Paul Rhoads question for ISU fans

[HawkeyesAndCubs1023]

Cyclone Fans,

What is the general consensus on Paul Rhoads? He captured the heart of Cyclone Nation in his first year with his "So Proud!" speech. The following couple of years, his star only started to shine brighter with a couple of bug upsets, and more "So Proud" locker room moments.

In 2012, he blew a good opportunity with a solid defense to have an 8-4 type of season, and it has been a disaster ever since. Cyclone offenses have basically been inept since he arrived, and the defenses are no longer good (I love CJ Beathard, but I don't see him rattling off two 40+ yard runs in one game again). Recruiting is at the bottom of the Big 12 and to top that off, he is going more JUCO-heavy. I really don't see any way in which Paul can recruit his way out of this.

From a personal standpoint, I think he might be one of the more obnoxious coaches in America while on the sidelines. His over-the-top reactions to big plays remind me of my 7th grade football coach. Do the Cyclone fans still appreciate his schtick?

What will it take for him to keep his job this year? Jack Trice is now a legit stadium, and an extremely loyal fan base continues to invest heavily in a poor product.

 

[Lone Clone]

Cyclone Fans,

What is the general consensus on Paul Rhoads? He captured the heart of Cyclone Nation in his first year with his "So Proud!" speech. The following couple of years, his star only started to shine brighter with a couple of bug upsets, and more "So Proud" locker room moments.

In 2012, he blew a good opportunity with a solid defense to have an 8-4 type of season, and it has been a disaster ever since. Cyclone offenses have basically been inept since he arrived, and the defenses are no longer good (I love CJ Beathard, but I don't see him rattling off two 40+ yard runs in one game again). Recruiting is at the bottom of the Big 12 and to top that off, he is going more JUCO-heavy. I really don't see any way in which Paul can recruit his way out of this.

From a personal standpoint, I think he might be one of the more obnoxious coaches in America while on the sidelines. His over-the-top reactions to big plays remind me of my 7th grade football coach. Do the Cyclone fans still appreciate his schtick?

What will it take for him to keep his job this year? Jack Trice is now a legit stadium, and an extremely loyal fan base continues to invest heavily in a poor product.

Taking last things first (ONE person's opinion)...

* I think 5-7 might do it, because that would involve a fairly significant upset and playing up to par in the rest of the games. The only single games that I think are "must win" in terms of Rhoads' job security are UNI and Kansas; Iowa also would have been in that category for bowl hopes. I think it will be very difficult for Jamie to renew his contract if he puts a 4-7 (or worse) season on top of 3-9 and 2-10 years in his seventh season has HC. So far, the fans are doing a lot to ease the pressure by continuing to contribute and buy tickets. We aren't happy about it, though.

* CPR has always been a very emotional guy. You hate it or you love it. It's a lot easier to love when the team is playing well.

* The JC thing was not only proper, but necessary. The defense, despite the lapses against Beathard, is much better than it's been in years, and the JC players are a big reason for that. ISU had 13 sacks last season; it has 9 so far this year, against a couple of decent opponents.

* The really bad thing about the Rhoads regime has been the offense. The lack of offense is one reason the defensive numbers have been horrible. And last Saturday was more of the same. When the ISU offense was moving the chains, the defense also was doing a good job. When it got to the point that the defense was on the field all the time, Iowa began dominating. Fans have been blaming offensive coordinators in the past, but this has been true through three OC -- and two of them Tom Herman and Mark Mangino, are widely considered among the better OC in the country. Yes, Iowa played good defense in the second half. But ISU's offense hasn't been productive against anybody (except Texas last year).

* Yes, recruiting has been bad. Not just the guys we didn't get, but the guys we got who didn't develop into Big XII players. Hence the emphasis on JC players the past two years.

* It wasn't just the "so proud" speech that attracted fans to Rhoads (although that helped; Hawkeye fans hated it, but that got a tremendous amount of positive national publicity). His teams played exciting football, they were in every game, and they recorded several major upsets -- something Mac couldn't do.(Mac was 3-40 against rated teams in 10 years, and one of the three was against a vastly overrated Iowa team in '05; Rhoads beat 4 rated teams in his first three years, and three of the wins were on the road) It didn't matter who was coming to town, you knew ISU had a chance to win. Plus, people liked the idea that Rhoads is a hometown guy.

