Brian Ferentz

[deanhawk88]

I grow more excited about Brian's future with the Hawkeyes. In a civil discussion with some of my Frost enthusiast friends, they went there, a little Scott vs Kirk. Excuse me, there's something else most of ya don't know besides the name of Oregon's head coaches, who, for some reason, are an after thought to Oregon's past success with Frost. Brian is likely the next head coach at Iowa, lets compare.

At age 34, Brian's entering his 2nd year as an OC for a P5 school, Frost was a LB coach at an FCS school at that age. I'd even argue many non P5 teams would hire Brian this year, Frost was 41 before he left Oregon. Brian is well ahead of Scott's pace coming thru the coaching ranks. I'm not saying he's better than Frost, but he is, in fact ahead of him at the same age. How good can Brian Ferentz be at 43? Recruiting has been picking up, staff hires have provided results in recruiting, QB position is gaining success. Brian's already out cussed his old man and did it in less than a half time break.

I really believe Iowa is primed to at least be more consistent in the polls, 9-10 wins instead of the 7-8s, more years of being a legit contender for that top 4. Kirk's age won't be used against him like happened with Fry at the end that gave Iowa quite a hill to climb.

But if we must, I kinda like Kirk's 5 top 10 head coaching finishes at a P5 school compared to Frost's zero, if age and time coaching aren't relevant.

 

[paladinhawk]

I like BF and hope he grows into a great OC and possibly a head coach someday. However in his first year Iowa was 116th out out 129 for total offense (10th out of 14 in the Big10).

How about he gets Iowa into the top 4 or 5 in the Big10 before anointing him the next head coach?

 

[HuskerBaby2005]

I thought Brian actually showed some great things last year. Most of the shortcomings on offense typically boiled down to lack of execution and mistakes due to youth. Sure there were some bad playcalls (pitch to Wadley on our own 1 yard line against PSU), but that's to be expected with a first year OC.

We'll really see what kind of coach he is in these next couple years, where he has a full team on offense instead of just Wadley and Fant.

 

[HawkAttackDial911]

I thought Brian actually showed some great things last year. Most of the shortcomings on offense typically boiled down to lack of execution and mistakes due to youth. Sure there were some bad playcalls (pitch to Wadley on our own 1 yard line against PSU), but that's to be expected with a first year OC.

We'll really see what kind of coach he is in these next couple years, where he has a full team on offense instead of just Wadley and Fant.

Most teams have youth on the field. It's on Brian to coach and drill the mistakes out of them.

 

[HuskerBaby2005]

Most teams have youth on the field. It's on Brian to coach and drill the mistakes out of them.

I agree with you to an extent. Not many teams have only one receiver with a catch in past seasons and start almost entirely new TEs. When skill position players like that are green, every facet of the offense suffers.

 

[mvhomerj]

Unless some type of total train wreck happens with Brian, there will be no search for the next coach.
Good or bad, not sure.

 

[deanhawk88]

I agree with you to an extent. Not many teams have only one receiver with a catch in past seasons and start almost entirely new TEs. When skill position players like that are green, every facet of the offense suffers.

Not to mention a 1st year true soph QB and losing both Sr OTs to injury, replaced by 2 fresh. It really could have been worse.

 

[katman15]

9-10 wins is tough......The conference is just tougher than back in H F days, Iowa State is a toss up and kids being kids are going to have a bad game once a year.......Takes a lot of things to go right to have a 10 win season.

 

[deanhawk88]

9-10 wins is tough......The conference is just tougher than back in H F days, Iowa State is a toss up and kids being kids are going to have a bad game once a year.......Takes a lot of things to go right to have a 10 win season.

Considering Kirk's had only 6 9-10+ win seasons in 19yrs ( 31.6%), getting that closer to 50% or more isn't asking for much, yet is an improvement for sure. Kirk's been so so close to that, that it isn't hard to believe one more step forward gets them there. It starts with recruiting and we've definitely upgraded there already.

 

[Bearhawk0505]

Being a head coach and being a coordinator are very different things. Not all cordinators are good head coaches and vice versa. I do believe BF has the attributes to be a very good head coach in the future.

 

[walleye hunter16]

Most teams have youth on the field. It's on Brian to coach and drill the mistakes out of them.

