Fran, Kirk and the Univeristy getting called out by USA today
- Thread starter hawkinarkansas
- Start date
Fran needs called out. However, Kirk has actually accomplished some stuff in his time at Iowa and routinely has guys getting drafted first round and having very successful NFL careers. Hiring brian has really put a stain on his legacy at UofI, but he’s got a pretty damn good resume.
At least this national report is acknowledging the issue. Has Fran ever been directly questioned about his lack of tournament success (never making a run to at least a Sweet 16 -- first main hurdle ) by the Iowa media?
Good way to explain our situation. We put up with it.
Ferentz has at least won some bowl games, Big 10 titles, etc.
PR and national narratives have not been a strong suite for Iowa the last few years.
Fran and Kirk have almost the same winning pct at Iowa and Fran hasn't been able to duck the best programs many years by being put in the weaker division of the conference like Kirk has for half of his career.
They are quite similar. Putting guys in the NFL isn't Kirk's job and means nothing other than if it can help recruiting
If you don’t think Kirks career is FAR superior to that of Frans…well you’re beyond help. And putting guys in the NFL damn sure is part of his job.
Again, almost the same winning pct and Kirk's 2 outlier seasons of 15 and 21 since Fran was hired were because they didn't have to play the league's best teams and they both ended in complete embarrassment with Rose Bowl and BTCG. Kirk is better but it's really not that much better if you're being objective at all, the NCAA tourney and the bowl system are just completely different. Winning percentages don't lie
You're just wrong with the NFL bullshit, he's paid to win college football games. He doesn't get bonuses for putting guys in the NFL, he gets them for win totals, division and conference championships, and high finishes in the rankings. This past season was a disappointment whether Van Ness is a first rounder or not
Putting players in the NFL is part of the job because its part of the selling point for recruits but its not an end to itself like some people pretend it is.
Same thing with Fran having players drafted.
I have seen just about every game so far, and I can't think of one team that doesn't have 1 (or more) point guards that are better than any Fran has had at Iowa.
It is also frustrating to see all the supposedly "inferior" programs that are significantly more athletic than the Hawks. You cannot convince me that some of these players wouldn't jump at the chance to come to Iowa.
It is also frustrating to see all the supposedly "inferior" programs that are significantly more athletic than the Hawks. You cannot convince me that some of these players wouldn't jump at the chance to come to Iowa.
A random tween by one writer that is assuredly not going viral is a weak case to post a thread about.
But many internet nobodies want to spread their hate.
But many internet nobodies want to spread their hate.
No shit,.. USA Today?,..if I found it in an out house I wouldn't wipe my ass with it
Dan Wolken obviously doesn't understand the profound importance of "upper division" finishes.
I'm frankly embarrassed for him.
I'm frankly embarrassed for him.
Until Barta goes nothing matters. There won't be a change of any significance. Maybe an Olympic sport coach will get fired for Fran's lack of success.
Well let’s see here, big10 champs in 02,04 before the division split. Won the west in 15 and 21. National coty in 02. 4x BIG coty 02,04,09,15.
10-9 in bowl games and been to the orange bowl 2x and rose bowl once (which is about the equivalent of the elite 8 in basketball) . Overall record of 186-115
OTOH, BTT champ 22, NCAA tourney 7 of 13 years, NCAA record of 4-7. Overall record 261-176
Ya records may be similar, but 1 guy has actually accomplished some stuff and gotten some awards for those accomplishments.
I’m 43 years old. Iowa made it to the sweet 16 once in my lifetime when I was 9.. Many Iowa coaches have failed to advance that far in the tournament so it’s not just Fran but he sure has had a nice long crack at it to get her done..
I posted about this a week or so ago, but it’s not even just Barta. It’s very clear when you look across most sports, particularly football men‘s/women’s hoops and wrestling that Iowa very much values stability.
Since 1974 (50 years), Iowa has had:
- 3 football coaches (1 fired)
- 6 men’s basketball coaches (1 fired)
- 4 women’s basketball coaches (0 fired)
- 4 wrestling coaches (1 fired)
Uh, if you're 43 right now then you were alive when we made the Final Four. And have been alive for four sweet sixteens that occurred after that Final Four season.
Yeah, either terrible at facts or terrible at math. If 9 years old in 1999, then not 43 now.
The real question is why have the last 2 University of Iowa Presidents put up with Gary Barta?
How many discrimination lawsuits does he have to lose before he gets canned?
And Barta has given ridiculous contract extensions to both Kirk & Fran with COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY huge buy outs.
Iowa needs a change in Athletic Director and then go from there
The general point may hold, but it strikes me that stability and performance both matter. The stats here are a bit misleading. There were actually 7 men's basketball coaches, two of whom were fired (Dick Schultz after the 73-74 season), and two more were forced out rather than fired (Davis and Alford). Olson and Raveling are the only coaches of the seven who truly left voluntarily. After the tournament ends, Fran will be the longest serving hoops coach in the past 50 years and he has had success, even if it isn't as much as we fans would like.
A true 50-year span would include the 1973 football debacle that result in FXL getting fired (so 4 football coaches, 2 fired). Hayden and Kirk have had sufficient success to justify the stability.
Women's basketball has had 5 coaches since it began in 1974. Only Stringer and Bluder have coached more than five seasons, and both have been outstanding.
Wrestling, of course, has been insanely dominant since Gary Kurdelmeier. Zalesky's performance was poor only compared to the program's long-term dominance.