* My guess is that the large majority of ISU fans want Rhoads to succeed. That is, it isn't one of those deals where they want to get rid of the coach as much as they want to win more games. But it's looking less and less likely that this is going to happen.

 

[J_Heater]

The out of bounds catch in the first half where we was on his knees pointing at the ground like a complete ass clown made me laugh. I was so proud of him.

 

[lenoxhawks]

How about asking on the ISU board where this garbage belongs.

 

[DavenportHawk8]

I have no problem with is emotion after the game, I actually think its kind of cool that he did it. I mean they just upset Nebbie I think and he was pumped up.

The antics on the sideline however need to stop. Him and Pollard did no favors by lashing out about the officiating in the Big XII. All that did was make the conference upset and also probably piss some officials off because they were basically calling them out saying they got hosed. No one likes to hear that. He needs to stop the "begging" and the "falling on the ground" crap and just argue with the call. No need to wave your arms around and act like a fool.

I personally hope he can turn it around and they make a bowl game. The addition to the stadium is sweet and I would like to see if filled. I support the clones and cheer for them in every game (except vs Iowa & UNI). Outside of that I want nothing but success for them.

IF they were to fire Rhodes, who would they target to come coach the Clones??

 

[iahawkeyes17]

The thing I think Rhoads is kind of luckily in that KF's contract kind of overshadows his which is equally as bad. After Okie St upset when he got it they lost their last 3 that year in 2011. Follow it up with seasons of 6-7, 3-9 and 2-10. Figure in this year he is 12-30 since he got his 10 year deal and 5-22 in conf play last 3 years. Think Iowa loss may be the first nail in his coffin.

 

[hawks127]

Who cares, we beat ISU soundly, lets quit talking about them.

 

[JStandefer]

ISU's schedule is not very tough. The only 3 games that look like
guaranteed losses are:

TCU
@ Baylor
@ Oklahoma

Likely wins:

@ Toledo
Kansas

Toss ups:

@ Texas Tech
Texas (homecoming)
@ Okie State
@ Kansas St
@ WVU

 

[J_Heater]

ISU's schedule is not very tough. The only 3 games that look like
guaranteed losses are:

TCU
@ Baylor
@ Oklahoma

Likely wins:

@ Toledo
Kansas

Toss ups:

@ Texas Tech
Texas (homecoming)
@ Okie State
@ Kansas St
@ WVU

Vegas sees your likely win over Toledo as Toledo favored by more than a touchdown.

However I would agree with your general theme here. There schedule isn't very tough as the Big 12 looks soft.

 

[TankHawk]

ISU's schedule is not very tough. The only 3 games that look like
guaranteed losses are:

TCU
@ Baylor
@ Oklahoma

Likely wins:

@ Toledo
Kansas

Toss ups:

@ Texas Tech
Texas (homecoming)
@ Okie State
@ Kansas St
@ WVU

ISU is a 7 to 8 point dog @ Toledo. A likely win?

 

[JStandefer]

ISU is a 7 to 8 point dog @ Toledo. A likely win?

That is a much higher line than I expected. I probably should have said, "should win" or put them on the "toss ups" list

Toledo is a MAC team, an upper level MAC team, but a mid-major nonetheless. I think the line will drop a bit. And besides the Arkansas upset, I think that line may be influenced by an emotional loss of ISU's Super Bowl.

 

[Lone Clone]

Toledo is favored by twice as many points as Iowa was favored last Saturday.

ISU would be favored against Kansas if the teams were to play this week, and would be an underdog to the other 9 teams on the schedule.

 

[lenoxhawks]

Toledo is favored by twice as many points as Iowa was favored last Saturday.

ISU would be favored against Kansas if the teams were to play this week, and would be an underdog to the other 9 teams on the schedule.

