What Brian has to understand.

[HawkNole09]

He’s improved our passing offense. No question. Even with the drops, it’s better. We’re surely averaging more yards per attempt, completing for more yards, limiting interceptions. That’s been the huge positive for the first half of the season. Stanley’s play has been consistent enough that he can carry a larger chunk of the offense.

And he’s done it with underclassmen/first year players dotting the offense (boy this bodes well for the future of Iowa Football).

But, what Brian needs to understand at this point — is that running 65% of the time on first down is not working with our standard sets. Either go 3 wide and give yourself more space in the box for Wadley to take advantage of, or throw — which Stanley has shown to be plenty capable of.

 

[RoundRock620]

He needs to understand that sometimes you have to pass to establish run. He is trying to run to establish pass and everybody is putting 8 on the line day after the game is over. However, I like that we are becoming less predictable and Brian is not scared to experiment.

 

[Herkmeister]

What Brian needs to understand: The ladder of success is much easier to climb when your dad owns the ladder.

 

[EpenesaEpenesa]

Trying to hard to be balanced. Do what you have to do to move the football.

 

[Wasnt-drunk-didnt-troll]

Brian needs to understand that if he wants to be a head coach he needs to invent a "Brian Ferentz Offense".... No one is going to be lining up at the door in 3 or 4 years to hire the next "Kirk Ferentz Offense".. Including the U of I. That being said he seems super passionate and I believe he will get us into a decent offensive football team, he just needs some time and for the younger guys to grow a little. I will say I see alot of things about this O I really like we need to catch the ball.

 

[RoundRock620]

I was loud and clear against nepotism and I still am. But, after his last press conference, I want to keep Brian. I just want his father gone and I wanted that for years.

 

[BigHawksFan]

Things will be more clear if or when our OL gets healthy. Then if things still suck, it will be easier to see where the problem(s) are.

 

[WhoaNellieCy]

He needs to understand that sometimes you have to pass to establish run. He is trying to run to establish pass and everybody is putting 8 on the line day after the game is over. However, I like that we are becoming less predictable and Brian is not scared to experiment.

Experience at new england will eventually help him. Belliceck will sometimes pass 10 straight times if defense is taking away thr run. I believe ol hayden would take what the defense gave ya.

 

[Fan In Black]

He needs to itch where it scratches.

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

Brian needs to throw in a heavy dose of play action pass with roll outs to create separation for Stanley from the dline and to give his receivers time to get open downfield.

I just wish kok would pull out his tapes and say watch these son - play action, crossing patterns, tightend down the seam, etc.

Brian is trying to run an O that doesn't have the horses to line up in shotgun and throw downfield w/o any fakes. At least give us the fake hand off in shot gun formation to Wadley then throw downfield or screen to Wadley.

 

[Herkmeister]

He needs to itch where it scratches.

Like all the fans’ asses!!!

 

[Eternal Return]

Brian needs to understand that if he wants to be a head coach he needs to invent a "Brian Ferentz Offense".... No one is going to be lining up at the door in 3 or 4 years to hire the next "Kirk Ferentz Offense".. Including the U of I. That being said he seems super passionate and I believe he will get us into a decent offensive football team, he just needs some time and for the younger guys to grow a little. I will say I see alot of things about this O I really like we need to catch the ball.

BF would be an excellent lifetime college OL coach. Maybe after another ten years of catching the OL he could have developed enough as a coach to be elevated to OC at lower-tier Power 5 conference or a fairly good Conference USA team. But at Iowa after so little professional experience and no brilliant ideas about scheme and play calling? Ugh, just a horrible experiment by Papa.

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

But KF said he is a great coach that everyone wants! LoL, sure Dad.

 

[LakeviewHawkeye]

Brian needs to understand that if he wants to be a head coach he needs to invent a "Brian Ferentz Offense".... No one is going to be lining up at the door in 3 or 4 years to hire the next "Kirk Ferentz Offense".. Including the U of I. That being said he seems super passionate and I believe he will get us into a decent offensive football team, he just needs some time and for the younger guys to grow a little. I will say I see alot of things about this O I really like we need to catch the ball.

