'Member that time KF hired a no-name coach to be a recruiting coordinator and TEs coach???

[Joes Place]

...and then that guy went on to coach the O Line
And then the D Line

We did pretty damn good during those years

That dude's name (from the Iowa HS ranks) was Reese Morgan.

Reese Morgan Retires From Iowa Football

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Reese Morgan, a member of the University of Iowa football coaching staff for 19 years, has retired. The announcement came Wednesday from head coach Kirk Ferentz.

hawkeyesports.com

I think he turned out OK.
So, maybe step away from the ledge and give this Lester guy a chance...

 

[jhawkinaz]

...and then that guy went on to coach the O Line
And then the D Line

We did pretty damn good during those years

That dude's name (from the Iowa HS ranks) was Reese Morgan.

Reese Morgan Retires From Iowa Football

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Reese Morgan, a member of the University of Iowa football coaching staff for 19 years, has retired. The announcement came Wednesday from head coach Kirk Ferentz.

hawkeyesports.com

I think he turned out OK.
So, maybe step away from the ledge and give this Lester guy a chance...

I am all for giving him a chance, I agree with you there. But apples to oranges man.

 

[denmar81]

I’m not on the ledge but we also had a guy that coached TE’s with the Patriots then went on to coach the O-line at Iowa then OC. How’d that work out? HS coaches transition to college often. Not only Reese but Barry Alvarez also came to Iowa from the HS ranks.

 

[goodbyebobby]

I’m not on the ledge but we also had a guy that coached TE’s with the Patriots then went on to coach the O-line at Iowa then OC. How’d that work out? HS coaches transition to college often. Not only Reese but Barry Alvarez also came to Iowa from the HS ranks.

Worked out very well until he became the OC

 

[Joes Place]

Worked out very well until he became the OC

Very different skillsets for Line or Position coaching vs. OC or HC.
Moving "up" can be problematic, even for good position coaches.

Moving "down" from a HC to OC would be an easier step, IMO.

 

[BirdistheWord]

KAZ says hi

 

[CarterHall]

...and then that guy went on to coach the O Line
And then the D Line

We did pretty damn good during those years

That dude's name (from the Iowa HS ranks) was Reese Morgan.

Reese Morgan Retires From Iowa Football

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Reese Morgan, a member of the University of Iowa football coaching staff for 19 years, has retired. The announcement came Wednesday from head coach Kirk Ferentz.

hawkeyesports.com

I think he turned out OK.
So, maybe step away from the ledge and give this Lester guy a chance...

Remember when he hired his boy?

 

[Bubbrub]

And people on these boards were coming after Reese Morgan with pitchforks and torches for a while, demanding he be fired because of his terrible O-line coaching. Now history is repeating itself. Goes to show how many strongly opinionated posters here have absolutely no clue what they are talking about, especially when it comes to putting together a coaching staff.

 

[10kHawk]

Feels like a false equivalency given the recent seismic shifts in college football. Few years ago this hire gets a meh from most. For some it’s a lost opportunity to position Iowa in that new dynamic. The factors that allowed and metrics that defined Iowas success over the last decades are changing and this hire doesn’t feel like it helps.

 

[l.todd]

But this guy isn’t a no-name. He has a track record that can be analyzed. Not a terribly good analogy.

 

[SI_NYC]

Feels like a false equivalency given the recent seismic shifts in college football. Few years ago this hire gets a meh from most. For some it’s a lost opportunity to position Iowa in that new dynamic. The factors that allowed and metrics that defined Iowas success over the last decades are changing and this hire doesn’t feel like it helps.

Perhaps but I do think Lester runs RPO and spreads the field in ways Kirk hasn’t. I’m just disappointed because his resume isn’t very impressive. I would have preferred to go with a proven OC that moves the ball. Johns was that guy.

 

[uihawk82]

...and then that guy went on to coach the O Line
And then the D Line

We did pretty damn good during those years

That dude's name (from the Iowa HS ranks) was Reese Morgan.

Reese Morgan Retires From Iowa Football

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Reese Morgan, a member of the University of Iowa football coaching staff for 19 years, has retired. The announcement came Wednesday from head coach Kirk Ferentz.

hawkeyesports.com

I think he turned out OK.
So, maybe step away from the ledge and give this Lester guy a chance...

I was at a Polk County I-Club presentation and Reese was the hawk coach who was there. This was not too many years after he was hired. Just listening to him and watch him interact with the fans afterwards you could see he is a great people person. I cant remember the subject of his talk but it was done very well.

A high school coach can have a great ability to coach techniques but being a great leader and people person is also a great thing to have.

 

[Rambler Hawk]

Perhaps but I do think Lester runs RPO and spreads the field in ways Kirk hasn’t. I’m just disappointed because his resume isn’t very impressive. I would have preferred to go with a proven OC that moves the ball. Johns was that guy.

