This Weeks WATN: Eric Johnson, Interesting Quotes

[clim]

It just feels like it is time for Coach Ferentz to retire. The fire is gone out of the program. He is almost 60 years old. He will be on the Mount Rushmore of Iowa coaches. Time to ride off into the sunset.

Bielema would be a great hire, if he would take the job.

i don't see BB coming hear unless wheels fall off at Arkansas. I'd like to get a young coach if possible that's up and coming that will push hard and reCruit hard. I can get behind that.

 

[ChosenChildren]

I sincerely think that Bielema would take the job if offered and the money is sufficient.

With what BTN is bringing in for Iowa, the money will be sufficient.

Ferentz must retire first. I don't think Barta will fire him

 

[tksirius]

I think the more wins we have this year, the more likely Kirk retires. The less wins, the more likely stubborn Kirk will be. No way he will retire on a sour note.

 

[Motigerhawk]

Fire Barta.

I bet KF would retire soon after.

 

[JonDMiller]

Jon, you may or may not have a pulse on this any longer, as you've been here in Owasso a couple years; but do you have a stance on whether Brian has/had a sense of entitlement, or the defacto person in charge? Has Brian's perspective been one as the "heir apparent" and perhaps started calling the shots in his father's stead, perhaps while kirk was out on the circuit collecting donations for the new facilities, instead of being the day to day boss?

I don't think there has been an heir apparent thought over there for some time, if ever. Brian is a solid coach, he seems like a great salesman, but I can see if he rubs some folks the wrong way, if indeed he has. He is a strong, strong personality type. I also know he's got some rabbit ears and some time gets wasted on things that are written or said that probably shouldn't.

I think Brian knows his stuff. I don't think he got the job because of his last name; he was qualified, to be sure. But IF (and that is an IF) some folks aren't a fan of his style, that wouldn't shock me.

 

[RocknRollface]

This reminds of the basketball search where a name like Bruce Pearl was considered to be the number one target by many. Did not happen.

Bielema would be great but he is not coming here for less than 4 million a year over 6 years. Add that to the 11-13 million we will pay out to KF. Toss on top of all that what BB will demand for assistants pay. You are looking at a serious outlay before another game is played or won.

Go after a young up and coming coach looking for his first Power-5 HC job where you can move on quickly and painlessly if it does not work.

They have the money. They need to get BB.

 

[RocknRollface]

i don't see BB coming hear unless wheels fall off at Arkansas. I'd like to get a young coach if possible that's up and coming that will push hard and reCruit hard. I can get behind that.

Arkansas is not a great job.

Obviously I'm biased but Arkansas is not a better Job than Iowa IMO.

 

[SmokeTownHawk]

This reminds of the basketball search where a name like Bruce Pearl was considered to be the number one target by many. Did not happen.

Bielema would be great but he is not coming here for less than 4 million a year over 6 years. Add that to the 11-13 million we will pay out to KF. Toss on top of all that what BB will demand for assistants pay. You are looking at a serious outlay before another game is played or won.

Go after a young up and coming coach looking for his first Power-5 HC job where you can move on quickly and painlessly if it does not work.

If Biels keeps Arky on the upswing I don't think he'd come back but who knows? I'd certainly give Chris Klieman an interview.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

This reminds of the basketball search where a name like Bruce Pearl was considered to be the number one target by many. Did not happen.

Bielema would be great but he is not coming here for less than 4 million a year over 6 years. Add that to the 11-13 million we will pay out to KF. Toss on top of all that what BB will demand for assistants pay. You are looking at a serious outlay before another game is played or won.

Go after a young up and coming coach looking for his first Power-5 HC job where you can move on quickly and painlessly if it does not work.

This isnt a Bruce Pearl situation. Bret Bielema bleeds black and gold more than most. If he was offered the keys to the Iowa program, he would not say no.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I think Brian knows his stuff. I don't think he got the job because of his last name; he was qualified, to be sure.

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.

 

[okeefe4prez]

Am I the only one that has a feeling this is what happens when a staff stays in place too long?