I love comments like this.

 

[Hawk_4shur]

I think a lot of people measure an OC by looking at play calling. I don't. I think BF's play calling was fine. But, can he (and his offensive staff) recruit to Iowa's offense? Can they drill players to not jump offsides or hold? Can they get receivers to catch the ball? Can they coach the QB to make smart decisions?

I'm still optimistic that they can. 2018 will probably give us a view of the future to come.

Whimsical notion - wouldn't it be fun if the offense was better than the defense? (And, no, I don't mean the defense stepping backwards.) But, and actual offense that could be counted on the score 30+ points a game?

 

[barney44]

Is that who you guys are looking forward to as the next head coach at Iowa? Assuming he does well of course..

 

[TheHawkeyeDudeAbides]

If Scott Frost is offensively successful, hiring scouts will be putting Troy Walters at the top of their HC vacancy lists. Walters is not long for just being an OC. He has the making of a HC in his resume.

 

[greenelite]

Is that who you guys are looking forward to as the next head coach at Iowa? Assuming he does well of course..

It's not like we have a choice in the matter.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

Most teams have youth on the field. It's on Brian to coach and drill the mistakes out of them.

A new QB, 2 frosh tackles(i believe a new guard), zero WR that had played more than 1/3 of the season with IA last year, transfer RB(obviously we still had wadley).....that is NOT typical.

Why you blaming BF for mistakes? If his job is to teach everyone, then why are we paying these position coaches?

I do agree that execution needs to be MUCH better this year though.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

I thought Brian actually showed some great things last year. Most of the shortcomings on offense typically boiled down to lack of execution and mistakes due to youth. Sure there were some bad playcalls (pitch to Wadley on our own 1 yard line against PSU), but that's to be expected with a first year OC.

We'll really see what kind of coach he is in these next couple years, where he has a full team on offense instead of just Wadley and Fant.

Agreed!
I didn't like the pitch call either, but then again we're use to super vanilla. So, it doesn't really bother me anymore. It didn't help in that moment, but making teams prepare for more than just a run in the middle is always nice in the future.
Dropped balls, bad passes and penalties are what really hurt us last year imo.

I agree with you to an extent. Not many teams have only one receiver with a catch in past seasons and start almost entirely new TEs. When skill position players like that are green, every facet of the offense suffers.

and that one receiver only played 4 games before being injured in 16.
never looked the same in 17 as he did in 15 .

 

[barney44]

It's not like we have a choice in the matter.

In the grand scheme of things you do..

 

[goodbyebobby]

I think a lot of people measure an OC by looking at play calling. I don't. I think BF's play calling was fine. But, can he (and his offensive staff) recruit to Iowa's offense? Can they drill players to not jump offsides or hold? Can they get receivers to catch the ball? Can they coach the QB to make smart decisions?

I'm still optimistic that they can. 2018 will probably give us a view of the future to come.

Whimsical notion - wouldn't it be fun if the offense was better than the defense? (And, no, I don't mean the defense stepping backwards.) But, and actual offense that could be counted on the score 30+ points a game?

I think the QB made pretty good decisions starting as a true soph. Two more years with KOK are going to be be fun to watch.

 

[iahawkeyes17]

I think the QB made pretty good decisions starting as a true soph. Two more years with KOK are going to be be fun to watch.

Not only that but we have both tackles along with ISM, Brandon smith and hockenson for 3 more years. Fant and both RBs young and IKM for 2 more years along with stanley.

Any level first year coordinator just like a new qb you’d expect and sure enough we had a few growing pains. But if you take away the last name and we got someone with Brian’s resume everybody would be going nuts. Comes from the patriots staff, worked with our best position OL here, under 40 and fiery personality some have been asking for compared to mellow KF. Saw last week clip at the combine Matt Patricia new lions coach raving about Brian from time together in NE. Reason too why O’Brien tried to lure him to the Texans. Lastly I kind of take a grain of salt with total offensive numbers and national where we are ranked. with our style and system of ground and pound time control compared to all the up tempo in college anymore we will probably never be top 20 offense. That being said I know someone will drop how low we were last year and I agree could’ve should’ve been better and wasn’t good enough and needs to improve. But very optimistic about next few years with pieces in place.

