What if, in 1979, ISU had hired Hayden Fry instead of Iowa?
- Thread starter PawkHawk1
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HawkeyeDenis
Well-Known Member
Or Iowa would be a clown state instead of a Hawkeye state. Ewww Shudder the thought!
IndianaHawk
Well-Known Member
And if I pick all the numbers right in the lottery tonight, I will have a lot of money.
Thawki
Well-Known Member
He never would've gone to Iowa State. One reason he was impressed with Iowa was the fact that we had sold out our football games for like 20 years, even though we never had a winning record in any of those years. He was very impressed with her for years. We already had a great stadium at that time. And he was probably impressed with the AD. With our tradition, from the 50s and before, he knew Iowa fans would support a winner when they saw one.
He would not have gotten any of that if he had interviewed with ISU, so he would never have taken that job.
He would not have gotten any of that if he had interviewed with ISU, so he would never have taken that job.
MoseSchrute
Well-Known Member
What if? I would more than likely be paying almost zero attention to the sport of football.
IndianaHawk
Well-Known Member
OuchHayden then would have had to turn in his signature Tiger Hawk ball cap, aviator shades, black Hawkeye wind breaker and white pants for this sideline look..........
SmokeTownHawk
Well-Known Member
If one is going to play what if I want to think big. Evy staying as HC and then Hayden taking over or someone like Devaney coming to IC rather than Lincoln.
EstronHawkKing
Well-Known Member
Iowa would have then hired Jim Walden, the horror!
trj
Well-Known Member
Exactly........Was it the '77 staff that had Mack Brown, Pete Carrroll and Jimmy Johnson on it? Just think if one of those guys stuck around......Yeah, they would probably still suck.
IndianaHawk
Well-Known Member
If my aunt had balls, she would be my uncle.
My own edit is to replace Big 8 with South West Conference, wow I cant believe I forgot that was the conference back in the '60s-70s.
But dont discount the fact that HF would have had a chance to go against those Big 8 big boys as he was when SMU was in that league. I am not sure if Baylor was in a Big 8 or league when HF was in college but when he coached at SMU and North Texas he played those southern big boys. Going to ISU would have given him a chance to beat them in the league again.
I agree with your overall logic though that ISU was not a rabid fanbase.
And I was in old Clyde Williams stadium in Ames a couple of times. Anyone else see a game there? What were your thoughts? It was a strange, small, old stadium that looked like it was built in pieces.
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hawkeyebob62
Well-Known Member
Given that Hayden Fry was actually hired in 1978, it would have proven ISU is, and always will be, little brother. Better question is, would Hayden have listened if, after Iowa hired, he then got offers from Wisconsin and Minnesota, followed by "late interest" from an $EC school when their first choice fell through...
The Big LeHAWKski
Well-Known Member
You know how the most trivial things stick in your head?
Well, I remember seeing an interview from way back when Hayden told some reporter
"I wanted to go to somewhere that was "The University of ______"
It was a dream of his and Ames only happens in a nightmare.
Well, I remember seeing an interview from way back when Hayden told some reporter
"I wanted to go to somewhere that was "The University of ______"
It was a dream of his and Ames only happens in a nightmare.
hawkdrummer1
Well-Known Member
boys, boys, boys...where to begin.
First of all, Hayden wouldn't have taken the ISU job. He's much too savvy
Secondly, if he had (in some bizarro world) there's no assurance that he would have had the same success he did at Iowa.
But mostly...this "clown state" stuff surprises me. The difference between Iowa and Iowa State is and has always been much more than the wins or losses of any particular sports team. ISU could go 12-0 (pause for gut laughs) and Iowa would still be "The Hawkeye State"...not only in name, but in reality.
First of all, Hayden wouldn't have taken the ISU job. He's much too savvy
Secondly, if he had (in some bizarro world) there's no assurance that he would have had the same success he did at Iowa.
But mostly...this "clown state" stuff surprises me. The difference between Iowa and Iowa State is and has always been much more than the wins or losses of any particular sports team. ISU could go 12-0 (pause for gut laughs) and Iowa would still be "The Hawkeye State"...not only in name, but in reality.
trj
Well-Known Member
I don't know about that. If they ever put together a really good football program or even have a '05 Kansas type season that this could come apart at the seams. I live in the Des Moines area and I feel like I am outnumbered 3 to 1. Rob has made the point that he has seen more ISU gear in the Iowa City than he ever has before. When I lived in Iowa City wearing ISU gear was taboo even if you didn't give a shit about sports.
If Hayden would have coached at Iowa's Taint, 'ANF' would have meant 'Ames Needs Fans' back then. You know, they already have farmers.
Lots of what-ifs out there.
What if Nebraska would have been smart enough to hire Ferentz to replace Osborne? I know, it never would have happened, but I think they'd still be a power today if they had. Ferentz has Osborne's demeanor, runs the football and plays tough defense. The knock by some against Ferentz is that he can't recruit 'nationally', especially at skill positions. At Nebraska, he would have kept the good linemen in the area at home and recruited skill players nationally because of their blue blood status. That equals huge success. They'd never admit it, but this is why Nebraska fans hate it when they lose to Iowa. A blue blood school getting pushed around by a team they out-recruit, and by a coach who reminds them of what they used to be.
