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Question for Clone fans re: coaching change

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Techsan81

New Member
Oct 5, 2007
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Were you guys all on board with firing Dan?

I know the team fell short several times in the last few years when they were on the verge of winning the Big XII North, but I really liked him and thought he was doing a good job for Iowa State.

Also curious about your impressions of Chizik.
 
I think a lot of us felt he was a good coach but that he had peaked with what he could do with ISU.
 
dinger7203 said:
dan didnt get fired. he and jamie both agreed it was time to move on.
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Exactly. I know a lot of people think that Dan was forced to leave. I really don't think Jamie is the kind of guy to force out the person who recommended him for AD. I know Dan is a great guy, but I think if he really didn't want to leave he would've said "then you have to fire me" thereby putting all the pressure on JP.
 
There was a fairly big schism about getting rid of mac. It was close to 50/50 for the people that said he was the greatest thing for ISU, and those that felt it was time to move on. I was in the latter camp. Now that Chizik is here though, most people like what we're seeing in terms of improvement from week to week, with a few people that are saying that we should have kept mac.
 
Dan was a great guy. Did a great job promoting ISU. And very loyal to his coaches. But after 12 years it was seriously time.

Dan's act was almost growing tired. He couldn't sell us anymore hope. Our main goal was to beat Iowa and that was about it. He brought us a long way from where we were, but we needed someone young and someone with a different mentality.

Chizik is having a rough go so far. I think players are finally buying into his system. You see improvement every week. I don't think some players currently would fit into this system, but GC is doing his best to mold them into it. I think in a few years we will have a very very good team. I don't think Chizik will ever be satified with hanging his hat on beating Iowa which is good.

I'm excited for the future. I think once Chizik gets his players that buy into his system things will start to roll.
 
dinger7203 said:
dan didnt get fired. he and jamie both agreed it was time to move on.
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you're just kidding yourself. it was by definition a resignation, and a generally polite one by both sides - but yes he was "forced out".

As for the original question:
Pretty much everybody liked Dan and wish him well, he had a hard run the last few seasons (post Seneca era) after elevating the program to respectibility and the new AD and ISU fanbase is looking for bigger and better things in the future.
 
Dan was given the chance to stay, but was going to be forced to clean house with his coordinators.
 
Techsan81 said:
Were you guys all on board with firing Dan?

I know the team fell short several times in the last few years when they were on the verge of winning the Big XII North, but I really liked him and thought he was doing a good job for Iowa State.

Also curious about your impressions of Chizik.
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He was very popular among non-cyclone fans, and rightly so. He was low-to-mediocre competition for teams like Tech for 8 years. :)

It was just time for ISU and Dan to part ways. We need to try a new direction to elevate the program. Chizik is hardworking, intense, intelligent, and he is changing attitudes in Ames. The only question is if it will translate to wins in the next few years. Most of us as Cyclone fans are very optimistic that it will, and we like what he's doing so far despite the current record.
 
throwittoblythe said:
Exactly. I know a lot of people think that Dan was forced to leave. I really don't think Jamie is the kind of guy to force out the person who recommended him for AD. I know Dan is a great guy, but I think if he really didn't want to leave he would've said "then you have to fire me" thereby putting all the pressure on JP.
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Hah, yeah he was forced out. He knew it was coming, and did what was best for the program and offered himself up as a sacrifice. If Dan had quit, he would not still be getting paid from ISU.
 
It is my belief that everyone liked Dan as a person. It was just time for him and the program to move on, and I often found myself disagreeing with some of his coaching decisions, IE Sitting on the ball before half, Not getting on Cotton's @ss, being a players coach etc... every game. I wish him the best of success and he is doing a bang up job at USF.

As for Chizik, I love the guy. He has a lack of talent on his team, but has coached some great football. We may not be winning, but I have yet to see any huge problem in the coaching and have seen some promising decisions and keeping games close that should be blow outs.

Our players seem to play to the level of the competition which is a tough problem to correct, but in a few years, I see us not having to worry about it, and I see a level of success ISU has never had.

Just my thoughts and opinions.
 
Techsan81 said:
So it was more of a mutual agreement, then?
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A mutual agreement in terms of "Dan, you have two options. Resign on your own terms or be let go."

I, for one, was on board with that decision. Time for a change. Mac is a great, great guy. And I think most ISU fans were more that willing to give him more time through the really lean years of the late 90's - having the worst record in D1 Football. But coaching deficiencies really came to light the last few years. And 12 years with only tepid success is enough by just about anybody's measure - even a program as historically lowly as ISU.
 
I don't think you'll find a Cyclone fan that didn't like McCarney. He's a great guy, and ran a great program. ISU owes him a TON. When he took over we were as low as we ever have been, and he built us into a decent middle-of-the-pack team. I think, personally, that it had just gotten a little stagnant around Ames. When the "next level" is one floor above the basement, it's easy to get complacent once you get there.

I think we were running into a bit of that.

Everything I've seen about Chizik is awesome so far. Even his press conferences are great. He's not trying to sell us moral victories. He's not content with mediocrity, and he is up front and honest with everyone, from recruits to the media, from what I can tell.

It may take us a few years, but I think we'll be contending for BXII North titles, and maybe even Big XII titles in the future.

I've taken to following USF since Mac went down there, and I hope they go play for a national championship this year. I hope he gets a great gig at a non-rival school as a head coach soon. He really is a great coach, and a great guy.
 
bellzisu said:
Dan's act was almost growing tired. He couldn't sell us anymore hope. Our main goal was to beat Iowa and that was about it.
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That's a good point. All one had to do is see the lots during the KU game last year (empty and then some) and realize that all hope and faith was GONE from ISU football. JP had zero chance to achieve the goals he had (season tickets, stadium renovations, Hilton upgrades) without a change.

But I don't readily agree that our "goal" was beating iowa. Fan goals clearly had become winning the North when it has been there for the taking for a couple years, and I'm sure the same could be said for team goals.

However, I will say that all Dan could "deliver" was beating iowa. And that just isn't enough.
 
DaddyMac said:
That's a good point. All one had to do is see the lots during the KU game last year (empty and then some) and realize that all hope and faith was GONE from ISU football. JP had zero chance to achieve the goals he had (season tickets, stadium renovations, Hilton upgrades) without a change.

But I don't readily agree that our "goal" was beating iowa. Fan goals clearly had become winning the North when it has been there for the taking for a couple years, and I'm sure the same could be said for team goals.

However, I will say that all Dan could "deliver" was beating iowa. And that just isn't enough.
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I sure helps! :biggrin:
 
benjay said:
It was just time for ISU and Dan to part ways. We need to try a new direction to elevate the program. Chizik is hardworking, intense, intelligent, and he is changing attitudes in Ames. The only question is if it will translate to wins in the next few years. Most of us as Cyclone fans are very optimistic that it will, and we like what he's doing so far despite the current record.
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I think this is how most fans feel.
 
I've never seen a team give up like that squad last year. It was time to go.
 
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