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Is Brian really a bad OC?

83Hawk

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Sep 17, 2002
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It’s been said that Kirk really controls the offense, especially when word is Brian wanted to bench Petras last week but Kirk quashed it. If that’s the case, it’s hard to blame Brian for our offensive woes. At the same time, I do blame Brian for not having the guts to stand up to his dad. He needs to say “Look Dad…..I’m the OC. Let me do my job. Let me run the offense. Let me prove myself. Otherwise, after the season is over I will leave.”

If that’s *not* the case….then Brian does indeed suck as an OC.
 
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It’s been said that Kirk really controls the offense, especially when word is Brian wanted to bench Petras last week but Kirk quashed it. If that’s the case, it’s hard to blame Brian for our offensive woes. At the same time, I do blame Brian for not having the guts to stand up to his dad. He needs to say “Look Dad…..I’m the OC. Let me do my job. Let me run the offense. Let me prove myself. Otherwise, after the season is over I will leave.”

If that’s not the case….then Brian does indeed suck as an OC.

For all we know he did say that but we’ll ever know.

Brian has had mixed results as OC for me. I’ve liked some of what he’s done but plenty of demerits as well. I think he has a tendency to overthink situations and doesn’t seem to make good in-game adjustments.

It also seems very clear that Kirk exercises far more control over personnel decisions than we realized.
 
A lot has been said about the players not executing but I doubt we have the least skilled set of players in FBS, so we are definitely seeing underperformance.
Kirk may overrule Brian but I doubt he said to himself "this year we are going to be the absolute worst offense in FBS"
Either Brian or his staff can't seem to recruit, retain, and train an offense well enough to be in the top 100 offenses in college football, and this year the wheels definitely fell off the wagon as they lost far more than they have gained. He's as bad as they get.
 
Zodiac Think GIF by Hope
 
A lot has been said about the players not executing but I doubt we have the least skilled set of players in FBS, so we are definitely seeing underperformance.
Kirk may overrule Brian but I doubt he said to himself "this year we are going to be the absolute worst offense in FBS"
Either Brian or his staff can't seem to recruit, retain, and train an offense well enough to be in the top 100 offenses in college football, and this year the wheels definitely fell off the wagon as they lost far more than they have gained. He's as bad as they get.

To an extent I’m sympathetic-we’ve absolutely been hit by the injury bug to start this year and I’d have been understanding if the offense had simply struggled. This is beyond that.

I admire and mostly respect Kirk for his loyalty to players and coaches, and for almost never throwing guys under the bus when things go badly. It’s inconceivable to me that at the end of the season there isn’t a coaching change offensively, barring a MASSIVE turnaround.
 
if you are the OC and daddy calls the shots, then you are simply collecting a paycheck! It should NEVER be an excuse.
Which, if that’s the case, is why I blame Brian for not standing up for himself.
 
Yes. The results speak for themselves.

I want Brian back in his previous role. Our rushing numbers with him as OL/RG Coordinator:

2012: 123 YPG, 3.7 YPC
2013: 180 YPG, 4.2 YPC
2014: 163 YPG, 4.1 YPC
2015: 182 YPG, 4.5 YPC
2016: 172 YPG, 4.5 YPC

Some damn good numbers. But since then…

2017: 139 YPG, 3.8 YPC
2018: 148 YPG, 4 YPC
2019: 138 YPG, 3.8 YPC
2020: 171 YPG, 4.6 YPC For what it’s worth, I largely ignore the COVID season.
2021: 124 YPG, 3.4 YPC
2022: 58 YPG, 1.9 YPC
 
I truly have no idea how proficient Brian truly is, We have a line that can’t block, A Qb that can’t pass, A Wr room decimated by injuries and also missing speed to actually threaten going down the field even when healthy. To me it seems more like an overall failure of the entire offensive staff and Head coach. Brian isn’t the only person responsible for all the offensive short comings. It’s recruiting, Development, etc.
IMO there is no magic schematic fix when you have the problems that currently exist with the offense, Hopefully the line progresses, Spencer gets out of his funk and the Wr room gets healthy to give a few more options to a limited playbook.
 
It’s been said that Kirk really controls the offense, especially when word is Brian wanted to bench Petras last week but Kirk quashed it. If that’s the case, it’s hard to blame Brian for our offensive woes. At the same time, I do blame Brian for not having the guts to stand up to his dad. He needs to say “Look Dad…..I’m the OC. Let me do my job. Let me run the offense. Let me prove myself. Otherwise, after the season is over I will leave.”

If that’s *not* the case….then Brian does indeed suck as an OC.
I watched the Iowa-ISU highlights last night. I saw a few good plays, but mostly what I saw was Petras not getting much time and making either bad decisions or bad throws where he didn't have his feet set. I wanted to give BF a pass, but the problem is as OC he's responsible for all of it. The protection was bad. The 5th-year QB didn't seem to handle pressure well and his line wasn't giving him any help. Well who's the QB coach? Who oversees the offense? Right now he is what his record says he is. He's the OC with the worst average yardage (by 72.7 yards/game) and worst points per game in FBS (by 1.6 points/game - and let's not forget 4 of the 14 points came from the defense, so the offense is really 5 ppg).
 
