It's been 22 years since the University of Iowa football program has sniffed Roses. And for Hawkeye fans, that's too long, far too long. The man that led Iowa to its last Rose Bowl game (a 46-34 loss to Washington) was Hayden Fry and he's been gone since 1999 when he turned things over to current head man, Kirk Ferentz.
In the first 18 years at Iowa, Fry was 133-76. He turned around a program that had been in the dumps making Iowa a factor in the Big Ten race each year. But then things started getting ugly. In 1997, Iowa was expected to challenge for the Big Ten Championship but settled for a 7-5 season. Then came 1998, the worst season ever for Fry at Iowa, 3-8. "Spoiled" Hawk fans grew restless. They'd been used to being a player in the conference race and a perennial bowl team. I remember these times looking around for a team that I could root for, other than Iowa......that was competitive each and every year. I was fed up with the football product and became apathetic to what was going on in Iowa City. That's how frustrated I'd become. And I wasn't alone. Specifically, the biggest concern of the fan base was that the game had passed Fry by. Not only was he being out-recruited, he was being out-coached.
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| What have you done for the Iowa fan-base lately? |
Fast forward to 2012 and the scenario is looking much the same. Ferentz takes over for Fry and leads the Hawkeyes back to the land of promise.......then things start getting ugly. Since the 2010 Orange Bowl, which Iowa won by beating Georgia Tech 24-14, the Hawkeyes have won only 10 Big Ten games. Fans expect more. And they should considering the salary Ferentz now commands as the sixth highest paid coach in college football, $3.875 a year.
Not only is there criticism and concern within Hawkeye Nation, the outside world is well aware of Iowa's situation. Adam Jacobi of the Bleacher Reports says, "the real killer for Iowa, however, is a buyout for Ferentz is set at 75% of his remaining salary, paid monthly. So if Iowa wants to go another route for its head coach, that's fine. It'll just owe Ferentz about a quarter a million dollars a month.
Every month.
Until January of 2020".
Headed into this weekend's game with Purdue, Iowa stands 4-5. Then follows games at Michigan and at home against Nebraska. One win is possible, two highly unlikely and three would be a miracle. Apathy is growing. The product is boring and far too conservative. Many fans are looking to the basketball season which opens this Friday for their athletic appetite.
A posting from a Iowa fan website page speaks of the home finale against Nebraska.
"I don't hold it against anybody if they want to sell their tickets to the highest bidder-Husker fan or not. Just because you don't want to sell their tickets to a Husker fan-doesn't mean they won't end up with them if your buyer sells them for profit. Loyalty is one thing-money another.
None of us wants to see Kinnick in red but it is what it is. Win and this crap would not be happening. This is not going to be much of a rivalry if we don't win sometime soon. TV may not even want to put it on Black Friday if we don't step it up".
Iowa Athletic Director, Gary Barta negotiated Ferentz's current contract after the 2010 Orange Bowl victory. He says today, he'd still do it.
"When you sit down with a coach, you take a look at their body of work", Barta said. "There are different environments that you're evaluating. In Kirk's case, back in 2009, I think we finished seventh in the country. If you look at what he had done competitively, academically, value, integrity and fit, all those things, obviously I put together a package that I felt fit the person and the situation.
Glad I did it and still glad I did it".
Those remarks came several days ago when asked about his belief in the head coach. Barta fixed his wagon to Kirk several years ago with that long-term deal.....a move that was highly questioned at the time.
In looking back at the season thus far and see losses to Central Michigan and Indiana (did you see the crowd size in Bloomington? disgustingly small) there should be raised eyebrows. Heck, the once highly competitive Iowa State-Iowa match-up is clearly in the Cyclones favor. What's that tell you about a rivalry the Hawks dominated for years.
So where is this headed?
The earlier remark from the fan about tickets might indicate more wisdom than we know when he said, "loyalty is one thing-money another".
Regardless, it's going to take a lot of BOTH......no matter which way this goes.
Thanks for reading,
John
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