I think 2016 will be KF's last

[MeetTheFerentz]

It makes a lot of sense. It was a great bounce-back year for the guy, but this Rose Bowl disaster is unequivocal proof that he has no clue how to take this team to the next level, which is a standard that fans are now expecting. Iowa should have another solid regular season and should be a favorite to win the B1G West again, but then it should be a perfect time to get outta dodge. His youngest son finishes his college career next fall. After CJ and other key players also finish their time with the Hawkeyes, there will be a noticeable drop-off in 2017, and if he's still around the heat will be on again (if it's not already). For a coach at a big-time college program, retiring in your 60s with 3 years left on your contract is pretty status quo (And, BTW, to look at him you'd think he's about 78). If he keeps hanging around to see if he can reap the rewards of the new football facility, I have a feeling it will end up being an ugly departure. I hope KF makes the right decision. If he chooses to milk it another 5-6 years, I hope he proves me wrong, but I have a feeling he wouldn't.

 

[DUpHawks]

I've felt this for a long time now. It will be Steven's last year, CJ will leave, etc. If we go to a major bowl and win it, he'd be smart to go out on top. 2017 is a BRUTAL schedule and we will be breaking in a new QB and re-tooling at several spots.

 

[CradleKing26]

Stop.

 

[gojojo]

Looks like he's 78, huh? Not many guys in their 60's look quite like KF. He takes pretty damn good care of himself

 

[Stanley75]

We will lose 4 games next year and maybe 6.

 

[td77]

Such a fickle fan base. Some are you are a poor excuse to be Hawkeyes.

 

[IronFist1776]

Wrong

Such a fickle fan base. Some are you are a poor excuse to be Hawkeyes.

YOU are the poor excuse for a Hawkeye and you're not fickle, you're lazy and complacent. Or does getting repeatedly anally raped in bowl games make you "proud to be a Hawkeye"? Sometimes coaches need to know when to say when. Ferentz doesn't know when. Hopefully he will after next season, maybe before. He is a program builder, but NOT a good in game coach or recruiter. Retire gracefully, Coach.

 

[DUpHawks]

Looks like he's 78, huh? Not many guys in their 60's look quite like KF. He takes pretty damn good care of himself

He's aged like a president.

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

GD needs to go now. Horrible hire. Just horrible, as some of us have said since it happened. Iowa's passing game is atrocious. GD ruined James Vandenberg, did JR no favors, and has now wasted a season with CJ. Yes, we all know CJ was hurt, but the pathetic game plan -- and I mean all season, not just the Rose Bowl -- was stupid. Hell, look at Stanford's approach. Get the ball out quick, and even a trick play.

Send GD back into retirement now and let KF follow.

 

[BioHawk]

I have no desire to see Kirk gone, but he's going to run into a major recruiting problem next season. His contract runs out in 2020 and he is unlikely to receive an extension to his contract. Other teams will use this against him by saying that if they go to Iowa, you won't have the same coach for your entire career there and they don't know who the next coach will be. This happened to Hayden, Spurrier, and Bowden and it will happen to Ferentz. Really, it shouldn't matter how next season goes, for the good of the program he should think about retiring. Otherwise, 2020-2022 will look a lot like 1999-2000, assuming the next guy in is a good coach that can rebuild a program. Otherwise, who knows how long it takes to start winning again.

Also, I'm not sold on Brian being the next head coach. Brian needs to go get some experience being an offensive coordinator before he becomes a head coach. I mean, is there any instance of a coach being hired from a position coach to a head coach at a major program with never being an offensive or defensive coordinator before? And if so, were they successful?

 

[HawkPT]

Not saying that next year won't be his last, but Ferentz looks very good for his age. Yes, he's aged over the years, but he's been here for 18 years! He doesn't look anything like he's 78. In fact, he looks a lot younger this year than the last couple. It's amazing what winning and an attitude change will do.

Second, how can you say that there will be a "noticeable drop-off" after next year? It's way too early to say that.

I think the appropriate response after yesterday - after looking at the entirety of the football season - is, "Thank you, Ferentz, coaches, and players!" It was a year unlike any other for a multitude of reasons.