 

[scotthawk1964]

I think Brian did a good job for the most part as the OC last year. He had some bumps along the road and some erratic play calls at times but that's to be expected with first-year OC, a young first-year starting quarterback, new receivers and a couple of freshman tackles. This year he should settle into some kind of a play calling groove, and with the offense more experienced open the Playbook up. Ohio State saw what the Hawks could do when they're hitting on all cylinders, they just need to hit on all cylinders a little more consistently.

 

[ICWestfan]

I'd much prefer that BF leave Iowa and become a head coach somewhere else if and before he were to become the next HC at Iowa. I'd like to see him stand on his own 2 feet for a bit and not just be anointed the next HC. We've seen what happens with on the job training around these parts.

 

[paladinhawk]

="iahawkeyes17, post: 5216911, member: 13884" Lastly I kind of take a grain of salt with total offensive numbers and national where we are ranked. with our style and system of ground and pound time control compared to all the up tempo in college anymore we will probably never be top 20 offense. That being said I know someone will drop how low we were last year and I agree could’ve should’ve been better and wasn’t good enough and needs to improve. But very optimistic about next few years with pieces in place.

I agree about not being worried about where the Hawks rank nationally; but I think it's valid to look at where they stand in the Big10.

I believe that BF knows the areas that he needs to improve on and will work diligently to improve.I think switching blocking schemes in the 2nd half of the Nebraska game is a great example of his growth as an OC.

 

[hawkfeever]

I think everyone can probably agree the most troubling game was the Wisconsin game. No matter what was tried nothing seemed to work and our line couldn't seem to hold the pocket and our receivers couldn't seem to get open. We need to have an answer in a game like that. We didn't seem any better after half time. Maybe it was a "that's football" kind of game, but we will see how it is answered in Kinnick in September when the Badgers come in.

 

[greenelite]

I think everyone can probably agree the most troubling game was the Wisconsin game. No matter what was tried nothing seemed to work and our line couldn't seem to hold the pocket and our receivers couldn't seem to get open. We need to have an answer in a game like that. We didn't seem any better after half time. Maybe it was a "that's football" kind of game, but we will see how it is answered in Kinnick in September when the Badgers come in.

I hope Brian learned a lot about how to attack the 3-4 from that game.

 

[Wasnt-drunk-didnt-troll]

This is an important year for Brian and the play calling. I think he showed what he wants to do when everything works and also that he didn't have any form of a back up plan (wiscy) when it didn't. I want Brian to succeed because I think he brings a personality that quite frankly would never make it through the hiring process in 2018 at the U of I and if he does catch on I don't see him leaving for greener pastures. We have to find a way to consisntely move the ball though when defenses take away our best punch.

 

[bigfridaynite]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.la...ns-coach-matt-patricia-iowa-brian-ferentz/amp

In case some of you didn't see this

 

[blhawk]

If OP cant spell Hayden's last name, its hard not to question his hawk fan credentials.... Cmon man. We all hope Brian improves but with a dad/boss who is such a control freak it might be difficult to judge what kind of coach he really is. We'll see I guess. End of day the offense is kirks responsibility and nearly 20 yrs of observation makes me not hold my breath there will be significant change. At least until some receivers step up which again.... Not holding breath

 

[Wasnt-drunk-didnt-troll]

The good.



The Bad.




The ugly.

 

[milehighhawkeye24]

Is that who you guys are looking forward to as the next head coach at Iowa? Assuming he does well of course..

It is about 50-50....I would love it if he was but I am a KF supporter and also think if he doesn't become head coach at Iowa he will elsewhere and will be successful. I have not heard anybody he has worked with not want to hire him on their staff and many are successful NFL organizations and coaches.
The other 50% will not support anything that resembles KF and it is pathetic, he has been here for 20 years and yet they still consider themselves fans. We know who they are on this board and I have feeling we will have some people reply to this and it will solidify exactly what I am saying. 20 years folks, that is amazing

 

[hawx]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.la...ns-coach-matt-patricia-iowa-brian-ferentz/amp

In case some of you didn't see this

Dude was a rocket scientist, people don't talk about that enough.