I agree with this 100%. Hopefully Kirk realizes it too. The offense and Brian are already starting to take some heat so I am hopeful we won't see the same old pattern of 2 or 3 years of growing pressure before Kirk decides to change.

 

[83Hawk]

I agree with this 100%. Hopefully Kirk realizes it too. The offense and Brian are already starting to take some heat so I am hopeful we won't see the same old pattern of 2 or 3 years of growing pressure before Kirk decides to change.

Brian isn’t exactly building his resume right now. Why should he? He knows he would never have been hired as OC at ANY P-5 school. By all indications there appears to be a “gentlemen’s agreement” that Brian will automatically take over for Kirk when he retires.....with a nice salary and probably a long term contract. His future is secure. Why upset the apple cart and try something new?

 

[Dauminator]

BF would be an excellent lifetime college OL coach. Maybe after another ten years of catching the OL he could have developed enough as a coach to be elevated to OC at lower-tier Power 5 conference or a fairly good Conference USA team. But at Iowa after so little professional experience and no brilliant ideas about scheme and play calling? Ugh, just a horrible experiment by Papa.

It's impossible to know that.

Brian isn’t exactly building his resume right now. Why should he? He knows he would never have been hired as OC at ANY P-5 school. By all indications there appears to be a “gentlemen’s agreement” that Brian will automatically take over for Kirk when he retires.....with a nice salary and probably a long term contract. His future is secure. Why upset the apple cart and try something new?

You're making a lot of assumptions there. Or are you tipped on every job interest that does or does not come Brian's way? And I take it you've also been involved in those intimate conversations where the secret plan has been put in place. No?

I get it, the offense isn't producing right now. If his last name was different, this conversation isn't happening. It would be about young players, injuries, and needing time to get used to a new coordinator. You're all crying about nepotism, but do you really know what it means? It doesn't mean "hiring someone from your family." It means, "hiring someone only because they're family." Multiple high profile coaches not named Ferentz have praised Brian's potential. It looks to me like the fans are the ones who can't look past the last name. Start calling him Brian Jones, it may help you evaluate things squarely.

 

[83Hawk]

It's impossible to know that.


You're making a lot of assumptions there. Or are you tipped on every job interest that does or does not come Brian's way? And I take it you've also been involved in those intimate conversations where the secret plan has been put in place. No?

I get it, the offense isn't producing right now. If his last name was different, this conversation isn't happening. It would be about young players, injuries, and needing time to get used to a new coordinator. You're all crying about nepotism, but do you really know what it means? It doesn't mean "hiring someone from your family." It means, "hiring someone only because they're family." Multiple high profile coaches not named Ferentz have praised Brian's potential. It looks to me like the fans are the ones who can't look past the last name. Start calling him Brian Jones, it may help you evaluate things squarely.

Hardly.

Notice I said “by all indications”, which means I am making an assumption. I hope I am wrong.

If so many high profile coaches praised Brian’s potential, why didn’t any of them hire him as their OC? You know darn well the ONLY reason he is OC at Iowa is because his name is Ferentz. And if his name were Brian Jones, with the same resume, I would not feel any different about his job performance so far this season, or his hiring. In fact, if his name were Brian Jones, with the same resume, I would almost guarantee he wouldn’t get a sniff at being our OC. I’m sorry, but I don’t believe we should have an “intern” who is learning on the job as our OC. OC is too important a position to give to someone based on potential.

Kirk hired a proven, successful, experienced OC, but has him coaching the offensive line (a position the man has NEVER coached....again on the job training). This is insane.

I can forgive mistakes. I cannot forgive continuing to run Wadley into the teeth of 8 man fronts. He is being wasted. I don’t pretend to be an expert, but when I see what other teams do with backs of similar skill set than Wadley, it just infuriates me. It is almost like Kirk has no idea what to do with talented skill position players, and just wants to keep pounding square pegs into round holes.

No, I am not calling for Kirk to be fired. That is never going to happen.

 

[N.Legend]

What Brian needs to understand: The ladder of success is much easier to climb when your dad owns the ladder.

What Brian needs to understand is his bank account is dwindling fast. I'm sure he wants to be a head coach someday and someplace better than Iowa but the account he built up through his father is being drained fast. He is smart and I look for him to shortly look for a head job...MAC or something like it to start. If not he will empty out his account and what he ends up with will be by default.

