End of the Kirk Ferentz Era Too?

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Here's the heart of the matter, though:

Brian Ferentz was offensive coordinator. But the overall style of offense Iowa has always played was almost certainly dictated by Kirk Ferentz.

If the conservative, smash mouth, run-first nature/identity of the offense was the issue that caused Brian Ferentz to lose his job, then Iowa fans better be prepared for what happens next. I highly doubt that Kirk Ferentz, as head football coach and future Hall of Famer, will take it well if he is suddenly directed, from above, to change his style of play.

If that's what's going on here, I expect Kirk Ferentz to resign. He won't stand for being told how to coach his team, especially not after having to watch his son being fired.
 

Is it for certain that Brain Ferentz is out the door completely at Iowa? Or could he remain on staff in side capacity?
 


Iowa always has a solid defense and special teams. the "X" factor is offense. when IA has had a QB who is - at the very least - serviceable, along with a decent running game and a couple of receivers or TE's who can catch the ball, that is when IA has had its best teams.

the question is whether a school like IA can bring in strong offensive talent in the new era of NIL and the transfer portal.

there is a difference between choosing to be conservative, and being forced to play that way because you don't have the talent on offense.

I wonder if Kirk Ferentz can adapt to the changes in college FB. He strikes me as the type of person who might just walk away because he does not want to change - or is not able to change.
 

mnsportsgeek said:
That's actually hilarious that the meme is that Jim can’t wait to bolt to the NFL, meanwhile he might soon be the 2nd longest tenured coach in the big ten. Sometimes the internet is so stupid it’s funny.
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I mean while you are right...if the Vikes had offered him he was gone.
 


GopherVotary said:
Maybe at the end of the third quarter of their last home game, they can have the whole stadium wave goodbye to Kirk.
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rick-james-dave-chappelle.gif
 

swede2 said:
Is it for certain that Brain Ferentz is out the door completely at Iowa? Or could he remain on staff in side capacity?
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The statement from Beth was “this is his last season with the program.”
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Iowa always has a solid defense and special teams. the "X" factor is offense. when IA has had a QB who is - at the very least - serviceable, along with a decent running game and a couple of receivers or TE's who can catch the ball, that is when IA has had its best teams.

the question is whether a school like IA can bring in strong offensive talent in the new era of NIL and the transfer portal.

there is a difference between choosing to be conservative, and being forced to play that way because you don't have the talent on offense.

I wonder if Kirk Ferentz can adapt to the changes in college FB. He strikes me as the type of person who might just walk away because he does not want to change - or is not able to change.
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Iowa has had plenty of success in the past and Hawkeyes are the most beloved sports team in Iowa. They can put together some NIL, That's how they got McNamara. It certainly wont compare to the helmet schools though.
 

But, at this point, Kirk Ferentz may just be tired of all of hearing and dealing with all of the b.s. Thousands of people telling him how to do his job. When, after 25 years, he probably thinks that he knows how to do it.......
 




RememberMurray said:
Maybe the Iowa brass has seen this Brian Ferentz/interim AD thing as an opportunity all along.

Perhaps they were kind of ready to see Kirk leave, and if so, this might be one way to hasten the exit.

I know there's a lot of money involved, but on the other hand I doubt if Kirk, at 68 years old, has to worry too much about money at this point in his life. He's made plenty. And I really have a hard time picturing him turning the other cheek and staying on at Iowa while pretending everything is hunky-dory. This was a direct and deliberate challenge to his position and his authority.
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I see he and his wife gave $1 million to the library at the University.
 

Isn't it possible this turns out to be a huge relief for both Brian & Kirk Ferentz? I heard Brian's kids were being harassed at school. I'm sure he couldn't go anywhere without getting a ton of grief. I firmly believe he loves the Iowa program (it's made the Ferentz family millionaires many times over) as he said immediately after Beth made her statement. Now, Brian's life can get back to some semblance of normalcy. He can just go be an offensive line coach in the NFL with much less stress at home.

It will also be less stressful for Kirk to not have everyone ranting about his son ruining the Iowa program day in and day out. The family is set for generations. Do they really need all this grief? Beth did Kirk a favor by firing his son so he did not have to. The fans, and likely season ticket holders and DONORS, in Iowa were up in arms and it was obviously decided something needed to be done immediately to let off some steam!!!

