We won't avg 63,000 fans next year...

[1977Hawkeye]

A new hire would energize the fans, sales would go up.

It depends on who the new hire is IMO (whenever that happens). Get a good name, and I'm sure fans would be excited but it's tough to gauge the impact on attendance, if any.

IMO it takes more than just making a coaching change. It may even take winning under the new guy if fans are in "wait and see" mode. Make a vanilla hire (which is what I fully expect) and that may actually hurt attendance.

 

[StatelineHawk]

And we shouldn't. Our program is a joke that doesn't demand winning and accepts mediocrity and the gameday atmosphere inside, outside and around Kinnick is downright embarrassing these days. I went to a couple games this year (haven't been in a several years as I live out of state) and was talking it up to family/friends only to find the most solemn group of people walking in a procession into the stadium. It was like we were all walking to a funeral, no one excited, no noise, no one talking, not to mention the most boring tailgate scene anywhere in football. It was so bad, and so sad, no where near the levels of excitement it used to be back when I was in school in the early 2000's and even visiting in late 2000's. My WI relatives were laughing, the area around the stadium was a complete pit of despair. I suppose it should be expected when you go watch a non-contender and everyone knows it?

I have always had a blast watching Iowa football at the OP in Overland Park. Place was always packed with Hawkeye fans. Great atmosphere. My daughter has lived in KC 10 years so I get down there regularly. This year the game I went to was the Indiana game. Fewest people I have ever seen at the OP for a Hawkeye football game. The back room had 0 people in it. I got there 15 minutes before game time and could sit anywhere I wanted. There was a time I would not have found a seat. Pretty much reflects how fans currently feel about Iowa football.

 

[okeefe4prez]

I have always had a blast watching Iowa football at the OP in Overland Park. Place was always packed with Hawkeye fans. Great atmosphere. My daughter has lived in KC 10 years so I get down there regularly. This year the game I went to was the Indiana game. Fewest people I have ever seen at the OP for a Hawkeye football game. The back room had 0 people in it. I got there 15 minutes before game time and could sit anywhere I wanted. There was a time I would not have found a seat. Pretty much reflects how fans currently feel about Iowa football.

I think Chicago has gone from having about 8-10 Hawk bars to 2 that I can think of off the top of my head (Theory and Merkles - both of which have Hawk alum owners). Many of the bars with no ties and just trolling for drunks to come in on Saturday have all flipped to Wisconsin or MSU bars, and I think one flipped to Illinois after a change in ownership (Illini grad bought it, IIRC).

 

[Caddy]

Maybe... But the OP makes it seem as though it's an immediate fix to covering the $3 m and it's not.

I guess I'm one of the few KF supporters hanging on. Orange Bowls for Iowa was a lot of fun. He'll never have an offensive juggernaut but I get it.... We aren't going to get the great skill players at Iowa. So we try to eat up clock and win the turnover battle.

With that said... KF loses my support if there is not a change made at OC.

Captain clueless is the problem, not the coordinators. Well, they are too, but who hired them? We wwill never get great skill players with kf because we play a boring brand of football, and he cannot recruit better than MAC level talent. If he does, then that talent sits on the bench while the Matt Vandeburg's play instead.

 

[trj]

Alford got us a three seed in his penultimate season. He also won the Big Ten twice. Pretty hard to say that he ran the program into the ground. He didn't kick us up to the "next level" consistently like the fans wanted, but during his tenure the entire landscape shifted and the mid major programs gained dramatically in strength, as did Wisconsin. Those things weren't his fault and even vaunted programs like Michigan and Indiana took a nose dive during the time Alford was in IC, so the diminution in B10 caliber was certainly not his fault. If you want to see a program run into the ground, look no further than what Sir Todd Lickliter did to the team. Ugh, that was bad.

After hiring Alford, Bowlsby neglected the basketball program, pretty much left it in Bartas' hands to cleanup.

 

[Seth53]

Quite frankly, "The Program" >>>any individual coach, tenure, player or season.

For that reason, I'll continue to buy season tickets.

 

[brhawks18]

Maybe... But the OP makes it seem as though it's an immediate fix to covering the $3 m and it's not.

I guess I'm one of the few KF supporters hanging on. Orange Bowls for Iowa was a lot of fun. He'll never have an offensive juggernaut but I get it.... We aren't going to get the great skill players at Iowa. So we try to eat up clock and win the turnover battle.

With that said... KF loses my support if there is not a change made at OC.

We are not going to get the great skill players because of KF's boring philosophy and the fact they are perceived to not even try and go after them.

Be prepared to remain a KF supporter as well. I believe he'll come out after the bowl game and say GD is one of the top OC's in football. I'd love to see GD say he's retiring as there's no way KF would fire him, at least in public. That'd be admitting he failed in his hiring of GD and KF has never taken ownership of saying he failed.

Although GD is not a good OC, it really matters not who KF hires as his philosophy will still be boorish football and he'll hire someone who's just like him.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

Hire Bob Stoops and the fans will come.

 

[ibahawkeye]

We are not going to get the great skill players because of KF's boring philosophy and the fact they are perceived to not even try and go after them.