Because Iowa State is one of the worst football programs in the country, including FCS. It sure isn't because the Big 12 is any good. TCU might be even more overrated than Arkansas, Auburn, and the rest of the SEC.

 

[theIowaHawk]

My non-Cyclone opinion:

Iowa State is run to have a good, solid defense in a league that only favors the offense....and they don't have the talent, nor speed, to counter it.

It would be nice if Rhoads could simply step aside and allow, say, Meachem/Cumbie take over as Co-HC or HC/OC combo.

But, at this point, they might need a Jerry Kill-type program builder to set the floor. Pollard has done the right thing by vastly increasing the amount of money they spend on football.

 

[theIowaHawk]

Because Iowa State is one of the worst football programs in the country, including FCS. It sure isn't because the Big 12 is any good. TCU might be even more overrated than Arkansas, Auburn, and the rest of the SEC.

This is patently absurd. Seriously. There are 125 FCS teams. Your ignorantly pointless statement would require them to be as bad as, say, Austin Peay, Butler, Dartmouth, Marist, Valpo, and on and on and on.

Don't be an idiot. Yes ISU has lost to North Dakota, the top FCS team, and to UNI, an in-state somewhat rival. That doesn't equate to anything your is selling.

 

[theIowaHawk]

Toledo is favored by twice as many points as Iowa was favored last Saturday.

ISU would be favored against Kansas if the teams were to play this week, and would be an underdog to the other 9 teams on the schedule.

ISU will beat Toledo, and I'll bet they do it fairly easily. Say, 28-35 to 15-20. They didn't manhandle Arkansas, they showed how overhyped Arkansas was....and Arkansas still should have won easily.

 

[theIowaHawk]

ISU's schedule is not very tough. The only 3 games that look like
guaranteed losses are:

TCU
@ Baylor
@ Oklahoma

Likely wins:

@ Toledo
Kansas

Toss ups:

@ Texas Tech
Texas (homecoming)
@ Okie State
@ Kansas St
@ WVU

How do you see K State as a tossup...at Manhattan? Also, you know the powers have shifted when an ISU fan claims Texas as a tossup.

 

[lenoxhawks]

This is patently absurd. Seriously. There are 125 FCS teams. Your ignorantly pointless statement would require them to be as bad as, say, Austin Peay, Butler, Dartmouth, Marist, Valpo, and on and on and on.

Don't be an idiot. Yes ISU has lost to North Dakota, the top FCS team, and to UNI, an in-state somewhat rival. That doesn't equate to anything your bullshit is selling.

You are too easy.

 

[IASULLY52]

The biggest question I have about Paul Rhoads is why can't he invest in a belt clip for his radio. There's always a student following him around within a few feet of him holding his radio which gets pretty funny with all of his antics. I've never seen any other coach have someone that does that for them.

 

[I4cy]

You are too easy.

if anyone here has ever been to lenox you would not take a poster serious with it in his screen name

 

[hoks2415]

I actually think Iowa State could have a decent team this year. The WRs and DL are legit. I really think six wins is attainable, but they need to beat Akron this Saturday. If Iowa State had a play maker at QB, they'd be a dangerous team for anyone.

 

[ROCKY MOUNTAIN HAWK]

Big12 is always one of the softest conferences in America. If a team can't go 6-6 in that marshmallow conference, you've got problems.

 

[MitchL]

Big12 is always one of the softest conferences in America. If a team can't go 6-6 in that marshmallow conference, you've got problems.

Hence... the probability that ISU will be the dog against everyone not named Kansas.

 

[Im4Iowa]

I actually think Iowa State could have a decent team this year. The WRs and DL are legit. I really think six wins is attainable, but they need to beat Akron this Saturday. If Iowa State had a play maker at QB, they'd be a dangerous team for anyone.

No chance they beat Akron this Saturday.

 

[Tclone99]

No chance they beat Akron this Saturday.

Pretty sure they play Bradley dude. Nice try.

 

[ichawk24]

For Petes sake. It's Bowling Green.

 

[NashvilleHawk]

Father in law is a Cyclone fan, and he said that they never should have gotten rid of Dan McCarney.