I'm no fan of Iowa, but this seems like the logical conclusion to a very bad situation. I won't be surprised if Kirk continues to coach the Hawkeyes for many more years and is glad to put this behind him.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Iowa always has a solid defense and special teams. the "X" factor is offense. when IA has had a QB who is - at the very least - serviceable, along with a decent running game and a couple of receivers or TE's who can catch the ball, that is when IA has had its best teams.

the question is whether a school like IA can bring in strong offensive talent in the new era of NIL and the transfer portal.

there is a difference between choosing to be conservative, and being forced to play that way because you don't have the talent on offense.

I wonder if Kirk Ferentz can adapt to the changes in college FB. He strikes me as the type of person who might just walk away because he does not want to change - or is not able to change.
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I really, really doubt if Kirk Ferentz is resisting NIL too strongly. In fact, it sounds as though he and Iowa have "adapted" just fine...

After an abysmal offensive performance last season, the Iowa Hawkeyes wanted to lure Cade McNamara, a quarterback who had helped Michigan reach the College Football Playoff in 2021 but had entered the transfer portal after losing the starting job last season. Mr. McNamara, who said money was an explicit part of his search for a new school, got an offer from a collective at the University of Iowa called the Swarm Collective.

“Once it was put into writing, that’s when I knew what I would be getting if I went to Iowa,” Mr. McNamara said.

He said yes.

The Swarm Collective said its charitable arm had, indeed, hired Mr. McNamara, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on Sept. 30, for a job delivering meals to seniors and visiting children in hospitals. It pays about $600 an hour. The group also has a for-profit arm, Swarm Inc., which pays him even more to make ads for the collective’s corporate supporters.

N.C.A.A. rules prohibit collectives from offering compensation as a recruitment tool. Despite Mr. McNamara’s assertion that the collective offered him a job before he transferred, the collective denied doing so.

 



RememberMurray said:
Here's the heart of the matter, though:

Brian Ferentz was offensive coordinator. But the overall style of offense Iowa has always played was almost certainly dictated by Kirk Ferentz.

If the conservative, smash mouth, run-first nature/identity of the offense was the issue that caused Brian Ferentz to lose his job, then Iowa fans better be prepared for what happens next. I highly doubt that Kirk Ferentz, as head football coach and future Hall of Famer, will take it well if he is suddenly directed, from above, to change his style of play.

If that's what's going on here, I expect Kirk Ferentz to resign. He won't stand for being told how to coach his team, especially not after having to watch his son being fired.
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This is 100% accurate.

The bigger issue for them IMO is they want to be the smash mouth/physical style. And they think that's their style. But it really isn't their identity. At least not on offense.

People say they know who they are, including PJ I believe. I think it's the exact opposite. They don't know who they are at all. If they did, they would change it.

That combined with a lack of talent, bad on field coaching, poor development & guys not being able to stay healthy has spelled disaster for the last 3 years. And it really wasn't all that good prior to that.
 

Xerxes_ said:
This is 100% accurate.

The bigger issue for them IMO is they want to be the smash mouth/physical style. And they think that's their style. But it really isn't their identity. At least not on offense.

People say they know who they are, including PJ I believe. I think it's the exact opposite. They don't know who they are at all. If they did, they would change it.

That combined with a lack of talent, bad on field coaching, poor development & guys not being able to stay healthy has spelled disaster for the last 3 years. And it really wasn't all that good prior to that.
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I think Iowa's offense (much like ours) would look a lot better with a competent QB though. As bad as AK is this year, Iowa's QB's the last couple years have been even worse (REALLY bad).
 

Xerxes_ said:
This is 100% accurate.

The bigger issue for them IMO is they want to be the smash mouth/physical style. And they think that's their style. But it really isn't their identity. At least not on offense.
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It isn't?

Xerxes_ said:
People say they know who they are, including PJ I believe. I think it's the exact opposite. They don't know who they are at all. If they did, they would change it.
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What makes you say "they" don't know who they are?

Xerxes_ said:
That combined with a lack of talent, bad on field coaching, poor development & guys not being able to stay healthy has spelled disaster for the last 3 years. And it really wasn't all that good prior to that.
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"Disaster"? Again, I'm not sure who or what you're referring to. "Disaster" at Iowa, "disaster" at Minnesota, or... what? What exactly has been "disastrous"?

