I think there is a 50% chance he leaves. That answer on ESPN after the game was very different than any answers I have ever heard. This is not him interviewing to see what the process is like when he interviewed at Jacksonville. He is at the stage where he is being recruited by these GMs or not even considering it. If Piloi goes to Cleveland Kirk will get his money, length of contract, a GM who wants him, etc. It will all be there for him. The big question then becomes, does he want to do Pro Football. How big is his ego? He is remarkably under discussed as a great coach at the college level. Even yesterday it was all about Spurrier. That may be factored into things. I think he has a host of compelling reasons to stay though…and it appears he now has the Hawkeye Nation in love with him again.

Reasons to stay:
- family (son in HS and son on the team)
- assistant coaches (none would likely be acceptable at NFL level)
- team on upswing as conference on down swing (he could win conference outright next year and the year after)
- new contract with security and more money for his coaches (he is maxed out on salary side but could get more bonuses)
- NFL is crazy now, players are steadily moving to NBA status (read: running the league)
- still very young and could easily leap to NFL in three or four years after sons fly the coop

I fully expect him to do an “interview” with someone in the NFL soon though.

It was as though he wasn’t going to let Rob Stone pigeon hole him into a Nick Saban-type of answer, but damn if he couldn’t have thought of what to say the night before when the inevitable questions about the Browns vacancy would come up after yesterday’s game. He seemed to be all over the place with his answers and rightfully so – Pioli is a good friend of his and if he does take a GM job with any team and comes calling Kirk’s phone, as a good friend usually does, he’ll listen to what he says. Therefore, Kirk is under no obligation to shoot down rumors and it doesn’t mean at the same time that it’s a foregone conclusion he’s on the way to Cleveland either.

(I thought it was rather interesting that Kirk was across the sidelines yesterday from one of the highest profile coaches to jump from a job in college that he could have stayed at forever to the NFL – only to see his career go spiraling downward, ending up at a lesser school in the same conference with his legacy in the mud years later. Hopefully Kirk was paying close attention.)

With very few seniors leaving (although King and Kroul are going to be sorely missed), the one thing he hasn’t done, which is lead Iowa to a Rose Bowl, is within his sights in 2009. Hopefully with this in mind, he stays. I’m not going to fault the man if he leaves because we only wish to be as respected and thought of in our individual professions – the guy is a class act in a profession that is dirty, corrupt and rewards snakes (that NYT article following that OU recruit around made my stomach turn). We’re lucky to have him at Iowa and I’m confident that we can find a replacement that can lead this team forward where Kirk left off if he does indeed leave us.

We all know Kirk is interested in the NFL. Whereas his kids or less than perfect deals (Jacksonville) kept him from leaving before, I think Piolioioni (sp?) might be exactly the kind of entrance to the NFL Captain Kirk is looking for. I think him having a friend in Pioloioinioionoiasdl;fkj might be a greater factor in his decision than his son’s.

Don’t get me wrong, I hope he stays. If anything, I hope this shuts up people who call for his head everytime we lose a game (God forbid!).

Go Hawks or Watch Greys Anatomy

Stoops, I liked your post except for this comment:

He is remarkably under discussed as a great coach at the college level.

Huh? Ferentz is underrated? The correct consensus amongst most hard core knowledgeable college football is that Ferentz is OVERRATED as a college football coach. His top 5 salary and constant NFL rumors compared to a lack of elite level success in college football has been the rationale. He is not in the conversation of “great” coaches based upon the merits.

This is a time of celebrating and I did not see a 9-4 season with a bowl victory in the fall. This team over achieved and the staff and players deserve much credit. The team always played hard and they never gave up. Shonn Greene had a Hawkeye season of a generation and it will probably not be truly appreciated until years from now.

