 Marc MorehouseHi, I'm Marc Morehouse. I've covered sports for more than 15 years, mostly in Eastern Iowa. I've had Hayden Fry [...] |
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KOK interest in Indy?
Iowa Offensive Coordinator Ken O'Keefe talks with quarterback Ricky Stanzi as he warms up for the team's Big Ten Conference college football game against Ohio State Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)
Some ESPN.com folks are reporting that Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O’Keefe is interested in the Indiana job.
Here’s the link. The O’Keefe mention is toward the end.
I’m not buying it, but there you go.
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Here’s a story from 2007 where I flat out asked why Ferentz hasn’t fired O’Keefe:
IOWA CITY – The criticism of Iowa offensive coordinator Ken O’Keefe has stepped up in the face of the Hawkeyes’ struggles this season.
Iowa goes into Saturday’s game ranked last or next-to-last in every Big Ten offensive statistic that matters. It’s also nearing some national lows, in scoring offense (117th out of 119 FBS teams), sacks allowed (116th) and total offense (109th).
Fans are grumbling for O’Keefe’s job. Head coach Kirk Ferentz understands fans’ frustration, but he’ll keep his offensive coordinator.
“First of all, I think he’s a quality coach, an outstanding coach and I can’t imagine us having someone better in that position,” Ferentz said. “That’s the major problem on that request.”
In five Big Ten games, the Hawkeyes have scored just six touchdowns, averaging 11.2 points a game. The Hawkeyes also are last in the conference in red-zone offense. Iowa has scored just eight times in 12 (66.7 percent) trips inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Ferentz referenced a Big Ten school that fired a few assistants in the early 1980s, during Ferentz’s first run as offensive line coach at Iowa. That left a bad taste in his mouth and has colored his beliefs on staff continuity, even in times of struggle.
“That was the first time I really saw bodies coming out, coordinators or assistants coming out, trying to stay a step ahead of the posse, divert the attention,” Ferentz said.
Instead of firing coaches, Ferentz said his focus will be on “working through problems.”
“I’m not of the school that you fire four people and assume everything is going to be fine, just to take the heat off yourself,” Ferentz said. “I think that’s a cop-out. If there’s a legitimate reason to do it, that’s fine, but we certainly don’t have any of those, in my mind. Other people are entitled to their opinions.”
Ferentz and O’Keefe began working together in 1978 at Worcester (Mass.) Academy. But Ferentz was quick to point out that personal relationships have nothing to do with what’s going on in the Iowa football offices.
“Business is business. Coaches get fired all of the time,” Ferentz said. “(But) I think he does an excellent job.”
Ferentz was asked what he’d do if Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta told him to restructure his staff.
“That’s a hypothetical. It’s a good question, though,” he said.
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Barta told me yesterday he’s not a micromanager and so that is not his approach.
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The concept of changing Iowa’s offense was discussed in the lead up to the 2006 Alamo Bowl.
“It’s just who we are and it’s not going to change,” O’Keefe said. “Kirk has had a plan and has a plan and we’re sticking to the plan.”
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Here’s an online petition to fire O’Keefe.
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Here’s a Facebook group that is unflattering, though I’m not sure it’s real.
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I’m not sure there’s a more polarizing figure in Iowa sports unless Steve Alford still counts.
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Not advocating firing any coaches, but how about varying the approach on both sides of the ball every now and then? Doesn’t it make sense that opposing coaches are game planning against what they absolutely know is coming? We don’t have the depth and talent to impose our will regardless of the opponent’s plan – like an Alabama or a Miami (back in the day). A little waggle every now and then might just catch somebody off guard. Maybe enough to beat Northwestern some day…..
It is not KOK who is the problem. It is KF. As referenced by that 2007 article above. KOK is just following “the plan.”
I think if Adam Rittenberg were reporting this, it would have a lot more credibility. I can’t imagine who is putting this out there. Wow.
Tom Dienhart today: The three hottest names I hear for the Indiana job: Oklahoma OC Kevin Wilson; Wisconsin OC Paul Chryst; Michigan State OC Don Treadwell.
I know what I’m asking for Christmas!
One day very soon I will quit posting on these message boards or blogs entirely. I’ve already stopped posting on Iowa sites other than this. Why mention at all…………….here is why, I get the fans are frustrated at losing! I really do, I too am frustrated. But, It is a serious “disconnect” and lack of fundamental football acumen that continually rehashes the same old stuff. Do people really, seriously think that we are losing these games because they “know” what’s coming? R U all watching the same games…………………even the people who postulate this contradict themselves continually.
