time. Those are the losses I can't stomach. I'd rather play Alabama and lose by 30. At least you can say you lost to Alabama instead of the Bison.
 
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