 

[Mountain Man Hawk]

If they play like they did last Saturday the rest of the season I could see them winning some games. The thing is, they started out last year playing well too and then completely fell apart. Obviously they played terrible against NDSU last year but they followed that up by playing KSU down to the wire and then obviously the game against Iowa. So they weren't that far from being an OK team. Then the wheels fell off. I think Rhoads's biggest challenge is going to be keeping morale high after so much losing the last few years. I think they have a decent team and all the JC players have helped cover up some of their deficiencies. But if he loses the team morale again and they don't win at least 4 games this year then maybe a change is needed.

 

[Psyclone]

Cyclone Fans,

What is the general consensus on Paul Rhoads? He captured the heart of Cyclone Nation in his first year with his "So Proud!" speech. The following couple of years, his star only started to shine brighter with a couple of bug upsets, and more "So Proud" locker room moments.

In 2012, he blew a good opportunity with a solid defense to have an 8-4 type of season, and it has been a disaster ever since. Cyclone offenses have basically been inept since he arrived, and the defenses are no longer good (I love CJ Beathard, but I don't see him rattling off two 40+ yard runs in one game again). Recruiting is at the bottom of the Big 12 and to top that off, he is going more JUCO-heavy. I really don't see any way in which Paul can recruit his way out of this.

From a personal standpoint, I think he might be one of the more obnoxious coaches in America while on the sidelines. His over-the-top reactions to big plays remind me of my 7th grade football coach. Do the Cyclone fans still appreciate his schtick?

What will it take for him to keep his job this year? Jack Trice is now a legit stadium, and an extremely loyal fan base continues to invest heavily in a poor product.

Lone Clone did a pretty good job of answering all your questions. I really like Paul Rhoads and hope he succeeds, but it's not looking good. The biggest obstacle he has had during his regime is the daunting schedule. I'm not talking about national championship contenders, although there have been some on the schedule. I'm talking about really good teams in the Big 12 schedule almost every week.

Now the last two years have been a different deal. We lost some great players on defense and never quite got them replaced. We also had a road grader in the offensive line. A number of those players made the NFL. When they were gone, we didn't have much and were playing a number of players that weren't ready. Then the problem was compounded by injuries, which really exposed a lack of depth. We were going to have a rough season against our schedule even without the injuries.

So here we are in 2015. I think we have not only much better starters on defense, but a lot of depth. And we have stayed relatively healthy compared to the last 2 years. On offense we should be better than last year with all the experience. We only lost a few key guys, but we have a lot of guys with experience back. Why we can't run the ball is a mystery. If that doesn't get fixed it will be a long season. But I think Mangino will get it figured out as long as we don't lose offensive lineman. We should get better.

I'm hopeful that we get our rush offense fixed and avoid injuries. Then we need some of the Big 12 teams to take a step back where we have a better chance to win. Right now it looks like we are headed for no more than 3 wins - UNI, Kansas and maybe Texas Tech. I think it will take at least 5 for Rhoads to stay. The most likely is Texas, Oklahoma State, Kansas State and West Virginia. It will be a surprise if we get 2 of those, and a dream to get 3. That is why the Iowa game was so important.

 

[Lone Clone]

Because Iowa State is one of the worst football programs in the country, including FCS. It sure isn't because the Big 12 is any good. TCU might be even more overrated than Arkansas, Auburn, and the rest of the SEC.

Who said anything in this thread about the strength of the Big XII?

 

[Lone Clone]

The biggest question I have about Paul Rhoads is why can't he invest in a belt clip for his radio. There's always a student following him around within a few feet of him holding his radio which gets pretty funny with all of his antics. I've never seen any other coach have someone that does that for them.

Mrs. LC refers to that guy as his remora.

 

[Lone Clone]

Father in law is a Cyclone fan, and he said that they never should have gotten rid of Dan McCarney.