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Yes. The results speak for themselves.

I want Brian back in his previous role. Our rushing numbers with him as OL/RG Coordinator:

2012: 123 YPG, 3.7 YPC
2013: 180 YPG, 4.2 YPC
2014: 163 YPG, 4.1 YPC
2015: 182 YPG, 4.5 YPC
2016: 172 YPG, 4.5 YPC

Some damn good numbers. But since then…

2017: 139 YPG, 3.8 YPC
2018: 148 YPG, 4 YPC
2019: 138 YPG, 3.8 YPC
2020: 171 YPG, 4.6 YPC For what it’s worth, I largely ignore the COVID season.
2021: 124 YPG, 3.4 YPC
2022: 58 YPG, 1.9 YPC
Thanks for digging in and letting the numbers speak!
Maybe Brian really needs to “break away from the family business” as Stoops was baited into saying on that Cameo he shot!
 
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I truly have no idea how proficient Brian truly is, We have a line that can’t block, A Qb that can’t pass, A Wr room decimated by injuries and also missing speed to actually threaten going down the field even when healthy. To me it seems more like an overall failure of the entire offensive staff and Head coach. Brian isn’t the only person responsible for all the offensive short comings. It’s recruiting, Development, etc.
IMO there is no magic schematic fix when you have the problems that currently exist with the offense, Hopefully the line progresses, Spencer gets out of his funk and the Wr room gets healthy to give a few more options to a limited playbook.
Some good points, but outside of a few elite programs most are susceptible to injuries, losses to the transfer portal, etc. Heck, Iowa had better offense than this when it ran out of healthy scholarship running backs in 2004. Outside of the 2017 Ohio State game, have you seen anything where you thought the offense under Brian Ferentz looked like it could possibly at some point be anywhere near as good as the defense and special teams?
 
As a former college coach in a different sport, here's what I haven't seen: Adjustments based on personnel. I would think that with a thin WR room and a pretty solid TE room, we would see more multiple TE formations. Maybe even go with an extra OL from time to time. Add in a FB, and try pounding it on the ground with some play action mixed in to keep the D honest. Try some wildcat with Bruce who I believe is a former QB. Maybe I've missed it, but I don't think we've see much of these kinds of adjustments.
 
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It’s been said that Kirk really controls the offense, especially when word is Brian wanted to bench Petras last week but Kirk quashed it. If that’s the case, it’s hard to blame Brian for our offensive woes. At the same time, I do blame Brian for not having the guts to stand up to his dad. He needs to say “Look Dad…..I’m the OC. Let me do my job. Let me run the offense. Let me prove myself. Otherwise, after the season is over I will leave.”

If that’s *not* the case….then Brian does indeed suck as an OC.

Yes
 
It’s been said that Kirk really controls the offense, especially when word is Brian wanted to bench Petras last week but Kirk quashed it. If that’s the case, it’s hard to blame Brian for our offensive woes. At the same time, I do blame Brian for not having the guts to stand up to his dad. He needs to say “Look Dad…..I’m the OC. Let me do my job. Let me run the offense. Let me prove myself. Otherwise, after the season is over I will leave.”

If that’s *not* the case….then Brian does indeed suck as an OC.
If Kirk really controls the offense, he is dooming Brian's coaching career. Barta will not be around forever.
 
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Some good points, but outside of a few elite programs most are susceptible to injuries, losses to the transfer portal, etc. Heck, Iowa had better offense than this when it ran out of healthy scholarship running backs in 2004. Outside of the 2017 Ohio State game, have you seen anything where you thought the offense under Brian Ferentz looked like it could possibly at some point be anywhere near as good as the defense and special teams?

I really do understand the people that feel Brian is in over his head, The numbers are what they are.
I also try to look at factors like when was the last time we had a really solid O-line across the board, When have we been able to say, Man we really have loaded up on talent at the skill positions, How often at Iowa do we have All conference caliber Qb’s?
Don’t get me wrong, I am just as frustrated watching the ineptitude on offense as anyone, I accepted a long time ago that Kirk has his offensive blueprint and it limits the type of players (WR and Qb) that will truly seriously consider Iowa. Should we be as bad as we are this year, Absolutely not, I just think there is a helluva lot more blame to go around than simply the guy calling the plays.
 
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So if Brian is auditioning for the HC job in a few years, he would want to do a great job. It seems to me that for whatever reason the offense is purposely being held back. What's so hard to about this whole thing is that none of this makes sense.
 
I really do understand the people that feel Brian is in over his head, The numbers are what they are.
I also try to look at factors like when was the last time we had a really solid O-line across the board, When have we been able to say, Man we really have loaded up on talent at the skill positions, How often at Iowa do we have All conference caliber Qb’s?
Don’t get me wrong, I am just as frustrated watching the ineptitude on offense as anyone, I accepted a long time ago that Kirk has his offensive blueprint and it limits the type of players (WR and Qb) that will truly seriously consider Iowa. Should we be as bad as we are this year, Absolutely not, I just think there is a helluva lot more blame to go around than simply the guy calling the plays.
Brian is the OC and qb coach. He is responsible for all of it, and so is Kirk. They suck, period.
 
