Rhoads quote in KXNO interview

Luth4Cy

Well-Known Member
Sep 19, 2012
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Ames, IA
I feel like the apathetic portion of our fanbase:
A) Is a reason why we struggle to emerge out of mediocrity
B) Grew up in the Duncan/Criner/Walden years with a terrible AD

It's not unrealistic to expect a victory against an FCS team. Bowls aren't much of an accomplishment anymore to be honest. Iowa State has the resources to expect at least six wins every year.

We haven't had great coaches for the last 20-30 years resulting in some sort of myth that it is impossible to win at ISU. I would even honestly rate our current coaching staff in the bottom half of the Big 12.

Our basketball program would probably be identical to our football program if we never found Johnny Orr to kickstart some success.

When you say it like that it makes it sound like if we all demanded 10 win seasons we'd suddenly get them.
 

JUKEBOX

Well-Known Member
Oct 27, 2008
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I hope CPR is looking for a good OC to replace Messingham.

He better find a solution.

More complaints:

We gave Walden 8 years to build Iowa State and in his final season, he went 0-10-1.
Fools on CycloneFanatic wanted to keep McDermott as he slowly demolished the basketball program.
Criner and Duncan were awful, yet aren't that far away from Rhoad's winning percentage (and would have made bowls in today's college football world).

Pollard is a remarkable PR guy(/AD), and has got the Cyclone fanbase rejuvenated over a relatively poor program. We have won very few games at Jack Trice the last two years, and the high of beating Oklahoma State has made our fanbase glance over the Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Rutgers, Tulsa, UNI, etc. humiliations. I don't think we should fire Rhoads, but he should be held accountable and make the necessary changes to elevate Iowa State to where it should be.
 

capitalcityguy

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Jun 14, 2007
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Rhoads excels at "coach speak." I'd like to see more results on the field.

huh? Normally Rhoads is lauded for not spewing out typical "coach speak" that comes out of the mouths of most coaches. His cander, e.g..."that's a bunch of crap..." is what is refreshing about him.

I'm not sure who you've been listening to.
 

Tre4ISU

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Dec 30, 2008
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huh? Normally Rhoads is lauded for not spewing out typical "coach speak" that comes out of the mouths of most coaches. His cander, e.g..."that's a bunch of crap..." is what is refreshing about him.

I'm not sure who you've been listening to.

When it comes to football and our program, there's a ton of coach speak. Not that it's wrong but to say he's more upfront about the inner happening of things within the program isn't correct.
 

Rural

Well-Known Member
Feb 3, 2010
43,041
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I disagree completely about Kurt's "warm seat".

Losing record (all but assured)=hasta la vista, baby.
 

megamanxzero35

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May 31, 2011
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I disagree completely about Kurt's "warm seat".

Losing record (all but assured)=hasta la vista, baby.
No way can Iowa afford unless a booster(s) steps up to cover the rest of his contract.

4 reasons Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz's seat is as cold as ice - SBNation.com

"If Iowa fired Kirk Ferentz today, the athletic department would owe him over $18 million over the next six years, payable in $220,000 monthly installments."

So you'd be paying Kirk 2.6 million a year to leave, now you want to hire another coach?
 

Cyclonin

Well-Known Member
Feb 18, 2012
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I feel like the apathetic portion of our fanbase:
A) Is a reason why we struggle to emerge out of mediocrity
B) Grew up in the Duncan/Criner/Walden years with a terrible AD

It's not unrealistic to expect a victory against an FCS team. Bowls aren't much of an accomplishment anymore to be honest. Iowa State has the resources to expect at least six wins every year.

We haven't had great coaches for the last 20-30 years resulting in some sort of myth that it is impossible to win at ISU. I would even honestly rate our current coaching staff in the bottom half of the Big 12.

Our basketball program would probably be identical to our football program if we never found Johnny Orr to kickstart some success.

I could definitely see this with the staff as a whole. Where would you put Rhoads on the HC list?

I ask only because I don't know where I would throw him.

Definitely below:
Stoops
Briles
Snyder
Gundy
Patterson

At this point, I think he is a better coach than:
Weis
Mack Brown (right now, that UT program is in shambles)

Equal with:
Kingsbury and Holgerson?

Thats a really tough question. I think Kingsbury will be a great coach, and surpass Rhoads but since he has only coached two college games, Ill put him there. Holgerson has shown he may not be what they thought.

I can't stand Weis and Mack needs to hang it up.
 