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Viral? I don't think that word means what you think it means. Good lord lol
USA Today. Where newspaper reporters go to die. A very 1990s publication.
What a joke this guy is. I guess "reporters/columnists" can just tweet a couple lines now without having to verify any of it.
What stuff is he referring to that Iowa has put up with from Kirk? Ten bowl wins?
Evidently this guy didn't feel strongly enough about his points to bring this up before Iowa had virtually lost its NCAA game.
Definitely see where he's coming from with Fran though. Although I prefer high-scoring, fast-breaking ball, Fran's defenses have always driven me nuts. A couple years ago I finally resigned to Franball being what it is. Take the good with the bad and there's a lot to enjoy. But I've decided that after 13 years the defensive effort that he has put forth to compete at that high of a level, for that much pay, has ultimately been negligent. It personally offends me.
Fran isn't a bad coach by any means though. But not as good as Kirk. Drop them both into any random program and Fran is a good to real good coach, while Kirk is a great to elite coach.
Putting guys into the league is absolutely a part of the coaches job. It's about impossible to get into the NBA anyway, so not so much for Fran. But Kirk's job is to help young men to develop into the best versions of themselves to be a successful man after college. This includes preparing them for their careers and an NFL career while available is certainly the most attractive option to almost all of his players. Also, if recruits are factoring in production of NFL players into their choice of school, then that production is certainly part of the Captain's job on several levels. Getting and developing good players is obviously the point regardless of pro careers
What stuff is he referring to that Iowa has put up with from Kirk? Ten bowl wins?
Evidently this guy didn't feel strongly enough about his points to bring this up before Iowa had virtually lost its NCAA game.
Definitely see where he's coming from with Fran though. Although I prefer high-scoring, fast-breaking ball, Fran's defenses have always driven me nuts. A couple years ago I finally resigned to Franball being what it is. Take the good with the bad and there's a lot to enjoy. But I've decided that after 13 years the defensive effort that he has put forth to compete at that high of a level, for that much pay, has ultimately been negligent. It personally offends me.
Fran isn't a bad coach by any means though. But not as good as Kirk. Drop them both into any random program and Fran is a good to real good coach, while Kirk is a great to elite coach.
Putting guys into the league is absolutely a part of the coaches job. It's about impossible to get into the NBA anyway, so not so much for Fran. But Kirk's job is to help young men to develop into the best versions of themselves to be a successful man after college. This includes preparing them for their careers and an NFL career while available is certainly the most attractive option to almost all of his players. Also, if recruits are factoring in production of NFL players into their choice of school, then that production is certainly part of the Captain's job on several levels. Getting and developing good players is obviously the point regardless of pro careers
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Not the biggest Brain fan myself. I believe his play-calling to be far to cute.
But this isn't nepotism. For it to fit the definition of nepotism Brian would have to be unqualified for the position.
Same with Connor and Pat. They are both big ten players. The whole nepotism narrative at Iowa has been wreckless and unfortunate
let Iowa FB or BB teams have more success than normal and this guy will disappear back into whatever hole he crawled out of only to pop up in the next season when they don't meet his or the msg board experts expectations.
from now on its BTC, CFB Championships and top 10 finishes and or recruiting classes.
from now on its BTC, CFB Championships and top 10 finishes and or recruiting classes.
I think Fran is stuck on semi athletic positionless 6-6 to 6-9 players. It works against many teams but not very well against athletic skilled NCAA tourney teams.
he's more qualified than you'll ever be,
accomplishments to date
took a 3* and turned him into a Outland Trophy Winner and 1st rnd Draft pick
in 2015 that OL that he coached was named the Joe Moore Award as the best OL in the country.
in 2016 he was given the OL/Run Game Coordinator job and in that season he produced Iowa 1st and only duo running backs to go over 1000 yards rushing in the same season.
the next season he was promoted to the OC/TE coaching position. in that season Wadley became just the 2nd RB in the KF era to have back to back 1000 rushing yards seasons.
then in 2018 Fant was a 3rd Team AA 1st rnd draft pick
Hochenson was a 1st Team AA, Mackey Award winner and 1st rnd pick something nobody has done before.
also QB Stanley improved every year both in wins and stats.
8 wins
2437 yards
55.8%
135.2 rating
2017
9 wins top 25 finish
2852 yards
59.3%
136.5
2018
10 wins top 25 finish
2951 yards
59.4%
131.2
2019
total yards 8240 yards 2nd only to Chuck Long who had over 10,000 passing yards in 4 seasons and 1 bowl game in his FR season.
all this with Brian as the OC/TE Coach, in the 2020 season KOK WAS still the QB Coach
in the 2022 KOK retired right before spring practice. then Brian was given the QB coach along with the OC position, Brian only had 5 months working with these QB's
Spenser
Padilla
Labas.
May
during the spring pactices Brian per NCAA Rules he could only spend 20 minutes per practice working with all 4. not much time now is it. not with him being promoted to the QB position coach.
the same problem happened to the new OL Coach only thing is he had 20 OL to coach with the same rules X number of minutes per players only its spread out between more players. some times the players need more time with coaches,
don't know the rules regarding Assistants like Budmayr on how much time he can spend with the QB's per NCAA rules. this year they have these to teach and work with
McNamara
Labas
Hill
Lainez
Petras returns but reports are that he won't be healthy to play until late November.