Quite a few ISU fans feel that way. I understand it, but I don't agree. Everybody wishes Mac had been more successful. Nobody wanted him replaced. He did great things for ISU both on and off the field. But while everybody liked him and appreciated what he had done, it became too obvious that the football program's future was not good. There was not even any point in watching ISU play ranked teams -- Mac was 3-40 against them -- and we lost more than our share of tossups. When we had a chance to do something, when the Big XII North was far down, we pissed it down our leg. We couldn't win close games. The 2005 season, his next-to-last, the schedule was weak. We lost three games in overtime, then lost the bowl game by 3 points. Attendance, ticket sales, contributions all were headed down with no sign of recovery. When we went 4-8 the next year, there wasn't much else Pollard could do.

 

[srams21]

I actually think Rhoades is a decent gameday coach but let's be honest. How would we know? He is coaching at Iowa State. Gene Chizek went 5-19 there and won a national title at Auburn.

It's a really tough place to win. Pollard has helped and the stadium upgrades are much needed. However, football is still all about talent and depth. Good coaching helps and the ability to develop players is key at places where recruiting is tough. It's fairly tough to recruit at Iowa, let alone in Ames.

 

[Nurman]

I actually think Iowa State could have a decent team this year. The WRs and DL are legit. I really think six wins is attainable, but they need to beat Akron this Saturday. If Iowa State had a play maker at QB, they'd be a dangerous team for anyone.

I think it's possible that they could be a decent team this year but I don't think I would classify their DL as legit. They got good pressure on the QB in the first half but they gave up a ton yards on the ground the whole game and the pass rush pretty much disappeared in the second half.

I wouldn't classify Iowa's OL as experienced or all that great yet.

 

[whatsup12579er]

The out of bounds catch in the first half where we was on his knees pointing at the ground like a complete ass clown made me laugh. I was so proud of him.

I looked at my buddies as CPR was on the ground kicking and screaming after that play and said, "I'm glad that @$$clowns isn't our head coach. I'm really glad our coach would never do that."

 

[Clonewithasigh]

Big12 is always one of the softest conferences in America. If a team can't go 6-6 in that marshmallow conference, you've got problems.

Spark up again Rocky! You need to continue your hazy outlook.

 

[Lone Clone]

I think it's possible that they could be a decent team this year but I don't think I would classify their DL as legit. They got good pressure on the QB in the first half but they gave up a ton yards on the ground the whole game and the pass rush pretty much disappeared in the second half.

I wouldn't classify Iowa's OL as experienced or all that great yet.

Cyclones lost their best DL to an ankle injury in the first half. That's almost exactly the point at which the change you mention occurred. Tucker was definitely a major factor in the game before he was injured.

And that goes back to the depth question. If ISU loses a starter at most positions, the next guy in is going to be considerably less skilled. If Tucker is back at somewhere near full strength, I think we have a chance to win at Toledo. If not, I feel much less optimistic.

 

[srams21]

Cyclones lost their best DL to an ankle injury in the first half. That's almost exactly the point at which the change you mention occurred. Tucker was definitely a major factor in the game before he was injured.

And that goes back to the depth question. If ISU loses a starter at most positions, the next guy in is going to be considerably less skilled. If Tucker is back at somewhere near full strength, I think we have a chance to win at Toledo. If not, I feel much less optimistic.

I was very impressed with Tucker. He is legit. But, like you said, he goes out and the entire ISU defense is swiss cheese.

Lack of depth and terrible o-line play will be Rhoads undoing at ISU. He actually has some legit athletes over the past few years.

 

[JStandefer]

How do you see K State as a tossup...at Manhattan? Also, you know the powers have shifted when an ISU fan claims Texas as a tossup.

I take some offense to that! I'm no ISU fan by any stretch of the imagination. ISU should have beaten KSU last year after being popped by NDSU. And ISU is supposed to be better with KSU down a bit.

Texas is kind of a mess. Almost like Michigan under Rich Rod. And it's homecoming.

 

[scotthawk1964]

If Iowa State is going to be able to compete, they are going to have to follow the mold of Bill Snyder at K State. K State was always a coaching graveyard. He brings in Juco players damn near every year and it has turned out pretty well for him. Now, I am not saying Rhodes is any Snyder, just that ISU is going to have to supplement its recruiting with Juco players.