They say………….” we are so predictable and them then say why would we pass down there when the run was working so well”. Or “why do we keep running into a brick wall, why not open it up” (even though later they complain about to much passing) Such as………..”man we are running all over them and then we started passing down field?!?!?
Which is it fellas are we predictable or are we not……………………because the above doesn’t sound predictable too me. What you are is mad and you need a scapegoat………………our offense contrary to what you all “think” you see is NOT anymore predictable than any others. If you do not execute you lose. Iowa had as potent an offense as ever this year…………when we executed it was very hard to stop. When WE DID NOT, it bogged down, in the red zone in particular.
As far as the D goes, I missed the Northern Illinois game last nite, but I’m told they blitzed on 4 & 13 and M of O took a 5 yard slant 50 yards for the winning TD. I actually like NIU and Jerry Kill is a terrific coach. All the same I laughed out loud when I heard that. I then turned to my pal and said, I hate blitzing to which he agreed. I said well then you can’t be an Iowa message board fan because they are convinced how wonderful it is. Despite the fact we do it and they don’t even know it. Unless of course it works, in which case it was “the player” who did it on his own.
I said there are very, very few fans out there that truly “see” what is going on. It always has to be poor play calling or scheme, when in reality it always comes down to execution.
Chad
Chad, I hear you. Most comments here are about outcomes. Not football. About the only place you get more grousing is in the stands. Somehow, it all works out and ends up being fun. Most of the time.
Thanks guys, I should do a better job of letting it go I suppose. It’s certainly not how my Faith teaches me too be. I guess it falls into my other wheel house of anxt, and that is miss-information.
Be upset by all means but lets see what we really see?!?! All the same it is still just a football game and that is why I often times think I should just avoid these boards. I already spend an inordinate amount of time “fantasying” (……..a 40 year old man “dreaming about Iowa football glory….LOL) about Iowa football.
My wife chastises me all the time. She says………………”you spend all this time getting worked up about a sporting event that you have no real control, whether they perform well or not” “Then you get upset with most any Iowa fan who makes some silly off the wall comment” What’s the point………..
Honestly she is right, but at the same time it is tough to throw away a life time of allegiance to my home state team. I could try to care less but that is typically an all or nothing proposition for a guy like me. As you might have noted I am very high-strung and passionate about everything I do or love. Christ, my wife, my kids, my job, and yes Iowa football!
It’s not even Kirk Ferentz here I’m defending, it’s the “Iowa” way, which is pretty darn good. That and the truth that Texas, USC, LSU, Bama, Oklahoma, Nebbie, Michigan, Miami, Tenn, etc, etc…….have ran off or lost really good coaches and foundered in mediocrity or worse, for many years afterward.
It’s a very fine line. Lets make sure what is really wrong and here is a hint…………. Our coaches do some questionable things for sure, they are human. Lord knows I do as well, and I work very hard at what I do.
The truth is they are also very good at what they do. Lets let them figure it out….shall we?!
Chad
“I then turned to my pal and said, I hate blitzing to which he agreed”
Indeed, how’s that bend-but-don’t break defense working for you this year? Apparently, you must have been napping during Iowa’s 4th quarters this year. No one is suggesting blitzing every down, but once or twice a game would be nice.
Ahhhhh Sal can I assume you too were napping when NW completed at least 4 passes over the top of a blitz this year………….Most fans seem to shut out all the information that is there and grasp at what you choose to see. Iowa blitzed a goodly deal more than most cared to notice. It was NOT executed well…….and oddly enuff there is that word again “execution”…….it always seems to comes up. It must be important?!?!
Anything else………
Chad
Again, this is ESPN reporting, not me. I have not heard anything like this.
Chad, I understand your frustration. The fact is that the majority of fans know only the first thing about football, winning is better than losing. The majority of us come onto these postings sites and post our opinions like they are gospel. Fortunately though he is required to address these concerns by fans, KF and his staff realize this and try not to let it bother them.
wish the story would have been “Kirk Ferentz interested in indy?” – i would have done a cartwheel…
No such luck old pal…………..you’ll have to be satisfied with all the wins KF has brought to Iowa. Oh and the 4 top ten finishes, which I’m not sure has ever been done here before. At least in a 10 year time frame.