 

[DUpHawks]

I have no desire to see Kirk gone, but he's going to run into a major recruiting problem next season. His contract runs out in 2020 and he is unlikely to receive an extension to his contract.

What part of your ass did you pull that out of?

He will certainly be given an extension prior to next year.

 

[DUpHawks]

Second, how can you say that there will be a "noticeable drop-off" after next year? It's way too early to say that.

You have to be smart enough to look at a schedule.

 

[BioHawk]

What part of your ass did you pull that out of?

He will certainly be given an extension prior to next year.

Sorry that offended you so much. Perhaps he will be given one, but he's already past retirement age. The real question is, does Kirk want to coach for longer?

 

[R1950]

Once KF retires/leaves as some are suggesting, do you envision Iowa hiring a better - top tier coach with your recruiting base ? I think KF has done a great job at Iowa all things considered

 

[nu2u]

You have to be smart enough to look at a schedule.

...and dumb enough to confidently predict several sure losses 9-10 months before the games are to be played.

 

[HawkPT]

You have to be smart enough to look at a schedule.

And what was your prediction for this year's season record?

 

[HawkPT]

...and dumb enough to confidently predict several sure losses 9-10 months before the games are to be played.

He's actually predicting this 20 months before the first game of the 2017-18 season.

 

[DUpHawks]

He's actually predicting this 20 months before the first game of the 2017-18 season.

He's not very bright. You need to continually explain things to him SLOWLY.

 

[B1G]

My dream is that Kirk will get Iowa back to the upper echelon and ride into the sunset. I hope this was the beginning! I'm just ready for a change.

 

[BioHawk]

Once KF retires/leaves as some are suggesting, do you envision Iowa hiring a better - top tier coach with your recruiting base ? I think KF has done a great job at Iowa all things considered

I have no idea. With only two coaches in 35 years it's tough to figure out any tendencies. My guess is they go after somebody with a history of developing raw players and runs a pro-style offense. More than likely they will come from a mid-major somewhere with head coaching experience. They would probably prefer somebody with ties to the University as well to help prevent them from going some place else (although I doubt that would be a primary consideration). It's a bit tougher these days though because with the money involved years like this one (one where there are dozens of division 1 coaching jobs open) will be the standard, not the exception.

 

[HawkPT]

He's not very bright. You need to continually explain things to him SLOWLY.

I was actually talking about you, as well as the OP, who seem to claim that it is a foregone conclusion that 2017-18 will be a down year compared to the previous two years.

 

[nu2u]

Who's picking sure losses?

You did. You claimed there would be a noticeable drop-off and that could be ascertained just by looking at the schedule. You can't have a "noticeable drop off" without several losses. Use your noodle.

 

[nu2u]

He's not very bright. You need to continually explain things to him SLOWLY.

I was actually talking about you.

Now that's funny.

 

[HawkPT]

Once KF retires/leaves as some are suggesting, do you envision Iowa hiring a better - top tier coach with your recruiting base ? I think KF has done a great job at Iowa all things considered

This is a good question and a common one being talked about last year after a debacle of a season, at least the second half. It's easier to say so now, but the fact that we have paid our coaching staff well, have had only two head coaches in 35 years, have top-notch facilities, and a good reputation as a program would make the head coaching gig at Iowa a very high second-tier option for almost any coach looking for a new opportunity. I'm not wearing black-and-gold rose-colored glasses enough to consider our program capable of competing with the blue blood programs for coaching talent, but the lack of recruiting base is really our only detrimental quality currently, at least that I can think of.

On some levels, the job security history Iowa has shown, as well as the lesser degree of media pressure, may make it a better choice than some of the blue blood programs for certain coaches. That's the sales pitch I'd use if I were the AD during a coaching search at Iowa.

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

We will lose 4 games next year and maybe 6.