Yup, you really have to dig deep to find any positives on his resume….☹️. If he was a ‘hidden coaching gem’, why did a MAC AD just fire him then?!?!💩

 

[Stoopsbrother]

that was 25 years ago

 

[MAXIMUSHAWKEYE]

...and then that guy went on to coach the O Line
And then the D Line

We did pretty damn good during those years

That dude's name (from the Iowa HS ranks) was Reese Morgan.

Reese Morgan Retires From Iowa Football

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Reese Morgan, a member of the University of Iowa football coaching staff for 19 years, has retired. The announcement came Wednesday from head coach Kirk Ferentz.

hawkeyesports.com

I think he turned out OK.
So, maybe step away from the ledge and give this Lester guy a chance...

I remember, I also remember that time he hired his son. Then doubled down by making him QB coach. I'll wait and see how this turns out.

 

[DustmeisterHawk]

...and then that guy went on to coach the O Line
And then the D Line

We did pretty damn good during those years

That dude's name (from the Iowa HS ranks) was Reese Morgan.

Reese Morgan Retires From Iowa Football

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Reese Morgan, a member of the University of Iowa football coaching staff for 19 years, has retired. The announcement came Wednesday from head coach Kirk Ferentz.

hawkeyesports.com

I think he turned out OK.
So, maybe step away from the ledge and give this Lester guy a chance...

Very good point.

 

[Niko13]

Except Tim Lester is not a no name coach. He's been around for awhile and isn't exactly a proven winner

 

[Niko13]

These folks would like to say hi:

Greg Davis
Bobby Kennedy
Chris White
Eric Johnson
Rick Kaczenski
Erik Campbell
Kelton Copeland
George Barnett
Jon Budmayr
Brian Ferentz

 

[Joes Place]

But this guy isn’t a no-name. He has a track record that can be analyzed.

Which put up better and better offensive numbers over the years at WMU. One bad (last) year. Otherwise, steady growth

 

[Joes Place]

I was at a Polk County I-Club presentation and Reese was the hawk coach who was there. This was not too many years after he was hired. Just listening to him and watch him interact with the fans afterwards you could see he is a great people person. I cant remember the subject of his talk but it was done very well.

A high school coach can have a great ability to coach techniques but being a great leader and people person is also a great thing to have.

I knew Reese Morgan, prior to his gig at West.
Exceptional human being.

 

[jberesford]

I was at a Polk County I-Club presentation and Reese was the hawk coach who was there. This was not too many years after he was hired. Just listening to him and watch him interact with the fans afterwards you could see he is a great people person. I cant remember the subject of his talk but it was done very well.

A high school coach can have a great ability to coach techniques but being a great leader and people person is also a great thing to have.

A guy I know was a high school football head coach, and his son is currently a head coach in D3. He speaks amazingly high of Reese Morgan and his impact on the program.

 

[HWKEYZ23]

...and then that guy went on to coach the O Line
And then the D Line

We did pretty damn good during those years

That dude's name (from the Iowa HS ranks) was Reese Morgan.

Reese Morgan Retires From Iowa Football

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Reese Morgan, a member of the University of Iowa football coaching staff for 19 years, has retired. The announcement came Wednesday from head coach Kirk Ferentz.

hawkeyesports.com

I think he turned out OK.
So, maybe step away from the ledge and give this Lester guy a chance...

Sure, I remember that..........I also remember when he hired a guy to coach OL that had never coached OL who was no good at it, hired a highly acclaimed OC from a school then that didn't mesh well and another time where he hired his son as an unqualified OC so..................let's not cherry pick one scenario that fits your narrative. He's had some good hires, he's also had some big time bombs. That being said, he wouldn't have been the hire I would have liked to see but I think Lester deserves the benefit of the doubt. I do like some of the things he does with his RPO offense and it could really fit some of our guys.

 

[goodbyebobby]

Very different skillsets for Line or Position coaching vs. OC or HC.
Moving "up" can be problematic, even for good position coaches.

Moving "down" from a HC to OC would be an easier step, IMO.

Thanks, Captain Obvious 😉

 

[Joes Place]

Sure, I remember that..........I also remember when he hired a guy to coach OL that had never coached OL who was no good at it, hired a highly acclaimed OC from a school then that didn't mesh well and another time where he hired his son as an unqualified OC so..................let's not cherry pick one scenario that fits your narrative. He's had some good hires, he's also had some big time bombs. That being said, he wouldn't have been the hire I would have liked to see but I think Lester deserves the benefit of the doubt. I do like some of the things he does with his RPO offense and it could really fit some of our guys.

This is probably the real heart of the matter: KF is too loyal to his own people, even when they are not getting the job done.

What made Hayden Fry a real genius was identifying things in inexperienced coaches that would make them great coaches, and developing them. Doesn't seem to be something KF has excelled at.

 

[Douglas C. Neidermeyer]

I’m not on the ledge but we also had a guy that coached TE’s with the Patriots then went on to coach the O-line at Iowa then OC. How’d that work out? HS coaches transition to college often. Not only Reese but Barry Alvarez also came to Iowa from the HS ranks.