However, I just do not see the fundamentals of this program ever reaching the top level of the Big 10 on a consistent basis or competing for BCS bowl games. The simple and predictable vanilla systems, the lack of NFL talent hardly ever at any offensive skill positions, and a recruiting strategy that seems to be based upon hoping to pick up Ohio State’s scraps just does not make me believe Iowa will ever get to the higher elite or sub elite level.

It was disappointing to listen to the announcers yesterday white washing the past 3 disappointing Hawkeye football seasons and laying the blame on ungrateful fans, instead of the coaching staff. Was there ever one mention of the rape case? That dark and mysterious cloud still hangs over this program and for some reason, the media and fans, who conveniently want it to go away, act like it does not even exist.

I am just amazed at this, “Kirk Ferentz is God again” sentiment when he is the same coach who cost Iowa the Pitt game because he still thought Jake could play QB! Greene fell into this staff’s lap and his outstanding season hid their failures at recruiting. I would even make an argument to wonder how Greene never got the ball more in his first 2 seasons at Iowa.

I understand the Iowa mindset of making excuses (small state, its Iowa, too cold) for when things go awry for the Hawkeyes and the conservative nature of refraining from calling out the coaches. I thought 02-04 run changed things and raised the expectation level of Hawkeye fans. I know the University seemed to play along by gouging fans for more cash to pay for the new stadium upgrades and moving loyal fans, students included, around based upon the willingness to pay more jack.

Some fans are content at the peak of this program being 9-4 and a mid tier bowl game. They will take supbar seasons as along Iowa keeps going to some bowl game once in awhile. As a crazy Hawkeye fan, I have been battling to change these default level expectations my entire life. Some friends agree with me but some call me a hater.
I just have different goals as a fan and see no reason that Iowa can be competing at the top level.

The fan support is great, Iowa City is an amazing college town and a large recruiting base of Chicago is only 3plus hours away.

If Ferentz wants to leave for the NFL, I would still support him and always commend him for his positive contributions to Iowa football. I went to every home game during the 1-10 season and to be in the Orange Bowl, just a few years later is truly a remarkable achievement.

I do not believe it would be the end of the world if Kirk left and this program could desperately use a change in offensive philosophy and a coach devoted soley to QB development.

Anyway, Congrats to the Hawkeye players and staff for a solid season. I have rambled too long.

Great Job to the crew of BHGP on providing a forum of funny and analysis of Hawkeye football. Well Done.

did James Ferentz ever get re-instated to the team?

Missippi 24
Tech 21….who was the last big ten team in the Cotton Bowl?

i think the Buckeyes beat the Aggies in an epic 1987 tilt while we played in the Holiday Bowl. Mike Leach looks “inconsulable” after that last booth review.

Although it’s really tangential to the issue, is the status of the NFL owners/players union going into 2010. It’s my understanding (and please somebody who understands this better correct me if I’m completely off base) that the salary cap takes a massive hit, if not disappears completely next year. The owners are already talking lockout after that as they will be unwilling to allow that to continue, while the union will be pushing hard for it, or at least a less strick version than we have.
While I certainly wouldn’t say it’s going to happen, to have both sides already preparing for the worst would be a lousy situation for a coach to be in, simply from a personnel point of view. Yes, Piloi is one of the best in the business, but the next couple of years could be very dicey for established teams, and Cleveland simply isn’t one of them.

January 1, 1987: Ohio State 28, Texas A&M 12;

i have a childhood memory that Iowa somehow got screwed into the Holiday Bowl that year, the first year of the Big 11 contract w/ the Holiday Bowl and we sent the league’s 3rd place team to San Diego.

While we were in San Diego holding on for dear life vs. SDSU, Earl Bruce was beating A&M. OSU finished the reg season 9-3…..our Hawkeyes were also 9-3 and were smoked @ Kinnick by Brutus.

how good were Ferentz’s O-Lines?

Now I know that I’m supposed to lead by example and all that but I’m not shoving that aside like it don’t mean anything. I know it’s important, I honestly do but we’re talking about practice. We’re talking about practice man.