 

[Herkmeister]

What Brian needs to understand is his bank account is dwindling fast. I'm sure he wants to be a head coach someday and someplace better than Iowa but the account he built up through his father is being drained fast. He is smart and I look for him to shortly look for a head job...MAC or something like it to start. If not he will empty out his account and what he ends up with will be by default.

Interesting thought.

Honestly, as pissed off as I've been, or rather frustrated, the truth is that you dance with whom you brung. None of us really knows if he has sucked or been the victim of too much youth and the loss of senior tackles.

Personally, I agree with you. But some football people might have more in depth opinions. The remainder of the season will be interesting. I personally don't want to use my final 3 season tickets. I just don't want to spend the time and endure the cold to watch this and that really bothers me.

 

[Dauminator]

You know darn well the ONLY reason he is OC at Iowa is because his name is Ferentz.

I don't know that, and I contend that neither do you. You're assuming. I believe it isn't true, but neither of us really know.

Perhaps those particular coaches who've praised Brian didn't have an opening. Or perhaps he chose to take the Iowa opportunity next in favor over other openings. I simply don't have all the ins and outs of his job opportunity timeline.

If Polasek can't coach the OL, why'd he accept the job?

You may end up being right about BF. What I'm saying is that the dynamics aren't the same if he's Brian Jones. The frustration would still be there, but cooler heads would realize he's halfway through year 1, with a load of fresh faces and injured stars on offense, especially the line. I'm not ready to declare his capacity one way or the other.

Continuing to run Wads into stacked fronts is puzzling, no doubt.

 

[Eternal Return]

It's impossible to know that.


You're making a lot of assumptions there. Or are you tipped on every job interest that does or does not come Brian's way? And I take it you've also been involved in those intimate conversations where the secret plan has been put in place. No?

I get it, the offense isn't producing right now. If his last name was different, this conversation isn't happening. It would be about young players, injuries, and needing time to get used to a new coordinator. You're all crying about nepotism, but do you really know what it means? It doesn't mean "hiring someone from your family." It means, "hiring someone only because they're family." Multiple high profile coaches not named Ferentz have praised Brian's potential. It looks to me like the fans are the ones who can't look past the last name. Start calling him Brian Jones, it may help you evaluate things squarely.

lol! Okay, I get your point. There may be some carryover from my exhaustion with papa Ferentz. But I do not think it's a very good idea to choose a person without experience as a coordinator to take a Power 5 position. I'd generally want to see Iowa choose a seasoned coordinator who's had proven success over time, whether from a Group of 5 school or a Power 5 school, than choose a guy with only four years total experience as a college coach of offensive lineman. It would have been better if BF had had some proven experience as a coordinator before giving him such an important job. I like choosing youth, but not without more experience.

 

[anon_i8nzeu2gbf0ba]

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." -- Einstein

Albert didn't coach football, but he did have some intelligent insights that can be applied to it. The problem with BF isn't his lack of experience/knowledge of the OC position; it's his lack of imagination in that role. I was willing to give him a chance, but halfway through the season, he has been a major disappointment.

Iowa's offense so far has too often been sadly reminiscent of the same old foolishness we saw under Frank Lauterbur and Bob Commings back in the 60s and 70s. That's simply unacceptable.

Run a short side pitch to Wadley out of your own end zone against PSU. Give up a safety. Lose by two points. Brilliant.

Run Wadley up the gut over and over and over into the teeth of the defense. Fantastic.

Imagination? No one in the Iowa football complex has any clue about what that means.

 

[H4wkfan4life]

Brian isn’t exactly building his resume right now. Why should he? He knows he would never have been hired as OC at ANY P-5 school. By all indications there appears to be a “gentlemen’s agreement” that Brian will automatically take over for Kirk when he retires.....with a nice salary and probably a long term contract. His future is secure. Why upset the apple cart and try something new?

Not the dumbest thing I've read on here. That said, keep trying....you're getting close

 

[sijoint]

What Brian needs to understand: The ladder of success is much easier to climb when your dad owns the ladder.

What Brian needs to understand: The ladder of success is much easier to climb when your dad owns the ladder.