I really do understand the people that feel Brian is in over his head, The numbers are what they are.
I also try to look at factors like when was the last time we had a really solid O-line across the board, When have we been able to say, Man we really have loaded up on talent at the skill positions, How often at Iowa do we have All conference caliber Qb’s?
Don’t get me wrong, I am just as frustrated watching the ineptitude on offense as anyone, I accepted a long time ago that Kirk has his offensive blueprint and it limits the type of players (WR and Qb) that will truly seriously consider Iowa. Should we be as bad as we are this year, Absolutely not, I just think there is a helluva lot more blame to go around than simply the guy calling the plays.
Well, that's just it. The OC is more than just "the guy calling the plays." All of that stuff - player development, execution, recruitment, retention is under the responsibility of the OC. Just look at the DC and ST coordinators. Those squads are excelling, while the offense has nosedived since Brian took over, in every aspect. KOK and GD had up and down years, but nothing this bad. Brian took over an okay unit and has driven it into the ground as the players developed under the previous OC have all graduated.
 
Some good points, but outside of a few elite programs most are susceptible to injuries, losses to the transfer portal, etc. Heck, Iowa had better offense than this when it ran out of healthy scholarship running backs in 2004. Outside of the 2017 Ohio State game, have you seen anything where you thought the offense under Brian Ferentz looked like it could possibly at some point be anywhere near as good as the defense and special teams?
USC
 
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It really is crazy when you think about some of this. Being Kirk's son he has gotten an incredibly long leash. But, with the way the Offensive Line has played and how the injury bug has hit us, I am not sure how much better we would be with someone else noteworthy. As has been said here, the biggest thing is do either he or Kirk know what to do when faced with these obstacles (Remember NEW Kirk?) or, do they just keep repeating the same thing expecting better results? It was indeed very telling (in hindsight) that Jones transferred when he did. It sure seems he saw the writing on the wall.

Does anyone remember what he was listed on the Depth chart before he left?
 
Some good points, but outside of a few elite programs most are susceptible to injuries, losses to the transfer portal, etc. Heck, Iowa had better offense than this when it ran out of healthy scholarship running backs in 2004. Outside of the 2017 Ohio State game, have you seen anything where you thought the offense under Brian Ferentz looked like it could possibly at some point be anywhere near as good as the defense and special teams?
If we’re talking individual games, another masterpiece was the Holiday Bowl against USC. Iowa’s offense basically couldn’t be stopped in that game. Brian made a lot of really good calls and the team executed most of it flawlessly.
 
It really is crazy when you think about some of this. Being Kirk's son he has gotten an incredibly long leash. But, with the way the Offensive Line has played and how the injury bug has hit us, I am not sure how much better we would be with someone else noteworthy. As has been said here, the biggest thing is do either he or Kirk know what to do when faced with these obstacles (Remember NEW Kirk?) or, do they just keep repeating the same thing expecting better results? It was indeed very telling (in hindsight) that Jones transferred when he did. It sure seems he saw the writing on the wall.

Does anyone remember what he was listed on the Depth chart before he left?
“But, with the way the Offensive Line has played and how the injury bug has hit us, I am not sure how much better we would be with someone else noteworthy.”

OMG, lol. You can’t be serious here?
 
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I really do understand the people that feel Brian is in over his head, The numbers are what they are.
I also try to look at factors like when was the last time we had a really solid O-line across the board, When have we been able to say, Man we really have loaded up on talent at the skill positions, How often at Iowa do we have All conference caliber Qb’s?
Don’t get me wrong, I am just as frustrated watching the ineptitude on offense as anyone, I accepted a long time ago that Kirk has his offensive blueprint and it limits the type of players (WR and Qb) that will truly seriously consider Iowa. Should we be as bad as we are this year, Absolutely not, I just think there is a helluva lot more blame to go around than simply the guy calling the plays.
I think Charlie Jones blows up pretty much your entire argument here. It’s the coaches and scheme, period.
 
Its impossible to truly isolate Brian from Kirks scheme and influence.

I really doubt Brian would look this bad if he could create his own scheme. Running stretch plays to the short side into stacked boxes ect. Thats always been a Kirk thing. Avoiding throwing to the middle of the field is another.

Kirk still thinks avoiding turnovers is the main priority on offense.

That being said my feeling is that Brian isn't good at play calling even given his situation.

Stuff like all his full back runs come to mind.
 
Brian’s job is to coordinate moving the football on game days with the goal of scoring points by touchdown or field goals. When he goes to work in the morning, that is still the primary focus of his job. It’s a results based job. By most measures, he is not good at his job compared to his peers. The team has trouble moving the ball and scoring points. I also have seen very little lately in player development. Currently, he is the worst offensive coordinator in major college football.
 
It’s been said that Kirk really controls the offense, especially when word is Brian wanted to bench Petras last week but Kirk quashed it. If that’s the case, it’s hard to blame Brian for our offensive woes.

"The word is .....

Evidence of this?
 
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