Go Mohawks!

 

[HWKEYZ23]

This is probably the real heart of the matter: KF is too loyal to his own people, even when they are not getting the job done.

What made Hayden Fry a real genius was identifying things in inexperienced coaches that would make them great coaches, and developing them. Doesn't seem to be something KF has excelled at.

I would agree that he's too loyal. If they aren't performing, it should be time to move on......

 

[TnT_Hawks]

I would agree that he's too loyal. If they aren't performing, it should be time to move on......

Moving on requires you to acknowledge that you made a mistake.
That‘s not a skill that Kirk Ferentz seems to have.

 

[HWKEYZ23]

Moving on requires you to acknowledge that you made a mistake.
That‘s not a skill that Kirk Ferentz seems to have.

Certainly not a strong suit of his......he is quite stubborn

 

[BirdistheWord]

Yup, you really have to dig deep to find any positives on his resume….☹️. If he was a ‘hidden coaching gem’, why did a MAC AD just fire him then?!?!💩

to be fair, he was fired as a HEAD coach, we are hiring him as an OC, but doubt there was a bidding war to get him. Packers really improved their offense throughout the season, but the NFL is vastly different than Iowa. What is maddening is we probably could have gotten a higher caliber (even if slightly) OC prior to BF's "nomination." Opportunity cost really hurts.

 

[FranklinHawk]

This is probably the real heart of the matter: KF is too loyal to his own people, even when they are not getting the job done.

What made Hayden Fry a real genius was identifying things in inexperienced coaches that would make them great coaches, and developing them. Doesn't seem to be something KF has excelled at.

I'm not sure I agree with that, many position coaches have been encouraged to look elsewhere under KF. I think this is more Example #1 of why not to hire your child and put them in a position they aren't proven in, adds a completely different dynamic to the entire thing.

 

[HawkMachine]

When Morgan coached at Benton Community a kid took his helmet off to throw up from conditioning.

You were not allowed to take your helmet off unless instructed.

Reese unhappily approached the kid, stuck his fingers in the kids puke and tasted it.

Then told the kid to put his helmet back on.

 

[Shafthawk]

This is probably the real heart of the matter: KF is too loyal to his own people, even when they are not getting the job done.

What made Hayden Fry a real genius was identifying things in inexperienced coaches that would make them great coaches, and developing them. Doesn't seem to be something KF has excelled at.

This reply isn’t about Joe’s Place personally. It’s about the topic of HF vs KF.

Hayden Fry had a .500 or below record in 7 of his 20 seasons.

KF has had a .500 or below record in just 5 of 25 seasons.

Tell me again how much better Hayden was than KF. The real difference is that there wasn’t the internet back in HF’s days.

The idiots on this board (which number many these days) would have berated HF just as much as KF.

Or perhaps the fans weren’t quite as spoiled in Hayden’s days. It’s a toss up I guess between stupid or spoiled.

 

[Hawk68]

Perhaps but I do think Lester runs RPO and spreads the field in ways Kirk hasn’t. I’m just disappointed because his resume isn’t very impressive. I would have preferred to go with a proven OC that moves the ball. Johns was that guy.

Can he recruit should be the big question. Remember, it is not the X's and O's; it the Bobbies and the Joes.

 

[Joes Place]

Hayden Fry had a .500 or below record in 7 of his 20 seasons.

KF has had a .500 or below record in just 5 of 25 seasons.

Tell me again how much better Hayden was than KF. The real difference is that there wasn’t the internet back in HF’s days.

The real difference was that HF inherited a team that hadn't had a winning season since 1960.
And by the end of his tenure, most of his key staff had graduated to taking HC positions elsewhere.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

...and then that guy went on to coach the O Line
And then the D Line

We did pretty damn good during those years

That dude's name (from the Iowa HS ranks) was Reese Morgan.

Reese Morgan Retires From Iowa Football

IOWA CITY, Iowa - - Reese Morgan, a member of the University of Iowa football coaching staff for 19 years, has retired. The announcement came Wednesday from head coach Kirk Ferentz.

hawkeyesports.com

I think he turned out OK.
So, maybe step away from the ledge and give this Lester guy a chance...

Joe the football board is not your forte........

 

[hawkedoff]

This is probably the real heart of the matter: KF is too loyal to his own people, even when they are not getting the job done.

What made Hayden Fry a real genius was identifying things in inexperienced coaches that would make them great coaches, and developing them. Doesn't seem to be something KF has excelled at.

If Hayden is a genius Kirk is more of a genius

Hayden's winning percentage at Iowa

20 YrsIowa .613

Kirk's winning percentage at Iowa

25 YrsIowa 0.622

 

[Bow.to.the.Narrative]

So an Iowa fan, an Illinois fan, and a Nebraska fan walk into a podcast.

I liked all of these guys, and the Nebby fan actually is pretty decent, which I didn't realize was possible.