I think what Hawkeyefans need to realize is that Kirk has created/experimented with a product called the Kirkburger. Fans have underwritten and paid "big bucks" for the development of the Kirkburger with the help of his loyal and supportive AD/CEO. Kirk has tried different ingredients in his burger with limited success and now his goal of getting family into the kitchen doesn't seem to be working.......many of the fans don't like the taste......the Kirkburger franchise is being challenged.

 

[Pepperman]

Start calling him Brian Jones, it may help you evaluate things squarely.

Brian Jones is trying to run the wrong RB into the line's ass. Everybody can see that Brian Jones should be utilizing Toren Young a bit more. Unlike mother nature, we need thunder before lightening.

Brian Jones refuses to scratch where it itches. Have you seen the stat on Iowa when they pass on first down? According to a tweet from Scott Dochterman, Iowa averages 9.01 yards per first down pass attempt, with the completions going for 15.17 yards. But yet when Iowa runs on first down they average just 3.47 yards. Why is it that 63% of Iowa's first down plays are runs then?

Brian Jones is NOT getting it done and the fans are reminded that in the past it was KOK and GDGD that weren't getting it done. So we don't know if it is Brian Jones or the head coach, Kirk Jones.

 

[icantfindausernamethatisntused]

lol! Okay, I get your point. There may be some carryover from my exhaustion with papa Ferentz. But I do not think it's a very good idea to choose a person without experience as a coordinator to take a Power 5 position. I'd generally want to see Iowa choose a seasoned coordinator who's had proven success over time, whether from a Group of 5 school or a Power 5 school, than choose a guy with only four years total experience as a college coach of offensive lineman. It would have been better if BF had had some proven experience as a coordinator before giving him such an important job. I like choosing youth, but not without more experience.

I assume you think Jim Leonhard was a bad hire as defensive coordinator at Wisconsin?

 

[icantfindausernamethatisntused]

Brian Jones is trying to run the wrong RB into the line's ass. Everybody can see that Brian Jones should be utilizing Toren Young a bit more. Unlike mother nature, we need thunder before lightening.

Brian Jones refuses to scratch where it itches. Have you seen the stat on Iowa when they pass on first down? According to a tweet from Scott Dochterman, Iowa averages 9.01 yards per first down pass attempt, with the completions going for 15.17 yards. But yet when Iowa runs on first down they average just 3.47 yards. Why is it that 63% of Iowa's first down plays are runs then?

Brian Jones is NOT getting it done and the fans are reminded that in the past it was KOK and GDGD that weren't getting it done. So we don't know if it is Brian Jones or the head coach, Kirk Jones.

There were plenty of people complaining last year that Daniels got too many carries and that Wadley should have been the featured running back.

The solutions to the issues are never as simple as fans think they are. For example, the fact that we've had a lot of success passing on first down is likely due in part to the fact that we run so often on first down. In a similar manner, Clayton Kershaw's curveball has consistently generated better results (e.g., lower batting average against, higher swinging strike %) than his fastball, but his fastball is what sets up his curveball to be special. Kershaw's curveball has produced the best results in the years in which he threw it fewer times.

With that said, you may be right that we should pass it more on first down, and fans may have been right that Wadley should have got more carries last year and that Young should get more carries this year - but none of these considerations are simple.

The offense needs to improve - we can all agree on that. But I don't think Iowa's offensive game plan this year has been fundamentally flawed, and I think it is an improvement over Greg Davis's game plans because our running game and passing game are better integrated. I also don't think the offense has been as bad as many think. We are actually averaging more yards per play, more yards per game, and more points per game than we did in 2009. We have seen an offensive improvement from last year despite losing a starting NFL QB and TE, and starting two freshmen offensive tackles after our senior tackles went down with injuries.

It is fair to criticize Brian Ferentz at this point in the season because all that is standing between us and an undefeated season at this point is an offense that could score at least 21 points each game. That shouldn't be too much to ask. But I think it's also fair to point out that Brian is working with a pretty young and inexperienced offense, that the transition to his offense is going a lot better than the first year transition to Greg Davis's offense, and that there are good reasons to expect that this offense will improve going forward.

 

[OutbackBowl2017]

I assume you think Jim Leonhard was a bad hire as defensive coordinator at Wisconsin?