Our staff hasn't stayed in place too long. The two coordinators who brought us the most success are gone. And at least on the offensive side of the ball, the replacement was perhaps the worst hire possible. Sometimes, I think Ferentz thinks back to losing guys like Philbin and Bielema and then he just hires the guy who he thinks isn't going to leave because replacing staff eats into his vacation time in the offseason. I mean, the guy gets paid no matter how he performs, so it is a totally rational choice to make sure you don't have to replace key guys on a regular basis like Hayden used to have to do.

 

[JonDMiller]

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.

Maybe Bill Belichik has a habit of moving coffee fetchers to positions coaches? I could have missed that.

I won't argue that Brian's starting out gig was better because of his last name, but he still had an office in a hallway and didn't go from playing to an NFL position coach. I don't think it's unprecedented for a person to be a position coach in the NFL to be qualified to be a position coach at a Power 5 conference.

 

[ArvadaHawk]

I don't think there has been an heir apparent thought over there for some time, if ever. Brian is a solid coach, he seems like a great salesman, but I can see if he rubs some folks the wrong way, if indeed he has. He is a strong, strong personality type. I also know he's got some rabbit ears and some time gets wasted on things that are written or said that probably shouldn't.

I think Brian knows his stuff. I don't think he got the job because of his last name; he was qualified, to be sure. But IF (and that is an IF) some folks aren't a fan of his style, that wouldn't shock me.

Thanks, Jon. That's the type of info I was looking for.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

I don't think there has been an heir apparent thought over there for some time, if ever. Brian is a solid coach, he seems like a great salesman, but I can see if he rubs some folks the wrong way, if indeed he has. He is a strong, strong personality type. I also know he's got some rabbit ears and some time gets wasted on things that are written or said that probably shouldn't.

I think Brian knows his stuff. I don't think he got the job because of his last name; he was qualified, to be sure. But IF (and that is an IF) some folks aren't a fan of his style, that wouldn't shock me.

Sure he did. I can guarantee there are better offensive line coaches that would crawl to Iowa City to be the offensive line coach at a Big Ten university that have been paying their dues at lower levels for years. Hes in his position because of his Dad, lets not pretend otherwise.

 

[SpecialKHawk]

They have the money. They need to get BB.

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.

 

[BILLYBOBSTEXAS]

No one seems to mention Mark Stoops or be in his corner. He recruited one of the top classes in the nation to Kentucky. Last I checked, Kentucky isn't thought of as a football powerhouse.

 

[DesMoinesHawki]

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.

I have been saying this for 5 years ... it's a never a good thing to stay in the same job for more than 10 years ... Never ... You become too complacent ... You don't grow ... especially when you just surround yourself with the same people during the majority of that time. This is a staff that grew too comfortable ... Until the coaching shakeup a few years ago, there was nobody new to come in and say 'hey, let's try it this way.' ... And then when Kirk did shake the staff up a bit he brought in the wrong coaches ... Davis=flop; Phil Parker = very average ... Chris White = Flop ... And the man leading them all ... Kirk Ferentz ... flop ... The guy who told us in January he needs to start spending more time in the office ... Yes, exactly what I want to hear from our top 10-paid of the higest paid college football coaches ... Kirk has got to go after this season. Next January ... gone. No ifs, ands, or buts ... This is a tired coach ... who made poor hires ... who simply is failing miserably at recruiting ... Top to bottom ... Iowa football is mediocre and it's time for a change after this season

 

[HawkPrdatr40]

Sure he got the gig at Iowa because his last name. I also believe both KF and BF had visions of him taking over the Iowa Program in 2020 or sooner, that IMO was the plan.

 

[homes]

also...

“We didn’t emphasize recruiting the way I always thought we should have,” he said. “The great staffs are able to balance coaching and recruiting very well. It doesn’t always play out that if you win, you’ll get recruits, because a lot of teams win.”

If anyone on the staff doesn't believe recruiting is a vital element of college football they should be let go, immediately. I don't care what your last name is.

 

[lightning1]

KF was toast once Norm P retired. Probably a year before. We can speculate all we want but the results over the past 5 years are hard to ignore.