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KF Leaving

Iowa had 1 bad season at the end of Hayden's tenure when he was hiding a cancer diagnosis, does that mean Kirk's brand gets flushed down the toilet if this season turns out to be like 2012? Kirk's only cancer is his blind nepotism and that's self imposed

Iowa was in the Rose Bowl in 90 and 91 team might have been Hayden's best at 10-1-1. That 97 team was ranked most of season and would have stayed if Sherman wasn't so awful. That Shaw/Banks/Dwight/DeVries brand of football was at least entertaining to watch but 95-97 was very Kirk like as far as results. I bet Kirk would be the first to defend what Hayden built and laugh at the idea he was a savior to it. Kirk doesn't have success year 3 without guys like Betts, Kampman, Hill.
I don’t say that to trash what Hayden did, he was the Iowa coach of my youth and my first football memory is his first Rose Bowl…..but for a variety of reasons, the cupboard was really, really bare at the end of Fry’s tenure. That’s why I said “restore”.….but only for the brand of Iowa football. When I think of Hayden Fry, I don’t think of the end, I think of the Rose Bowls and the exotics. I agree with you that the 10-1-1 91 team that got stuck in the Holiday bowl was potentially his best team.
 
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The usual ‘we are just Iowa’ post, and ‘be careful what you wish for’. No coach stays at a program this long anymore unless they are winning championships. Kirk isn’t doing that even in the pathetic west division. Except for last year when every bounce went our way, and the defense bailed us out every game. The program is stale, and has been. The only coach that should still be here is Woods, and Parker. Other than that they should all be gone and start from scratch. We could be a hell of a lot better with someone other than a Ferentz here, you know maybe a coach that had a clue about offense.
As Joe would say, Come on Man ! We are 9th nationally in wins over the past 7 years.
 
Go back and take a look at our cake-walk schedules.

Bacardi and Cola. Do it. Do it.
Anybody that drinks bacardi and coke should not be taken seriously. Three fingers of bourbon or single malt is the only way to go.

Kirk can leave when he wants. he has earned the right. Fourth all time in Big Ten wins, 170 total wins, three coach of the year awards, his salary is middle of the Big Ten pack. Seems like a steal to me.
 
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Barta should have been canned after the Jane Meyer $6M lawsuit fiasco
Don't disagree but this one is getting overplayed. If you think he made the decision on how to handle that situation you would be mistaken. The HR and legal eagles make those calls and GB followed directions on how to proceed. There are plenty of other reasons that you can make for getting rid of him rather than this tired claim. Honestly it's just lazy.
 
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Ferentz is getting long in the tooth. How long do folks think he’ll remain? Often times coaches like Ferentz try to stay on too long and things start to fall apart or get stale. That happened to Bowden at FSU. I’ve always felt its best to pass the torch while the program remains strong and no major rebuild is required for the next guy. Go out on a good note before you have to be nudged out the door. I don’t get the sense that Ferentz will follow this route however. He’s stubborn and will probably have to be told to hang it up. And that will probably be to the program’s detriment.
 
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Ferentz is getting long in the tooth. How long do folks think he’ll remain? Often times coaches like Ferentz try to stay on too long and things start to fall apart or get stale. That happened to Bowden at FSU. I’ve always felt its best to pass the torch while the program remains strong and no major rebuild is required for the next guy. Go out on a good note before you have to be nudged out the door. I don’t get the sense that Ferentz will follow this route however. He’s stubborn and will probably have to be told to hang it up. And that will probably be to the program’s detriment.
I've appreciated all the great things KF has done at Iowa but have also not been afraid to criticize him through the years either when I felt warranted.

I look at it like this: Kirk is currently on one of his best stretches ever at Iowa; it's not like the program has been sinking in recent years. He's 67 and appears to be in great health, has stated football is his life and he really has no hobbies. So based on all these things, I see him continuing on for at least a few more years but who really knows.

Now, if things turn poor this season (and these next 3 weeks will be critical) then I do think we are at a point where there can be concern-- but NOT a KF ouster. I think at any point at the stage of his career and age he's at any turn downward would be a concern.

I agree-- the concern at any program with any school is a coach getting stubborn and hanging on too long. Hell, even Hayden's long time trusted assistant, Don Patterson, said Hayden hung on a few years too long. Yes, NEVER do you want a long-time coach being pressured out the door instead of leaving on his own, or a coach leaving the program in as bad of shape as he inherited it. IOWA IS NOT AT THE PLACE AT THIS POINT WITH KF AND WE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THAT!

I have continued to say that if this program begins to slide in whatever way, Kirk, as stubborn as I think we know he can be, will do the right thing integrity-wise and hand the torch over to someone else before it hits a bottom. Hope when this day comes I am right or that Kirk will retire one day when his program is sailing sky high (best case situation).
 
Much ado about nothing. Let's say Iowa has losing seasons the next few years...the offense doesn't improve...KF would likely step down and negotiate the buyout. He's grateful for the way Iowa has treated him...and I believe he truly wants the best for the program. If he's not getting the job done...he would step down.