Questionable hire no doubt but it is working out so far. And he isn't the coaches son. Pollard hired Fred Hoiberg with little, to no experience. What's your point because Fred and Jim spent 10 plus years in the league playing and learning. Brian, not so much.

 

[pocha444444]

He needs to understand that sometimes you have to pass to establish run. He is trying to run to establish pass and everybody is putting 8 on the line day after the game is over. However, I like that we are becoming less predictable and Brian is not scared to experiment.

Agree with your first two sentences. On the last sentence, are we really less predictable this year? It almost seems worse. I agree we need to pass, pass and pass some more until the defense respects it. You can't force a running play when the numbers aren't in your favor. This comes back to Stanley's audibles at the line though.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." -- Einstein

Albert didn't coach football, but he did have some intelligent insights that can be applied to it. The problem with BF isn't his lack of experience/knowledge of the OC position; it's his lack of imagination in that role. I was willing to give him a chance, but halfway through the season, he has been a major disappointment.

Iowa's offense so far has too often been sadly reminiscent of the same old foolishness we saw under Frank Lauterbur and Bob Commings back in the 60s and 70s. That's simply unacceptable.

Run a short side pitch to Wadley out of your own end zone against PSU. Give up a safety. Lose by two points. Brilliant.

Run Wadley up the gut over and over and over into the teeth of the defense. Fantastic.

Imagination? No one in the Iowa football complex has any clue about what that means.

This is the most interesting post in this thread to me solely because I expected Brian to bring two things to this offense that it lacked: Aggressiveness and Creativity. You could point to the number of times we've gone for it on 4th down as a sign of aggressiveness, but it's arguably the only one.

I do like that we're using more of the field, but I still see very little creativity from this offense. I recall a team not too many years ago that did very well with less than optimal recruiting. Boise State was extremely creative on offense and it kept opposing defenses on their heels the whole game. Sure, perfectly executed offensive plays should usually work, but this is college ball where you're very limited on prep and practice time. Perfection is very difficult to achieve. Why not run plays that add a margin of error to your playing?

In addition, I want creativity in the form of making teams pay for playing overly aggressive defense. Every blitz leaves a hole. Every time the D crashes the gaps assuming a run leaves holes. Teams have been able to do this to us with impunity. If the opponent is playing rock, paper scissors and throwing up rock 75% of the time, we need to be throwing up paper a bit more. This seems obvious, but as much as teams are hyper aggressive to stop the run against us, we should be getting some HUGE plays by using their aggression against them. If run blitzing is so incredibly effective with zero risk, why aren't teams doing it to everyone? Answer: Because other teams punish them for that.

I expected Brian to be creative and aggressive. I really haven't seen either one.

 

[icantfindausernamethatisntused]

Questionable hire no doubt but it is working out so far. And he isn't the coaches son. Pollard hired Fred Hoiberg with little, to no experience. What's your point because Fred and Jim spent 10 plus years in the league playing and learning. Brian, not so much.

If you really don't understand the point, re-read my post and the post I quoted - I even put the relevant language in bold. If you still cannot understand the point, there's nothing more I can do to help you.

Brian and Jim are the same age and both have either been playing or coaching football for the same amount of time. If anything, I'd give the advantage to Brian for having more coaching experience than Jim does.

I'm not arguing that the nepotism concerns are not valid. However, many are acting as if it is completely unprecedented for a young coach with no experience as a coordinator to be promoted to a coordinator position at a Power 5 school. It's not unprecedented for a coach with 9 years of experience to be promoted to a coordinator position at any school.

 

[Suterman]

Bottom line, Brian Ferentz is either going to end up being a great hire or Kirk will have tarnished his own legacy and seriously hurt Brian's career. I don't think it will be anything in between. For the record, I think Brian will be great.

 

[David1979]

What he needs to understand, is they need call plays that work, and remove the ones that don't. Simple. Also, score more points than other team.

 

[Pepperman]

Bottom line, Brian Ferentz is either going to end up being a great hire or Kirk will have tarnished his own legacy and seriously hurt Brian's career. I don't think it will be anything in between. For the record, I think Brian will be great.

So this is what I believed before the season. I really and truly believed that Brian would understand what is at stake, and that because of that he would take all of the calculated risks that we've been wanting to see for a long time now.