????????????
 
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Word said:
I think Iowa's offense (much like ours) would look a lot better with a competent QB though. As bad as AK is this year, Iowa's QB's the last couple years have been even worse (REALLY bad).
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As maligned as Petras was, I don't think he was as bad as the Iowa QBs this season. McNamara was better than Hill but he still wasn't very good and had little or no mobility.
 

TwistingMyMelon said:
As maligned as Petras was, I don't think he was as bad as the Iowa QBs this season. McNamara was better than Hill but he still wasn't very good and had little or no mobility.
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Yet Iowa NIL boosters (the "Swarm Collective") apparently found McNamara a job paying $600.00 an hour to deliver meals to seniors and visit children in hospitals.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
Iowa always has a solid defense and special teams. the "X" factor is offense. when IA has had a QB who is - at the very least - serviceable, along with a decent running game and a couple of receivers or TE's who can catch the ball, that is when IA has had its best teams.

the question is whether a school like IA can bring in strong offensive talent in the new era of NIL and the transfer portal.

there is a difference between choosing to be conservative, and being forced to play that way because you don't have the talent on offense.

I wonder if Kirk Ferentz can adapt to the changes in college FB. He strikes me as the type of person who might just walk away because he does not want to change - or is not able to change.
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With some of the rumors swirling around, Kirk might not have to worry about adapting to the college football landscape in the near future.
 

RememberMurray said:
It isn't?



What makes you say "they" don't know who they are?



"Disaster"? Again, I'm not sure who or what you're referring to. "Disaster" at Iowa, "disaster" at Minnesota, or... what? What exactly has been "disastrous"?

????????????
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No it isn't. If you can't do something with any consistency I don't think you can call it your identity.

Just because you want to be something doesn't mean it is. I want to be 6'5, 240, and ripped but that doesn't make it true.

The fact is Iowa doesn't have an offensive identity because they can't do anything well. Even against defenses that are weak they struggle.

The disaster comment was regarding Iowa's offense.
 


RememberMurray said:
I really, really doubt if Kirk Ferentz is resisting NIL too strongly. In fact, it sounds as though he and Iowa have "adapted" just fine...

After an abysmal offensive performance last season, the Iowa Hawkeyes wanted to lure Cade McNamara, a quarterback who had helped Michigan reach the College Football Playoff in 2021 but had entered the transfer portal after losing the starting job last season. Mr. McNamara, who said money was an explicit part of his search for a new school, got an offer from a collective at the University of Iowa called the Swarm Collective.

“Once it was put into writing, that’s when I knew what I would be getting if I went to Iowa,” Mr. McNamara said.

He said yes.

The Swarm Collective said its charitable arm had, indeed, hired Mr. McNamara, who suffered a season-ending knee injury on Sept. 30, for a job delivering meals to seniors and visiting children in hospitals. It pays about $600 an hour. The group also has a for-profit arm, Swarm Inc., which pays him even more to make ads for the collective’s corporate supporters.

N.C.A.A. rules prohibit collectives from offering compensation as a recruitment tool. Despite Mr. McNamara’s assertion that the collective offered him a job before he transferred, the collective denied doing so.
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600 an hour for a meals on wheels job! That's an awesome gig if you can get it!!!
 

Xerxes_ said:
No it isn't. If you can't do something with any consistency I don't think you can call it your identity.

Just because you want to be something doesn't mean it is. I want to be 6'5, 240, and ripped but that doesn't make it true.
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Iowa has, in fact, consistently been conservative, physical, and run-oriented on offense. That's their goal, and that's what they do.

Do they put up lots of yards and/or points? No. By it's very nature, that style of offense is unlikely to put up big numbers. Big numbers are not the goal.

Anyone who has watched Iowa during the Ferentz years can see that they are physical, they are conservative , they are run-oriented. And that is their identity.


Xerxes_ said:
The fact is Iowa doesn't have an offensive identity because they can't do anything well. Even against defenses that are weak they struggle.

