Tom Brands is the best coach at Iowa

[pumpdog20]

I don't expect us to win championships. I realize we have a far greater advantage in wrestling in the recruiting front. I'm referring to beating bad teams. Iowa losing to Minny would be like the Hawkeyes losing to Purdue in wrestling. It should never happen. The coaching staff wouldn't tolerate it. Brands would have probably committed hara-kiri.

To be fair the analogy would be more like Northwestern losing to Purdue in wrestling. Sure Northwestern seems to have the better team, but they could lose to a bad team.

Iowa wrestling losing to Purdue would be like the '85 Bears losing to Purdue in football; just not going to happen.

 

[pumpdog20]

John Smith doesn't really "go nuts" like Brands, but they have a different attitude than Ferentz. You don't get a feeling that it really doesn't bother him win or lose. I realize Ferentz doesn't like losing, but it doesn't come off well.

Two years ago when OSU came to CHA, we sat behind their bench. Smith doesn't jump around, but he will verbally get into his wrestlers. I remember when Metcalf was destroying Fuentes; Smith yelled out "you gonna lay there or get off your ***". Another time when Meade beat Moringstar, we heard him say "that a way to shut this damn crowd up". No big deal, but you don't equate Smith being that intense.

 

[iowahawkeyes89]

Lots of stupid in this thread...

Iowa recruits wrestling recruits like an Alabama or Florida recruits football recruits.

Iowa losing to Minnesota in football isn't even remotely close to Iowa losing to Purdue in wrestling.

Brands has to recruit what, 1-5 recruits a year? Blue chip recruits at that. Has half the amount of starters to teach/coach than Ferentz.

Ferentz has taken Iowa to a high level in football for many years.

Like I said, this thread is incredibly stupid with all kinds of obvious flaws.

 

[smoot27]

Lots of stupid in this thread...

Iowa recruits wrestling recruits like an Alabama or Florida recruits football recruits.

Iowa losing to Minnesota in football isn't even remotely close to Iowa losing to Purdue in wrestling.

Brands has to recruit what, 1-5 recruits a year? Blue chip recruits at that. Has half the amount of starters to teach/coach than Ferentz.

Ferentz has taken Iowa to a high level in football for many years.

Like I said, this thread is incredibly stupid with all kinds of obvious flaws.

It's only stupid to a fool who would take it out of context and assume it is comparing sports and not comparing demeanor of the coaching staffs. You can take the same argument to multiple sports. Lickliter got destroyed on this message board for his apathetic demeanor while Ferentz is praised. Now we bring in a fiery coach in Fran and the homers love him for this attitude. How many posts have we seen on this board praising Fran's attitude vs Lick's? I can assure you it has been plenty. This has nothing to do with recruiting.

What's this high level Ferentz has taken us to for many years? Outside of the state we are mediocre at best. We were highly regarded clear back in 2004 when we had a solid 3-year run. Since then we have underperformed more often than not (9 losses to teams we were favored by 10 or more since 2006). Lost 4 games by 12 points with a talented Shonn Greene led team. Lost 3 straight to NW and 2 straight to a horrible Minnesota team and a bad record against ISU. Had our star players admit they just kind of quit last season.

 

[dyerhawk]

Wrestling requires that kind of intensity. The number of successful college wrestling coaches who are/were laid back is likely VERY short, if there's even a list at all.

Football doesn't REQUIRE a different attitude than that. It just doesn't require any particular mentality from coaches, outside of competitiveness. But football coaches can be either laid back or intense and be successful either way.

I would say Cael Sanderson is a laid back coach, atleast in a dual meet

 

[helgesontim]

John Smith doesn't really "go nuts" like Brands, but they have a different attitude than Ferentz. You don't get a feeling that it really doesn't bother him win or lose. I realize Ferentz doesn't like losing, but it doesn't come off well.

I suggest you watch wrestling a bit closer. John Smith "goes nuts" several times during a dual or tourny. If you are looking for like coaching personalities then Cael Sanderson would fit the KF mode much closer.

 

[iowahawkeyes89]

.

What's this high level Ferentz has taken us to for many years? Outside of the state we are mediocre at best.

Iowa has the third highest winning percentage in the Big Ten the last 10 years. 15th in all of college football during those 10 years. (credit JonDMiller for his research) Went to two BCS Bowl games, two conference championships, a winning bowl record, several first round draft picks. I could go on...

Iowa is never going to be as dominant in football as they are wrestling, regardless of the mindset or coaching philosophies. You have no idea whether Brands acting like his pants are on fire has any positive affect on his wrestlers.

If you don't understand that, you're an idiot and I can't help you.

 

[Hawkeye11en1]

To be fair the analogy would be more like Northwestern losing to Purdue in wrestling. Sure Northwestern seems to have the better team, but they could lose to a bad team.

Iowa wrestling losing to Purdue would be like the '85 Bears losing to Purdue in football; just not going to happen.

EXACTLY.