I honestly think his goal was to have Brian become the head coach when he is done, but that isn't happening with Brian's recent performance. I think the way KF was positioning was...if in two or three year...Brian has a successful offense...the team is winning...he transitions out and Brian takes the reigns. That plan is in the dumper right now...so all bets are off.
With the hold Ferentz has on Barta, I wouldn't discount the idea of Brian being handed the job no matter what.
 
For those that think Barta Has any say about him firing KF. Did you see the buy out.

Ace Anbender of thebucketproblem.com took on the task of compiling the various coaching contracts from across the Big Ten, and even though he knew Ferentz’s buyout was massive, the actual number turned out to be even bigger than he expected.

According to Anbender, Ferentz’s buyout is equal to $6 million per year for the duration of his contract. Since Ferentz has eight years remaining on his deal with the Hawkeyes, that means that if Iowa were to fire Ferentz today, they would still owe him a mindblowing $48 million.
That's why they wait until EOS and if 7 wins don't materialize, he's let go as he did not reach the required wins, buyout should then be significantly less (if at all).
 
And yet didn't win anymore games, (which seems relevant). I've said this many times, but you can do your own research if you want. Fry (god love him for everything he did), psychology major. One of his greatest mental tricks he accompllished was getting the fan base to think we were some kind of offensive juggernaut. He did this by pounding the bad teams (especially the dregs of the BIG at the time) we played and running up the score on the NW, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and OSU teams. Then go back and see the scores and the record against the top teams. Its no better, and probably worse then KF's record. I think KF's record against ranked teams is certainly better then Fry's . Take a look.....
This is exactly right, and it gives us an idea of Iowa's ceiling as a program. We're limited already by our state population and geography, let alone with another P5 program to compete with in-state. This isn't meant to be a "we're just poor old little old Iowa" talk, but to a degree it's true. What works for Alabama, Ohio State, ND, etc. isn't going to work for us. We can't beat the big boys at their own game, and both Fry and Ferentz understood/understand that.
 
I get frustrated with KF all the time but be careful what you wish for. Don't forget we are in Iowa and we have an excellent example of what can happen from two close neighbors to the west when you start cycling through coaches.
Who's talking about "cycling" through coaches? One change every 20 years is pretty much the opposite.

As for our neighbors to the West...ISU has always had a crappy program, despite some up years. Their only big mistake was dropping McCarney and they're not in bad shape now.

Nebraska had two (some would say 3) pretty decent coaches following Osborn...they got greedy thinking 11-1 should be the norm.
 
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6 Million? I would have given her $20M to leave, had I the capability.
Worth every penny.
Barta should have fired Meyer when he let everyone know in a staff meeting he let Greisbalm go and Meyer unleashed an obscenity laced tirade in front of everyone for what he did. He should of said pack your things you are done as well which would have saved the program millions.
 
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This is exactly right, and it gives us an idea of Iowa's ceiling as a program. We're limited already by our state population and geography, let alone with another P5 program to compete with in-state. This isn't meant to be a "we're just poor old little old Iowa" talk, but to a degree it's true. What works for Alabama, Ohio State, ND, etc. isn't going to work for us. We can't beat the big boys at their own game, and both Fry and Ferentz understood/understand that.
We’re not expecting Heisman caliber QBs here. We’re expecting 5th year senior QBs that have played 3 years to know where to throw a short pass to make a crucial first down. Or maybe not lock on to only one TE as a target. Or maybe throw the ball further down the field than 5 yards. Or not overthrow a 6’6” TE by about 5 feet. Or not chuck the ball into the stands on 4th down when it is crucial to get a first down. Or a QB who can move faster than a 6 second 40. Or a QB who doesn’t mentally collapse if he sees someone in a non-Iowa jersey on the field.
These are not huge asks and I’m tired of so many Ferentz apologists claiming that we can’t be better than we are. Our offense is second to last in the nation as is our QB. We deserve better.
 
It was crickets at the end of the regular season last year. Iowa punched its ticket to Indy.

Fact is Iowa has gotten a great value in Ferentz. It’s gonna be a rough year but historically he turns it around. He has transformed the Iowa football brand, kinnick and the culture in very positive ways.
No one is denying what he has done for the program. He’s been a great ambassador for the team, program and state. He served his purpose, he put in 24 years but the game is passing him by. The only reason we went to Indy is because Wisky lost. We play in a crap division and he can’t even win that 25% of the time. Sadly, The game has evolved and he is being left behind.
 
I think “recovered” the brand is certainly warranted. The 90s Hawks were not the same as the 80s Hawks. Hayden had some good years in the mid-90s, but the program was clearly on the downswing when Fry retired.
Yep, the cupboard was empty when Hayden retired. KF did a great job through his first 10 years or so. Anybody who doesn't think so doesn't know the history. The year we beat Nick Saban's LSU team in the Cap One bowl, the Hawkeyes had no running game. Did it all through the air. KF and the entire staff could flat out coach back in those days.
 
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