I don't know anything about any accusations made
by NDTwice (2020-06-30 18:41:19)

In reply to: Surprised Ferentz has lasted as long as he has  posted by Hanratty5ND

Post Reply Return to Cartier Field

against the Iowa program but I have followed Iowa for years and the reasons Ferentz has been a long time coach has nothing to do with the location of Iowa City or in spite of any misdoings in my view.

Rather -- [1] He almost always puts a competitive team on the field. [2] He gets as much out of his players as probably any coach in the country. [3] Players like him and like playing for him. I happened to have recently spoken to a former African-American Iowa player who has transferred to Illinois State. Forget his name but he plays tight end. He mentioned players really like the head coach. This was just a few months ago in 2020, not back in 2007 or 2011.

Dont forget to leave out padding the schedule
by 84david  (2020-06-30 22:11:33)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

with 2 FcS oppts most years.

Deleting FCS wins puts Ferentz about .600
(up until recently FCS games did not count
in overall record).
Evaluating a Coach
by NDTwice  (2020-07-01 07:37:27)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I am not suggesting that Ferentz is another Holtz but only that his long tenure at Iowa is not surprising as suggested by a poster. Won-loss records are not the only way to evaluate a coach, although his is respectable in context.

An opposing coach, for example, in the recent 2020 Athlon College Magazine said, "They're as fundamentally sound and disciplined a team as you will ever see" (p. 127). His teams are also developmental. Currently Iowa has 24 active players in the NFL [Georgia 29, Clemson 27, ND 25].

Yea I am biased. I just like the guy. He is low key, likeable, knows how to coach, cares for the players, players care for him, and he takes time to stand when the persons at home games acknowledge the kids with cancer in the famous Iowa hospital. Yea I am a softie. His team is also very unified. Sometime watch the team as it comes out holding hands at the start of the game. Moving for the fans.

BTW -- schools can schedule lower division teams for reasons other than trying to pad the schedule. Ferentz is a very good friend with the former Purdue assistant coach who is now the head coach at Illinois state. This is why Iowa scheduled ISU. Nice gesture on Ferentz's part.

Some of that is not true.
by No Right Turn on Red  (2020-07-01 01:12:46)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

At least with regard to the playing two FCS teams per year part. During Ferentz's tenure, Iowa has played one FCS opponent per year from 2005 to the present, with the exception of 2017 and 2019 due to the Big 10's rule about scheduling FCS teams. Iowa has played the following FCS opponents:

- Northern Iowa (2005, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020)
- Montana (2006)
- Maine (2008)
- Eastern Illinois (2010)
- Tennessee Tech (2011)
- Missouri State (2013)
- Illinois State (2015)
- North Dakota State (2016, a loss)

You are correct that if you removed his 12-1 record vs. FCS opponents, he'd have about a .600 win percentage (.593 to be exact). His nonconference win percentage would go from .691 to .654. To be fair to Ferentz, he had a miserable first two years at Iowa. Since then, he's posted a .650 win percentage (.635 FCS adjusted).

There are rules about counting FCS games for bowl eligibility purposes which passed in 2012, but those games still counted in a coach's overall record prior to that.