Plus, I get that wrestling is a team sport..but those guys are going 1 vs 1 against another guy. You can't take away someones best wrestler...you can go at a defensive line if they are a lot worse than the secondary. You can pick on people in football. Can't do that in wrestling. As long as my team is better than your team, it's a lot harder to lose in wrestling than in football.

 

[smoot27]

Iowa has the third highest winning percentage in the Big Ten the last 10 years. 15th in all of college football during those 10 years. (credit JonDMiller for his research) Went to two BCS Bowl games, two conference championships, a winning bowl record, several first round draft picks. I could go on...

Iowa is never going to be as dominant in football as they are wrestling, regardless of the mindset or coaching philosophies. You have no idea whether Brands acting like his pants are on fire has any positive affect on his wrestlers.

If you don't understand that, you're an idiot and I can't help you.

Iowa also has the most losses by a team favored by 10 or more points than any team in the Big Ten since 2005. KF has a losing record to one of the worst Big 12 teams (ISU) and has lost two straight to one of the worst Div 1 teams (Minnesota). Enjoy those black and gold glasses.

 

[smoot27]

I suggest you watch wrestling a bit closer. John Smith "goes nuts" several times during a dual or tourny. If you are looking for like coaching personalities then Cael Sanderson would fit the KF mode much closer.

Wrong. The comparison was to Brands. John Smith yells at his team as any good coach should do, but he doesn't jump around the mat anywhere near as much as Brands. Lou Holtz laid into players/refs all the time at ND, but didn't jump around or act out of control like Mike Stoops. That's the point. Ferentz is completely different. He looks apathetic.

 

[iowahawkeyes89]

Iowa also has the most losses by a team favored by 10 or more points than any team in the Big Ten since 2005. KF has a losing record to one of the worst Big 12 teams (ISU) and has lost two straight to one of the worst Div 1 teams (Minnesota). Enjoy those black and gold glasses.

That winning percentage takes all those things into account, genius.

Ferentz wins with mediocre talent, and more than many teams with better talent, and more inherited advantages.

Talk to me about wrestling when Brands isn't getting top 25 recruiting classes every year and still winning championships.

Your idea that acting like a red *** somehow makes you better at wrestling is as stupid as the rest of your posts in this thread.

 

[pumpdog20]

That winning percentage takes all those things into account, genius.

Ferentz wins with mediocre talent, and more than many teams with better talent, and more inherited advantages.

Talk to me about wrestling when Brands isn't getting top 25 recruiting classes every year and still winning championships.

Your idea that acting like a red *** somehow makes you better at wrestling is as stupid as the rest of your posts in this thread.

Brands didn't have a top 25 recruiting class last year.

 

[brett108]

Brands didn't have a top 25 recruiting class last year.

But he had the number 2 class in the country two years ago, and those were the wrestlers that were out on the mat. Every wrestler, no matter the talent level, takes a redshirt. Even guys like Cael Sanderson and David Taylor redshirted. I suspect the best recruit in the country last year, McIntosh, will also not be wrestling for PSU, but unattached in tournaments.

 

[smoot27]

Iowahawkeyes doesn't seem to comprehend the point. Ferentz has been consistently mediocre since 2004. 2 top 25 finishes in the last seven years, the worst record against underdogs (+10 or worse) since 2006 in the Big Ten, a horrible record in games decided by a touchdown or less. I don't give a crap what he did in 2002 - 2004 anymore. He has cost us games against inferior opponents like a bad habit. Two losses in a row to the worst team in the Big Ten is proof.

You are giving him credit for the records in 2008 and 2010 when neither of those teams lived up to the hype and had a load of talent on the roster. The Orange Bowl team nearly lost to UNI and Arkansas St. at home. That's just poor coaching.

Why don't you show me KF's records against bottom feeders: Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern and Iowa State over his career.

 

[Sparky]

This is a very interesting topic and I have to agree that Brands is the best coach at Iowa, maybe the nation. Watching Brands you know that he would get himself banned from the arena just to back up his wrestlers. I don’t get that when I watch KF.

Brands get’s his wrestlers ready for their matches, you hardly ever see a guy go out on the mat not ready to wrestle. It doesn’t matter who they’re wrestling. I don’t see that with the football players.

They may have two very different approaches to how they coach, and that’s ok. At least it’s OK until it doesn’t work anymore and from looking at the football team over the past two years it doesn’t seem to be working any longer.

 

[bhawkn30]

What's his salary.

I guarantee it should be higher. Regardless of what it is! The guy gets results!

 

[HawkForce]

Brands failed last ear...idk why everyone is in love with him...

 

[helgesontim]

Wrong. The comparison was to Brands. John Smith yells at his team as any good coach should do, but he doesn't jump around the mat anywhere near as much as Brands. Lou Holtz laid into players/refs all the time at ND, but didn't jump around or act out of control like Mike Stoops. That's the point. Ferentz is completely different. He looks apathetic.

With all due respect smoot I have been watching/attending Iowa wrestling for 20+ years and you are flat out wrong about John Smith. Go watch the Iowa vs Okst dual meets and you will see what I am talking about. Every year at Nationals John Smith gets booed because he is causing a scene on the mat.