This Weeks WATN: Eric Johnson, Interesting Quotes

[JonDMiller]

OK, maybe I didn't phrase it the way I should have. The last name certainly helped at Iowa.

My point is that I don't think a Power 5 school hiring Brian Ferentz to be the OL coach, from where he came from in the NFL as a position coach working for Bill Belichick, would have raised too many eyebrows.

 

[RocknRollface]

No offense but that is bravado. If that were true then the loss of season ticket holders would not be of the concern that it is now. There would be no need for $70 consession give aways. The head coach would not have been preoccupied with fundraising for football facilities. It would not have taken forever to replace the outdated bubble that Fry had built. The stadium would be undergoing more renovations to continue to enhance it.

I hear all about this stockpile of money until it is actually needed.

There is a window for hiring coaches and BB is in the portion of that window that is closing quickly. He is scheduled to make 4 mill this year and will soon thereafter go higher. That's not to consider all the other things like the way he can rub boosters and media.

Like others I am in the camp of identifying the next young coach with something to prove instead of chasing after an expensive luxury item. As someone stated in this thread and I agree that I would at least kick the tires on Kliemann from NDSU. I would look for someone like this. Money better spent with an option for the longer term. If it does not work you can move on with much less pain.

The BTN money is there. There's no debating it.

Of course they will take all that donation money. Because they can. The goal isn't to break even.

hiring BB would result in more donation and season ticket sales to offset what they are losing now.

 

[hawkjunkie]

Am I the only one that has a feeling this is what happens when a staff stays in place too long? I mean it is comical to me the the recruiting coordinator complains that recruiting wasn't "emphasized" enough? WTF dude, that is YOUR JOB, MAKE IT IMPORTANT ENOUGH. That to me is like the police showing up at a crime scene and saying, "man this seems like a tough case, lets just call this one an accident". Then leaveing, getting some donuts and going home, instead of hitting the pavement, and working the case.

It just feels they were all in place too long, and all became "fat cats", with the king of the fat cats being KF. I'm ticked at all the coaches who have let this program slip from '09 to where it is now, and EJ was a big part of that slippage, even if he wants to minimize his part in it.

That was my point exactly. He WAS the recruiting boss. THE man in charge of recruiting. The slide in recruiting was entirely on EJ's watch.

This sounds like a guy who did not move up the ladder like he wanted, then the apathy set in. I was a little bummed when he left, but it looks like that is exactly what the Hawkeyes needed. Our next few classes may show some light on that.

Were there some things that needed to change in IC? Absolutely. Let's hope those changes play out well, and quickly.

 

[RocknRollface]

Does anyone here really know what the "recruiting coordinator" does.

It's not like recruiting is up to one guy, especially one who is on the lower rungs of the staff.

I highly highly doubt he is just making stuff up and talking out his azz.

Seems like the recruiting really went in the crapper around the same time everything else including records did. When all the new coaches came in and FK really started pushing the "developmental program" stuff.

the head man sets the tone and delegates what time and resources are allocated where.

 

[MoseSchrute]

That was my point exactly. He WAS the recruiting boss. THE man in charge of recruiting. The slide in recruiting was entirely on EJ's watch.

This sounds like a guy who did not move up the ladder like he wanted, then the apathy set in. I was a little bummed when he left, but it looks like that is exactly what the Hawkeyes needed. Our next few classes may show some light on that.

Were there some things that needed to change in IC? Absolutely. Let's hope those changes play out well, and quickly.

Word on the street is that EJ had instructions from the top not to waste his time on the hot-shot recruits.

 

[RocknRollface]

Word on the street is that EJ had instructions from the top not to waste his time on the hot-shot recruits.

This is kind of what I suspected.

Iowa stopped getting decent classes around the same time KF started really touting the "were a developmental program" crap in the media.

 

[CPHAWK82]

Word on the street is that EJ had instructions from the top not to waste his time on the hot-shot recruits.

Which would make perfect sense for a team coming off of a Orange Bowl win Very narrow minded by Kirk if that's true.

 

[uihawk82]

Originally Posted by MoseSchrute
Word on the street is that EJ had instructions from the top not to waste his time on the hot-shot recruits.