No they wont

 

[radicalhawk]

Wrong

YOU are the poor excuse for a Hawkeye and you're not fickle, you're lazy and complacent. Or does getting repeatedly anally raped in bowl games make you "proud to be a Hawkeye"? Sometimes coaches need to know when to say when. Ferentz doesn't know when. Hopefully he will after next season, maybe before. He is a program builder, but NOT a good in game coach or recruiter. Retire gracefully, Coach.

Agree. Yesterday completely broadsided me. The day began with sunshine and the Rose Bowl parade. I was in a good mood, looking forward to the game. It ended in total embarrassment in front of a national audience. I am sick of the roller coaster ride.

 

[revkev73]

When the team is non-competitive...things are dark.

No other way to evaluate the Rose Bowl performance...

 

[conn53victor]

Looks like he's 78, huh? Not many guys in their 60's look quite like KF. He takes pretty damn good care of himself

Let's look at some other people Ferentz's age (all born in 1955)...

Ferentz at the Rose Bowl

Bruce Willis

Billy Bob Thornton

Jeff Daniels

Kelsey Grammer

Bill Gates

 

[revkev73]

High school recruits would expect all of these pictures to have been taken at the local nursing home...

 

[HawkPT]

Wow! That's an awful picture of Billy Bob.

 

[ozziesimmons22]

There are people who disagree with this, I know. But, there is not a better coach or man, representing the state of Iowa, Iowa City, the University of Iowa, and the Hawkeye football program. If you don't believe me, ask the Stanford coach, and football people everywhere. Iowa, for obvious reasons, is not an easy place to win at the level that some on here seem to expect, always. Hayden started it, and Ferentz has continued this. Pardon me, but he takes a lot of crap, and never reacts, never makes excuses, and is determined to do better after a season like last year. And, then whe has a year like this, and after one game, this is the thanks he gets. I can't remember who the announcer was, now, but during the season when they were talking about people wanting him gone, his response was if Ferentz left Iowa, there would be teams lining up to hire him. Don't forget the MANY opportunities he has had to leave Iowa, yet chose to remain loyal to the Hawkeyes and UI, etc.

I'm sorry, but I just don't understand this type of thinking. Actually, I understand it, just don't agree with it.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

[doughudd]

Wrong

YOU are the poor excuse for a Hawkeye and you're not fickle, you're lazy and complacent. Or does getting repeatedly anally raped in bowl games make you "proud to be a Hawkeye"? Sometimes coaches need to know when to say when. Ferentz doesn't know when. Hopefully he will after next season, maybe before. He is a program builder, but NOT a good in game coach or recruiter. Retire gracefully, Coach.

Remind me when we were a power house winning the Big Ten year after year.

 

[HawkPT]

I wonder if the fact that the cupboard was so bare when Ferentz inherited the program from Fry will have any impact on Ferentz's decision to retire?

At this point, I believe that Ferentz has earned the same privilege that Fry had; he will not be fired. It will be up to him when his tenure ends. It will be interesting to see if he approaches his retirement in a similar or different way than Hayden did.

 

[revkev73]

Did KF learn a lot from Hayden about how to prepare for a Rose Bowl? Will he learn a lot from Hayden about how to retire?

 

[General Tso]

People realize we made it the Rose Bowl this year and came within inches and possibly a few missed calls away from a B1G championship, right?

 

[cfhawk22]

I went to the Rose Bowl. We got beat. It has been a great season. Hayden never won out here either. We have another great season to look forward to. We have great facilities. We have the National coach of the year. We won 7 games last season. This was an excellent progression. Love this team and coach.

 

[starbrown]

I wonder if the fact that the cupboard was so bare when Ferentz inherited the program from Fry will have any impact on Ferentz's decision to retire?

At this point, I believe that Ferentz has earned the same privilege that Fry had; he will not be fired. It will be up to him when his tenure ends. It will be interesting to see if he approaches his retirement in a similar or different way than Hayden did.

Hayden fry had cancer. Homework youngster, homework.

 

[HawkPT]

Hayden fry had cancer. Homework youngster, homework.

I realize that. I'm 44. I'm a man!

My question still stands.

 

[Bearhawk0505]

Some of the dbags are coming out of hiding.