The first few years CPR seemed very special. Now we have hit a rough spot the last 2 years. IMO, it makes more sense to give him another shot at it, rather than just firing CPR and taking a shot at trying to find another coach. A lot of coaches have had rough patches well into their coaching career. Johnny Orr...Hayden Fry, for example. After a 10-1-1 season in 1991, Hayden Fry had 3 consecutive seasons without a winning record from 1992-94.
Bowl or Bust
- Thread starter Haverhill
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The first few years CPR seemed very special. Now we have hit a rough spot the last 2 years. IMO, it makes more sense to give him another shot at it, rather than just firing CPR and taking a shot at trying to find another coach. A lot of coaches have had rough patches well into their coaching career. Johnny Orr...Hayden Fry, for example. After a 10-1-1 season in 1991, Hayden Fry had 3 consecutive seasons without a winning record from 1992-94.
Not at all. I said I doubted CPR would be at the top of the list with only a few years of head coaching experience. I also said it's not unusual for coaches and their agents to make it known that other schools are interested to get more money and contract extensions. I didn't say CPR did this. But I still ask what power 5 conference jobs do you think CPR would be considered for now?
I agree with you on that. He's had some tough luck with injuries and the Big 12 almost falling apart, but those can only be excuses for so long. Hence the reason almost everybody sees this as his make or break season.
Running game in spring not impressive.
Experienced receivers dropping passes.
Star Trevor of game was an unknown.
Long row to hoe.
Maybe the defense will keep things close and we have an experienced punter.
Why did you even bring it up then? CPR had already signed his contract extension a year earlier.
What Power 5 Conference jobs are open right now?
I get what you're saying about having a "unique vision". Two completely different scenarios but the Cubs hired Joe Maddon, known as a guy that has a unique way of managing and it seems to have taken an effect on the team mentality. I used to think that Rhoads had a way of bringing everyone together, but the past 2 years have not shown that ability. Really hoping he can go back to trending upward this season.
Schools like Alabama find success going the traditional route. Schools like Iowa State need to follow the likes of West Virginia or Oklahoma State in reinventing themselves with unique and new styles, branding, etc., to level the playing field. Paul was never scared to pull out strings when he first got here, and it seems like he's just gotten older and less progressive/ willing to try new and innovative things.
Exactly. It's like profiting in the stock market. Your best bet is to focus on what you know and then think about what you believe is going to happen. That's all you can do.
What direction is football headed? The AD needs to think about that and find a coach who has a similar vision. One that is attainable with the kind of targets ISU is likely going to get. Once you establish a system and prove you can make it work then it becomes easier to find players who fit it.
That's probably my biggest issue with what Rhoads has done. He has passion for the University and the state of Iowa, but in terms of football he's really been all over the place. Almost like he's not sure what he needs to do. He's a defensive minded coach and the defense has been pretty awful during his tenure. The offense has been constantly changing. He finally has Mangino in place so it will be interesting to see what happens in year #2 with him in the mix. At least he's an expert in his own system that he has made work in the past and he knows exactly what he needs in order to make improvements.
Either way, I think adapting and changing with the times in key. You've to be able to find a niche that you are good at and use it to expose other times. That's where a guy like Ferentz fails. He hasn't changed with the times. To go back to the stock market analogy... Ferentz went all in with Microsoft 10-15 years ago and he has completely missed out on Apple because he's too slow to adjust. His system used to work so he wants to prove it still can.
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If that vision includes the Big 12, ISU needs an offensive-minded head coach. Very few defensive coaches find sustained success in this league. Stoops and Patterson are the only two. If you look at the best coaches the league has seen, they have all been offensive guys. Right now there are 6 offensive HC compared to 4 defensive: Gundy, Kingsbury, Briles, Holgorsen, Snyder, Beatty; compared to Rhoads, Stoops, Patterson, Strong. Two of the defensive-minded coaches are at OU and UT, while the offensive coaches are the ones at schools more at Iowa State's level. Iowa State needs someone in the likes of Mangino, Leach, or a new up-and-coming OC to take the reigns if/once Paul is done.
I agree. I think an offensive mind would be ideal in the B12. It's also easier to find offensive skill players who can be impact players at the 2-3 star level than it is defensive. I think the most important part is having a very specific scheme though. Georgia Tech continues to amaze me at how consistently they seem to have a good solid team. It's because they do what they do extremely well and it's hard to stop when they are executing. Their defense is rarely that good, but because their offense controls the clock it doesn't really matter. I'm not saying ISU should move to an option offense. I'm just saying finding a Paul Johnson like coach would be a great fit for ISU to try to turn it around. He implemented his system and it has worked incredibly well. Now it's pretty easy for him to recruit talented players who fit his system.
The way I see it living in Texas, and seeing the level of talent within this state, is that ISU needs to hire an offensive minded guy with Texas ties to pick up the 3* and 4* scraps of Texas and Texas A&M and promise them a chance to play many games close to home at UT, BU, TCU, TTU, OU and OSU. A coach who already has an apartment lease in Houston or Dallas would be ideal. (not really, but you get my point)
Bit off topic, but noncon scheduling should also include UTSA, Rice, Texas State type schools as well, if ISU must be scheduling home-and-home with non-Power Five schools. Akron isn't exactly prime recruiting territory in the Big 12 Conference.
I have an idea... You can have Greg Davis!
Haha in all seriousness I think you make really good points. Texas recruiting will always be key for teams in the B12 because of the geography of the teams. I still think Leach would be a good fit.
Leach is great when he can recruit Texas. His problem at WSU hasn't been coaching, rather, recruiting. The problem with Leach and ISU is that Pollard ran his mouth during the Insight Bowl Pep Rally making a public joke about the situation with Craig James' kid.
I brought it up in response to a post that said CPR was wanted by other programs. Point being that being a candidate and being offered the job are two different things. And who benefits from it becoming known that a school is interested in a coach. Certainly not that school, especially when that coach has no interest. The main beneficiaries are usually the coach and his agent as it can lead to more money and contract extensions. I doubt there are any Power 5 openings right now, they would have been filled long ago like Nebraska.
Agree. Real good offensive minds are tougher to find and would need head coach money to stay at a school like ISU. CPR probably doesn't make it unless Mangino has good success, which means he will be in demand as a head coach and likely gone, then you're back to square one on offense. If you're going to have a head coach who's expertise is defense, you better have a great defense that can overcome a mediocre/bad offense, and we haven't had that.
It starts with the culture and the right coach. West Virginia suffered though 4 straight losing seasons prior to the arrival of Don Nehlen in 1980, not to mention the near irrelevancy the program endured while old rivals Pitt & Penn State competed for Eastern and National titles.
8 years later Nehlen had WVU in the National Championship in '88 and had the opportunity to win a split title in '93.
With a change of culture and commitment to the program, there's no reason why Iowa State can't climb the proverbial football ladder. The facilities and fan base is there to support a winner.
THANK YOU.
(But really, time for naysayers to pick your post apart. Thank you for the optimism tho)