 

[justinjdry]

Not to mention a 1st year true soph QB and losing both Sr OTs to injury, replaced by 2 fresh. It really could have been worse.

A LOT more worse. I don't think analysts and even many fans alike are appreciating the facts you just pointed out. After the disappointing bball season I know it's hard to feel confident in saying this team is going to be a sleeper but I'm putting on my homer glasses and predicting a very satisfying outcome to the upcoming season. I hope.

A main factor IMO is how the Wisky game plays out. Both teams host a string of OOC games before Wisky travels to Kinnick for both teams first real test, which is a BIG test for both teams coming very early on in the season, especially since (correct me if I'm wrong here) that game will likely be another Kinnick at night masterpiece, and we know how those tend to go. Prior to entering Kinnick, the Badgers face three teams in Camp Randall that were a combined 13-25 last season. Needless to say, they probably won't put up much of a fight against the mighty Badgers. On the flip side to that, Iowa hosts three prior games that have opponents that went 24-15 last year, including a P5 in Iowa State. Not to mention Iowa St. is always a tough rivalry that can easily be lost. But no matter the outcome, Iowa hosts UNI the next week giving them a chance to fine tune some things before Wisky arrives.

I think with those circumstances, if Iowa can manage their fundamentals to slow Taylor and the run and come up with some wild plays on SP or defense to get points on the board to take the win, the rest of the season and the conference could be theirs for the taking.

Edit: to actually address the part about Brian Ferentz as OP intended...I think that Wisky could be a make or break game for Brian. It isn't the end-all, be-all, of course, but it is a great opportunity for BF to divvy up his game plan to something Wisky isn't prepared for and then execute everything else according to above.

 

[deanhawk88]

If OP cant spell Hayden's last name, its hard not to question his hawk fan credentials.... Cmon man. We all hope Brian improves but with a dad/boss who is such a control freak it might be difficult to judge what kind of coach he really is. We'll see I guess. End of day the offense is kirks responsibility and nearly 20 yrs of observation makes me not hold my breath there will be significant change. At least until some receivers step up which again.... Not holding breath

Ooops, have some friends that spell their last name Fry with an e, didn't catch I did that. Sorry it's keeping your glass half empty since my Hawk fan credentials are questionable now.

 

[sober_teacher]

Iowa didn’t do a whole lot right against Wisconsin on its own (josh Jackson excepted) but just Ohio State was a game where we could do no wrong, Wisconsin also had a game where they were raring to go.

Brian will need a much better performance against Wisconsin this year.

 

[donahues17]

Brian will be Iowas next head coach, no doubt in my mind. I would bet within 3-4 years.

 

[Herkmeister]

Brian will be Iowas next head coach, no doubt in my mind. I would bet within 3-4 years.

I agree.

Now, I'm going to get shot for mentioning this, but I'm concerned a bit about Brian. I've heard some negatives things out of the football complex that concern me. And certainly some of it can be evaluated more than one way.

I love Tom Kakert's pod casts and he certainly seems to like interacting with Brian which calms my concerns a bit, but I've heard there have been some bumps in dealing with other staff.

Just curious if others have heard anything. And in no way am I trying to stir the pot. Just curious if others have heard anything concerning.

 

[justinjdry]

I agree.

Now, I'm going to get shot for mentioning this, but I'm concerned a bit about Brian. I've heard some negatives things out of the football complex that concern me. And certainly some of it can be evaluated more than one way.

I love Tom Kakert's pod casts and he certainly seems to like interacting with Brian which calms my concerns a bit, but I've heard there have been some bumps in dealing with other staff.

Just curious if others have heard anything. And in no way am I trying to stir the pot. Just curious if others have heard anything concerning.

Can you be more specific please? Are we talking some abrasive personality type stuff here or are we talking about some Sandusky towel snapping type stuff?

 

[Wasnt-drunk-didnt-troll]

Wut?

 

[texas twister]

I am not high at all on Brian. the offense sucked. So far, he has only had a suckie offense. If he ever puts a great product together, I'll change my tune. Until then, how bout we NOT promote him to HC.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

Brian will be Iowas next head coach, no doubt in my mind. I would bet within 3-4 years.

Is KF gonna forfeit those 10s of millions just so his kid can have his job?