Chad
too bad non of those top ten finshes resulted in an uncontested Big Ten championship, Rose Bowl, or National Championship appearence….yes, i suppose we CAN dream, as that is all it will be under KF….a dream
How can you win the conference out right if OSU wins it every year, but you don’t play them every year? And just FYI, the 2002 Orange Bowl game would have been a Rose Bowl game except that the Orange Bowl got first pick that year and snatched the Hawks before the Rose had a chance. In essence they played in a bowl higher than the Rose that year.
I hope he leaves. We need new life. I have not seen anything out of O’Keefe that would make me want to keep him. In over 10 years he has not drawn up one new play.
Bet U couldn’t put togethere a team that could beat him?! In fact I don’t believe in gambling but I’m so sure I’ll wager my house. If he is so predictable and easy to play againts it shouldn’t be much of a challenge.
We on?!?!?
Chad
Sorry Chad “Ferentz” McCloudy, I’m with Cody. It appears a LOT of teams (soon to be 6) have put together teams to beat him. Change starts at the top. maybe if he leaves, KF will find a new coach for our “Delhi Defense” (since it leaks like a dam) as well….
if you don’t change plays over the years, people learn your playbook and thus have the keys to beat you. why do people eventually stop going to chick flicks? because they are predicatble. why do people stop listening to the same old records over and over and over on a daily basis? because they get old and stagnent – like our offesne!
and i’ll beat you to it..”you mean old, like your posts?”. REAL fans aren’t afraid to speak up when they see a problem and voice their concerns. When they see a leak in the ship, they would like to plug the whole before the ship sinks. when they see the wheels coming off the bus, they want to change out the wheels before they come off completely and the bus goes over the cliff. where as the “so in love with kirk” fans would rather wait until he completely runs the program in the ground (like when hayden was fried out)…
Look guys, even if you’re only concerned with outcomes (Ws/Ls) there’s no arguing Iowa is doing well with the Ferentz approach. Even with a disappointing 2010 Iowa is in line to have 28 wins over the past 3 seasons. That’s well above the ‘average’ (or an assumptive) level of success at Iowa. Or most schools in the B10. Period.
and i’ll beat you to it..”you mean old, like your posts?”. REAL fans aren’t afraid to speak up when they see a problem and voice their concerns. When they see a leak in the ship, they would like to plug the whole before the ship sinks. when they see the wheels coming off the bus, they want to change out the wheels before they come off completely and the bus goes over the cliff. where as the “so in love with kirk” fans would rather wait until he completely runs the program in the ground (like when hayden was fried out)…
The anger I get. You’ve made that loud and clear.
How about a productive thought now? Other than firing Ferentz.
Fried out?! The guy had cancer! Show some respect! We all know how you feel Common Sense Guy (pains me to even write that name as I feel the antithesis of your name is more befitting) but I would encourage you as well to take your discourse to a level that involves some serious thought and not just venting. In the grand scheme though, we (as fans) have little or nothing to say in how the program is run. Just be a fan and enjoy the ride. Hate to use this but it fits in regards to being a Hawk fan or a fan of any team, Love It or Leave It.
Growing up my coaches all had the same theory, that being, if the play is executed correctly then you could announce the play to the defense and still make yardage. There is some truth to that. However if the defense knows the play then they can adjust to stop it because they don’t have to worry about the other threats.
The Iowa way is good. KF has done wonders for this program. However i do believe they are getting a little stale. I believe they can keep the Iowa way AND tweak it just a little to make it harder for the defense to know what we are going to do. Is this staleness KF or KOK fault? I don’t know. If I had to guess I would say its KF reigning in KOK some.
The same goes for the defense. I’m not saying blitz every down. But it wouldn’t hurt the D line to do something besides bull rushing the QB every time. I do blame this on NP though.
All in all I love the hawks, I think KF has been a god send. However I do think things are stale and some change needs to take place, whether that be in a new hire or loosening the reigns a little.
So was it “stale” in 2009 when they went 11-2 and won the Orange Bowl?? Nobody complained about the “stale” Iowa way then. What nobody wants to pint out is that Iowa played all season with a target on their back. We were the team that every team we played wanted to beat this year. Arizona made a t-shirt after they beat us, the Iowa game is ISU’s super bowl every year, wiscy wanted revenge for Iowa keeping them out of the title hunt last yr, MSU wanted revenge for last years last second win, Northwestern is the same as ISU their super bowl every year, and Minnesota had something to prove the last game of the year.