I'm not sure of the exact terms of Ferentz's buyout are, I just know that the buyout is substantial. It is a major obstacle when it comes to making a coaching change in the short term. So if you really want a regime change, you need to root hard for one or both of these things to happen...
1) You need to not only root for this years team to finish below .500, but your also need the 2018 season to be a dumpster fire as well. I'm not talking about 7-5 being a dumpster fire. I'm talking something along the lines of 2012 where they went 4-8. Following that sort of season, it would also have to appear with whatever returning talent from 2018 will indicate that the 2019 season will be just as bad. In this scenario, pressure from the outside could get so intense that a 64 year old Kirk Ferentz decides he doesn't have the energy to turn it around and decides to step down.
Is this likely or unlikely?
This scenario is unlikely. The team has several 1st and 2nd year players that are playing important roles on offense and
the DL and DB's will also return some experience for the 2018 and 2019 seasons as well. So it would appear to me that the Hawkeyes should only get better. How much better? I can't say. Maybe they'll end up with a pair of 9-10 win seasons. Maybe they end up with just a pair of 6-8 win seasons. Either way, I think it's a safe bet that they improve enough to not be a dumpster fire in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Personally, I'm not rooting for the dumpster fire scenario.
2) You need to root for a big time scandal to break out that directly involves Ferentz. Maybe something like what happened at Baylor where sexual assault was being covered up. Maybe something like at Ole Miss where recruits and players are being paid. Maybe a big time scandal involving players grades comes to light. Whatever it is, it would have to be something that destroys his reputation and is something that will bring about punishment to the Iowa football program.
Is this likely or unlikely?
This scenario is unlikely, but not impossible to imagine. Kirk appears to be an honorable man and I believe he is so. But I'm also fairly cynical in regards to what may or may not be happening regarding Power 5 football programs. Whether that be players receiving $100 handshakes, "improper" benefits, legal cover ups, players being kept eligible or coaches being involved in sketchy activity. I'm not saying they happen everywhere, but these things do happen and they can happen anywhere. The NCAA doesn't exactly have the resources to catch sketchy yet not illegal activity unless it's handed to them on a silver platter so I don't think it's likely the NCAA stumbles upon something. It's always possible for legal troubles to hit the program, but I don't even want to go down that road. It should go without stating, but I'm not going to root for this scenario.
1) You need to not only root for this years team to finish below .500, but your also need the 2018 season to be a dumpster fire as well. I'm not talking about 7-5 being a dumpster fire. I'm talking something along the lines of 2012 where they went 4-8. Following that sort of season, it would also have to appear with whatever returning talent from 2018 will indicate that the 2019 season will be just as bad. In this scenario, pressure from the outside could get so intense that a 64 year old Kirk Ferentz decides he doesn't have the energy to turn it around and decides to step down.
Is this likely or unlikely?
This scenario is unlikely. The team has several 1st and 2nd year players that are playing important roles on offense and
the DL and DB's will also return some experience for the 2018 and 2019 seasons as well. So it would appear to me that the Hawkeyes should only get better. How much better? I can't say. Maybe they'll end up with a pair of 9-10 win seasons. Maybe they end up with just a pair of 6-8 win seasons. Either way, I think it's a safe bet that they improve enough to not be a dumpster fire in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Personally, I'm not rooting for the dumpster fire scenario.
2) You need to root for a big time scandal to break out that directly involves Ferentz. Maybe something like what happened at Baylor where sexual assault was being covered up. Maybe something like at Ole Miss where recruits and players are being paid. Maybe a big time scandal involving players grades comes to light. Whatever it is, it would have to be something that destroys his reputation and is something that will bring about punishment to the Iowa football program.
Is this likely or unlikely?
This scenario is unlikely, but not impossible to imagine. Kirk appears to be an honorable man and I believe he is so. But I'm also fairly cynical in regards to what may or may not be happening regarding Power 5 football programs. Whether that be players receiving $100 handshakes, "improper" benefits, legal cover ups, players being kept eligible or coaches being involved in sketchy activity. I'm not saying they happen everywhere, but these things do happen and they can happen anywhere. The NCAA doesn't exactly have the resources to catch sketchy yet not illegal activity unless it's handed to them on a silver platter so I don't think it's likely the NCAA stumbles upon something. It's always possible for legal troubles to hit the program, but I don't even want to go down that road. It should go without stating, but I'm not going to root for this scenario.