Which would make perfect sense for a team coming off of a Orange Bowl win Very narrow minded by Kirk if that's true.

I mentioned several years ago that I thought KF felt burned by the higher rated talent in the 2007 or 2006 class or both classes and how a lot of those players got in serious trouble, were seriously stupid social media types, etc.

I firmly think KF thought it easier to aim in the middle of the pack in recruiting and really look hard at recruit's character even more to the level of their skill and rankings. So if what is posted above as the true word on the street then I think it was narrow minded of Kf or may I just say lazy. Not every highly ranked, highly skilled kid is going to get into trouble. Do your homework and background checks the best you can and maybe you dont get a Dom Douglas problem, etc.

I would hate to think the hawks had chances at major talent but didnt even go after them. I would want my ticket money, thousands of $$ back, yeah when pigs fly I would get a refund.

 

[dwghawk]

"IMO" Doyle is a big part of the problem. He thinks he can turn mediocre recruits and walk-ons into division 1 football players in the weight room. He has way to much say in who sees the field on that team. The guy is a legend in his own mind.

 

[uihawk82]

"IMO" Doyle is a big part of the problem. He thinks he can turn mediocre recruits and walk-ons into division 1 football players in the weight room. He has way to much say in who sees the field on that team. The guy is a legend in his own mind.

I am not sure how inflated Doyle's rep is but I sure hope they are recruiting players who already show really good football and athletic skills. I, along with a lot of young guys, could throw, catch, block, tackle, and had good football smarts. But I was slow, I was never a fast runner so never had much chance to play.

I sure hope they are trying to get the best recruits at football skills and physical skills such as strength, speed, agility.

How many of you think the coaching staff has been settling for not the fastest bunch of recruits the last 5-10 years?

 

[RocknRollface]

Originally Posted by MoseSchrute
Word on the street is that EJ had instructions from the top not to waste his time on the hot-shot recruits.



I mentioned several years ago that I thought KF felt burned by the higher rated talent in the 2007 or 2006 class or both classes and how a lot of those players got in serious trouble, were seriously stupid social media types, etc.

I firmly think KF thought it easier to aim in the middle of the pack in recruiting and really look hard at recruit's character even more to the level of their skill and rankings. So if what is posted above as the true word on the street then I think it was narrow minded of Kf or may I just say lazy. Not every highly ranked, highly skilled kid is going to get into trouble. Do your homework and background checks the best you can and maybe you dont get a Dom Douglas problem, etc.

I would hate to think the hawks had chances at major talent but didnt even go after them. I would want my ticket money, thousands of $$ back, yeah when pigs fly I would get a refund.

Which is crazy considering that those were probably his best classes on the field. You had Bulaga , Clayborn, Ballard , Hunter DJK, Reiff ect. Lots of 4* players that worked out great.

I think DJK really broke the camels back after that Kirk decided he was only gona play high character blue color types.

Obviously this strategy has been a disaster.

 

[uihawk82]

Which is crazy considering that those were probably his best classes on the field. You had Bulaga , Clayborn, Ballard , Hunter DJK, Reiff ect. Lots of 4* players that worked out great.

I think DJK really broke the camels back after that Kirk decided he was only gona play high character blue color types.

Obviously this strategy has been a disaster.

I think this is true. I would bet good money that if a player doesnt fit the mold after being at Iowa and wants to transfer KF would just as soon they leave.

I really like KF's record on graduating players and he runs a clean program for all we know. But I would like a more willingness to clobber opponents.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Dude, this is utter nonsense. The kid is 32 and was in his 20s when he got the job. He didn't toil in for a few years as a grad assistant, then have to prove himself as a line coach in the MAC or Sun Belt, before going to a lower power 5 program and then moving up. His daddy likely called a buddy in the Pats front office and got him an internship and then he used that internship to parlay his resume to make him look qualified to coach a very high profile position at Iowa. Look at the resumes of the guys running the o-lines at MSU and OSU. Their resumes show at least a decade of toiling in various absolute crap jobs before getting promoted. Look, JD, everyone who has come out of NE as an offensive coach is tainted. It's called Weis-itis. They think they can coach, but when you have Tom Brady out there hurling the rock, anyone can look smart. Look at how smart Norv Turner looked with the Cowboys and then look at how bad the guy has sucked everywhere else he went.