Be prepared to remain a KF supporter as well. I believe he'll come out after the bowl game and say GD is one of the top OC's in football. I'd love to see GD say he's retiring as there's no way KF would fire him, at least in public. That'd be admitting he failed in his hiring of GD and KF has never taken ownership of saying he failed.

Although GD is not a good OC, it really matters not who KF hires as his philosophy will still be boorish football and he'll hire someone who's just like him.

How'd exciting spread offense work for the winningest program in college football history?

oh yeah... Gettin ready to start over, again.

 

[ibahawkeye]

Hire Bob Stoops and the fans will come.

Why in the world would Stoops (either one in fact) or Bielema want to come to Iowa?

i think many of you overvalue the Iowa coaching spot and lack outside perception of the position.

We have a conference problem. We had a coach leave one of our BEST programs to go to a lower end SEC team.

Both Stoops are at a better place than trying to rejuvenate the Iowa program.

 

[brhawks18]

How'd exciting spread offense work for the winningest program in college football history?

oh yeah... Gettin ready to start over, again.

You quoted me yet I never said anything about a spread offense at all. Boring football is using a not so fast 240 lb fullback for 3 years as a tailback and running stretch plays over and over again with him or passing the ball horizontally as much as vertically.

Running and passing the ball sideline to sideline with very few skill players will not put points on the score board.

 

[teachercoach]

KF did great his first 6 years but he also had much greater assistants and recruiters. He has the same problem Fry had when Fry had so many great assistants move on, including KF.


This is the area that needs a more investigative approach. Both Hayden and Kirk had continuity and 'all-in' with there staffs on 'where are we recruiting, who are we recruiting, how do they fit, approach to develop, playing style-philosophy' etc.

When success followed and changes slowly happen to staff - hard to maintain that approach. Minnesota having success like Iowa in 2001ish - same staff and HC together many years.

 

[lightning1]

KF did great his first 6 years but he also had much greater assistants and recruiters. He has the same problem Fry had when Fry had so many great assistants move on, including KF.


This is the area that needs a more investigative approach. Both Hayden and Kirk had continuity and 'all-in' with there staffs on 'where are we recruiting, who are we recruiting, how do they fit, approach to develop, playing style-philosophy' etc.

When success followed and changes slowly happen to staff - hard to maintain that approach. Minnesota having success like Iowa in 2001ish - same staff and HC together many years.

I agree but a great head coach needs to be able to step outside of his "comfort level" and hire new assistants that will help him improve his staff. Hiring known quantities over proven commodities is a huge mistake and the Iowa fan base is paying for it.

 

[mopkins]

I am not a big time donor, but we do our part and have been season ticket holders for almost a decade now. We are not renewing our 4 season tickets next year. I know of about 6 other people who sat around me that are not either. If that's any indication I think season ticket sales will drop drastically next year.

The home schedule next year is absolutely atrocious. The "best" home game is Minnesota...

Tickets on stubhub were going for around $20 for the Wisconsin and Nebraska games. I'm not sure what the point would be of actually buying season tickets next year...it would be a huge waste of money.

 

[homes]

Quite frankly, "The Program" >>>any individual coach, tenure, player or season.

For that reason, I'll continue to buy season tickets.

This is where I'm at. However, I am getting tired of hearing Barta and Ferentz talk about what great fans we are. We know we're great fans. We don't need your sunshine or platitudes heaped on us. It's such a dodge. Pat us on the back, as if that's all we need. It's so condescending. We got the great fans thing figured out. It's your job to figure out how to start winning football games, or it's time to find someone new. Iowa football is always greater than the existing coach and administration.

 

[Seth53]

This is where I'm at. However, I am getting tired of hearing Barta and Ferentz talk about what great fans we are. We know we're great fans. We don't need your sunshine or platitudes heaped on us. It's such a dodge. Pat us on the back, as if that's all we need. It's so condescending. We got the great fans thing figured out. It's your job to figure out how to start winning football games, or it's time to find someone new. Iowa football is always greater than the existing coach and administration.

Great post. Well stated.

 

[coralville]

If Barta isn't afraid for his pathic job- nothing is going to change. Third in revenue and last in director's cup yearly!

 

[bubbadunk]

The excitement is out of Iowa football and the reason is KF. We beat one team with a winning record this year. Barta must go also. I've had season tickets since the 70's. Ready to give them up if no changes!!

 

[PCHawk]

This is the number one problem with some fans and that is blame the assistants when the issue is KF. He has complete and total control of schemes and personnel evals. You can bring in Chip Kelly and you will see the same ineptness on offense with the same marginal offensive line.

We may not get the nation's elite prospects but the players who have skills and talent cannot get onto the field. The combination of Willies, Smith and Powell would have been the most dynamic set of receivers we have had in a long, long time and better than anyone else in the B1G West. Throw in a trigger man like CJ (or Sokol until he was pushed out by Kirk) and you have something. Instead we watch KMM, Vandeburg and Hillyer with Jake way underperform.

You want to change results you have to change out the head coach.

You are right about Chip Kelly. The amazing thing is if Chip Kelly was here and Kirk gave him free reign of the offense, we would put up points like Baylor with the players we have and the schedule we have.

 

[MrEHawk]

How'd exciting spread offense work for the winningest program in college football history?oh yeah... Gettin ready to start over, again.

They haven't run a spread offense for 5 years now, genius.