The disaster comment was regarding Iowa's offense.
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It's a "disaster" if your expectations are to score lots points and/or rack up lots of yardage. Conversely, it's been pretty successful if your expectations are to have an offense that is complimentary to their defense and special teams, and doesn't turn the ball over much.

Whether or not you or I like it from a stylistic/aesthetic point of view, their style has produced a high enough number of wins that Kirk Ferentz is a shoo-in for the College Football Hall of Fame.
 

Xerxes_ said:
No it isn't. If you can't do something with any consistency I don't think you can call it your identity.

Just because you want to be something doesn't mean it is. I want to be 6'5, 240, and ripped but that doesn't make it true.

The fact is Iowa doesn't have an offensive identity because they can't do anything well. Even against defenses that are weak they struggle.

The disaster comment was regarding Iowa's offense.
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You might be past growth spurts but I bet you can still get to 240.
 


RememberMurray said:
Iowa has, in fact, consistently been conservative, physical, and run-oriented on offense. That's their goal, and that's what they do.

Do they put up lots of yards and/or points? No. By it's very nature, that style of offense is unlikely to put up big numbers. Big numbers are not the goal.

Anyone who has watched Iowa during the Ferentz years can see that they are physical, they are conservative , they are run-oriented. And that is their identity.




It's a "disaster" if your expectations are to score lots points and/or rack up lots of yardage. Conversely, it's been pretty successful if your expectations are to have an offense that is complimentary to their defense and special teams, and doesn't turn the ball over much.

Whether or not you or I like it from a stylistic/aesthetic point of view, their style has produced a high enough number of wins that Kirk Ferentz is a shoo-in for the College Football Hall of Fame.
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Somebody got the crazy idea they should score at least 25 points per game. How'd that happen?
 



RememberMurray said:
Iowa has, in fact, consistently been conservative, physical, and run-oriented on offense. That's their goal, and that's what they do.

Do they put up lots of yards and/or points? No. By it's very nature, that style of offense is unlikely to put up big numbers. Big numbers are not the goal.

Anyone who has watched Iowa during the Ferentz years can see that they are physical, they are conservative , they are run-oriented. And that is their identity.




It's a "disaster" if your expectations are to score lots points and/or rack up lots of yardage. Conversely, it's been pretty successful if your expectations are to have an offense that is complimentary to their defense and special teams, and doesn't turn the ball over much.

Whether or not you or I like it from a stylistic/aesthetic point of view, their style has produced a high enough number of wins that Kirk Ferentz is a shoo-in for the College Football Hall of Fame.
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I agree that their offense is designed to be physical, conservative, & run-oriented. But it isn't physical. It may have been in 2020 but that's the last time they could control teams at the LoS with any consistency. It is conservative so a big check there. Run oriented for sure if you count unsuccessful running plays. They have a lot of those.

As far as complementary football. That's a nice little term. Kinda like "possession WR" back in the 1990s. But to be complementary on offense you have to at least avoid 3 and outs, have a ToP advantage, & avoid turnovers.

This year Iowa is 77th nationally in turnover margin & 124th in ToP. Basically Iowa wins in spite of their offense.

As far as HoF is concerned I believe a 60% winning percentage is an unofficial benchmark. Kirk is just short of that at the moment.
 

Xerxes_ said:
I agree that their offense is designed to be physical, conservative, & run-oriented. But it isn't physical. It may have been in 2020 but that's the last time they could control teams at the LoS with any consistency. It is conservative so a big check there. Run oriented for sure if you count unsuccessful running plays. They have a lot of those.

As far as complementary football. That's a nice little term. Kinda like "possession WR" back in the 1990s. But to be complementary on offense you have to at least avoid 3 and outs, have a ToP advantage, & avoid turnovers.

This year Iowa is 77th nationally in turnover margin & 124th in ToP. Basically Iowa wins in spite of their offense.

As far as HoF is concerned I believe a 60% winning percentage is an unofficial benchmark. Kirk is just short of that at the moment.
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Ferentz will be in the Hall of Fame. Book it.

Iowa is conservative, run-oriented and physical. Anyone who watches them can see that. The fact that their offense doesn't post big numbers doesn't change that. They don't expect big numbers. That's what it means to be conservative on offense.

No one, including myself, would ever claim that they're a great offense. What they are is: conservative, run-first, physical.
 

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