I'm so far disappointed with what I've seen. Not because of Penn State as I assumed (and I think time has proven) they are simply way better than Iowa. And not because of the road loss at MSU because I sort of expected that PSU heartbreaker to linger... plus, I saw Iowa at least moving the ball against Sparty. BUT to me, to come out of a bye week at Northwestern, in what was truly a "do or die" situation for Iowa in terms of whether the team was going to possibly be a player in the west, and to look completely lost on offense... well, that's a massive disappointment. I believe this staff needs to start feeling the heat, because I think Kirk cares deeply about Brian's future, meaning probably more than KF's own legacy. Brian undoubtedly cares a lot about his future. If things go well, then I am one of many that believes Brian will take over for his dad someday.

It could still happen. This year is largely a write off for us fans now, with the best-case being a mediocre bowl and excitement building for 2018. But if we don't have offensive success in 2018, the tide is going to turn and there will be a lot more grumbling about how we need a change.

 

[Suterman]

So this is what I believed before the season. I really and truly believed that Brian would understand what is at stake, and that because of that he would take all of the calculated risks that we've been wanting to see for a long time now.

I'm so far disappointed with what I've seen. Not because of Penn State as I assumed (and I think time has proven) they are simply way better than Iowa. And not because of the road loss at MSU because I sort of expected that PSU heartbreaker to linger... plus, I saw Iowa at least moving the ball against Sparty. BUT to me, to come out of a bye week at Northwestern, in what was truly a "do or die" situation for Iowa in terms of whether the team was going to possibly be a player in the west, and to look completely lost on offense... well, that's a massive disappointment. I believe this staff needs to start feeling the heat, because I think Kirk cares deeply about Brian's future, meaning probably more than KF's own legacy. Brian undoubtedly cares a lot about his future. If things go well, then I am one of many that believes Brian will take over for his dad someday.

It could still happen. This year is largely a write off for us fans now, with the best-case being a mediocre bowl and excitement building for 2018. But if we don't have offensive success in 2018, the tide is going to turn and there will be a lot more grumbling about how we need a change.

I agree with most of what you say. This year may not be a complete loss if we can get to 7-5 and win our bowl. 8 wins this year now, would seem like a pretty darn good year. What could have been.

 

[Wasnt-drunk-didnt-troll]

I don't know that I have ever felt like making a trash bowl would be as important to a team as it would be for our guys this year. Making a bowl, even at 6-6, is imperative. 1 extra month of practice would go a long way for these guys.

 

[Suterman]

I don't know that I have ever felt like making a trash bowl would be as important to a team as it would be for our guys this year. Making a bowl, even at 6-6, is imperative. 1 extra month of practice would go along qay for these guys.

I agree and it's been, what, 7 years since we won our final game of the season? We need to finish on a high note this year for sure.

 

[NorthDSMHawk]

I don't know that I have ever felt like making a trash bowl would be as important to a team as it would be for our guys this year. Making a bowl, even at 6-6, is imperative. 1 extra month of practice would go a long way for these guys.

Not to mention getting off our bowl game schneid. Bring on Akron.

 

[Muskie5]

What Brian needs to understand is that he needs to quit spending so much time watching film, quit game planning with 2 other former OC's, etc... and spend more time on fan message boards! If he read a thread like this one, he'd turn our offense around over night!!! LOL! You folks kill me. Do you really take yourselves seriously? There isn't one of you that would have a clue on how to scheme or game plan a college offense, lol. Just play your 'fantasy football' and your Madden,lol, and leave the 'coaching' to the pros.

 

[Johnsoda123]

What Brian needs to understand is that he needs to quit spending so much time watching film, quit game planning with 2 other former OC's, etc... and spend more time on fan message boards! If he read a thread like this one, he'd turn our offense around over night!!! LOL! You folks kill me. Do you really take yourselves seriously? There isn't one of you that would have a clue on how to scheme or game plan a college offense, lol. Just play your 'fantasy football' and your Madden,lol, and leave the 'coaching' to the pros.

I'm on the board for the Community Services District in my town. An elected position with very low pay. We on the board get criticized all the time. That's life. Brian makes a good salary. Questions about his play calling are allowed.