I seriously hope you just threw that post up as a troll to see how many people are still reading the board. It is offensive to your loyal readers and it is offensive to every red blooded American who is not a member of the lucky sperm club. Brian wasn't going to mess his dainty little hands teaching kids in Akron or Toledo to block and learn the craft of college coaching while earning peanuts- his name landed him a job and his dad did the same thing most rich and connected dads do for their kids, he hooked him up. Sure, the line has looked a little spotty here and there, but I think a lot of the line looking bad has had to do with the kid from Lake Forest we had toting the rock the past few years. They've also often looked pretty good in pass protection, but let us see what 2015 holds without the Donnal and Scherff.

<<I seriously hope you threw that post up as a troll>>

Spoken from a position of experience and expertise, no doubt...

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Word on the street is that EJ had instructions from the top not to waste his time on the hot-shot recruits.

<<Word on the street...>>

That, along with "I got a connection at the airport...", are two of my favorite phrases when it comes to people who haven't a clue, but DO have pretty good insight into stuff.

I would doubt he was to NOT recruit hot-shots, but it wouldn't shock me to hear that WAS the case, either.

Then again, after losing Higdon, followed by Michigan self-reporting violations a couple months later...I think I know our biggest recruiting "problem", anyway...

 

[NCHawker]

Dude, this is utter nonsense. The kid is 32 and was in his 20s when he got the job. He didn't toil in for a few years as a grad assistant, then have to prove himself as a line coach in the MAC or Sun Belt, before going to a lower power 5 program and then moving up. His daddy likely called a buddy in the Pats front office and got him an internship and then he used that internship to parlay his resume to make him look qualified to coach a very high profile position at Iowa. Look at the resumes of the guys running the o-lines at MSU and OSU. Their resumes show at least a decade of toiling in various absolute crap jobs before getting promoted. Look, JD, everyone who has come out of NE as an offensive coach is tainted. It's called Weis-itis. They think they can coach, but when you have Tom Brady out there hurling the rock, anyone can look smart. Look at how smart Norv Turner looked with the Cowboys and then look at how bad the guy has sucked everywhere else he went.

I seriously hope you just threw that post up as a troll to see how many people are still reading the board. It is offensive to your loyal readers and it is offensive to every red blooded American who is not a member of the lucky sperm club. Brian wasn't going to mess his dainty little hands teaching kids in Akron or Toledo to block and learn the craft of college coaching while earning peanuts- his name landed him a job and his dad did the same thing most rich and connected dads do for their kids, he hooked him up. Sure, the line has looked a little spotty here and there, but I think a lot of the line looking bad has had to do with the kid from Lake Forest we had toting the rock the past few years. They've also often looked pretty good in pass protection, but let us see what 2015 holds without the Donnal and Scherff.

I think this is a pretty well reasoned post.

 

[uihawk82]

I think I know our biggest recruiting "problem", anyway...

[/B]

I would appreciate it if you elaborate on your last statement if you have good inside info.

 

[MoseSchrute]

<<Word on the street...>>

That, along with "I got a connection at the airport...", are two of my favorite phrases when it comes to people who haven't a clue, but DO have pretty good insight into stuff.

I would doubt he was to NOT recruit hot-shots, but it wouldn't shock me to hear that WAS the case, either.

Then again, after losing Higdon, followed by Michigan self-reporting violations a couple months later...I think I know our biggest recruiting "problem", anyway...

 

[eveningnewsteam]

I think this is a pretty well reasoned post.

+1

 

[hawkeyebob62]

[/B]

I would appreciate it if you elaborate on your last statement if you have good inside info.

As I said, I don't have good "inside info". If I did, I wouldn't for the audience on a message board.

I just think we don't play the recruiting "hardball" that a few other schools out there play.

 

[hawkeyebob62]

Funny...just not "ha ha" funny...