ThatllDoCy

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Sep 20, 2009
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www.katchllc.com
Coach Rhoads has done a very good job. The weakness would be our Offensive production which has been bad. While we have not had 7-9 win seasons, under a different Coach we could have had 2-4 win seasons a la Chizik. What we do see are teams that are more mentally tough, don't give up and play hard every week. They bounce back from defeats. They win games they shouldn't, they are proud of being Cyclones.

IMO that is a huge reason the fanbase is more excited. I don't need us to be BCS Champions, but I do enjoy watching how Paul's teams play with pride and emotion. Not a tangible thing you can measure, but the atmosphere is different around the program. Am I satisfied with mediocrity? No. With a good Offense we win far more games. It will need to be addressed.

I think people have forgotten that Coaches can be in jobs for more than five years without winning a National Championship or having to win a Conference Championship. The fact we are where we are is a reflection of the competitiveness of the Conference we play in, and College Football in general. Building a winning program and identity takes time and stability. Look at how long it took Alvarez to make Wisconsin a consistently good team. That is Pollard's blueprint.

I would support bringing in Mangino or another experienced successful Coach to revamp our Offensive identity. Marc Trestman was quoted by a Bears player saying that he is in the people business not the football business. This is why we keep Coach Rhoads. His players believe in him, and that is the most important thing. X's and O's will follow. You are not going to find a Coach that fits the ISU program better.

Just my opinion. I hope that we come out this week and play to our potential.
 

jbhtexas

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Oct 20, 2006
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Arlington, TX
We gave Walden 8 years to build Iowa State and in his final season, he went 0-10-1.
Fools on CycloneFanatic wanted to keep McDermott as he slowly demolished the basketball program.
Criner and Duncan were awful, yet aren't that far away from Rhoad's winning percentage (and would have made bowls in today's college football world).

Just for completeness, in today's college football world, Walden would have made a bowl in his third year.

Pollard is a remarkable PR guy(/AD), and has got the Cyclone fanbase rejuvenated over a relatively poor program. We have won very few games at Jack Trice the last two years, and the high of beating Oklahoma State has made our fanbase glance over the Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Rutgers, Tulsa, UNI, etc. humiliations. I don't think we should fire Rhoads, but he should be held accountable and make the necessary changes to elevate Iowa State to where it should be.

In addition to the above, a couple of other games I would throw in would be TT 2012 and UT 2011. Certainly some of those were humiliating losses, whether it be because of the opponent, or because of the final score. But for me, the bigger issue is that most of these were pivotal games, whether it be a bowl, or a game that could have led to a "breakout season", and the team was just flat not ready to play, both coaches and players (UNI 2011 would be another one of those, but ISU scrambled to a win). It's not so much that ISU lost those games, but just the apparent lack of preparedness and lack of urgency to seize the opportunity. That just seems to happen way too often.
 

Cydkar

Well-Known Member
Apr 12, 2006
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He better find a solution.

More complaints:

We gave Walden 8 years to build Iowa State and in his final season, he went 0-10-1.
Fools on CycloneFanatic wanted to keep McDermott as he slowly demolished the basketball program.
Criner and Duncan were awful, yet aren't that far away from Rhoad's winning percentage (and would have made bowls in today's college football world).

Pollard is a remarkable PR guy(/AD), and has got the Cyclone fanbase rejuvenated over a relatively poor program. We have won very few games at Jack Trice the last two years, and the high of beating Oklahoma State has made our fanbase glance over the Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Rutgers, Tulsa, UNI, etc. humiliations. I don't think we should fire Rhoads, but he should be held accountable and make the necessary changes to elevate Iowa State to where it should be.

I agree. If we don't make a bowl this AND next year the seat will get hot. Long way to go.
 

jbhtexas

Well-Known Member
Oct 20, 2006
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Arlington, TX
Look at how long it took Alvarez to make Wisconsin a consistently good team. That is Pollard's blueprint.

It didn't take him that long. Barry Alvarez had a 10-win (breakout) season in his fourth year at Wisconsin. Kirk Ferentz had an 11-win (breakout) season in his fourth year at Iowa. This is similar to what I've posted before for the Big 12 coaches. Amongst recent Big 12 coaches, every coach who had a "breakout" season (8 or more wins) had it in year three, except for Mangino, who had a 7-win season in year four, and a 12-win season in year six. Those who didn't have their breakout season in year 3 or 4 (other than Mangino) didn't have one.

I think if you look around the other major conferences (SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12), you will see this trend continue. There may be a few exceptions (like Mangino), but not many. IMO, the current college FB landscape is stacked against giving coaches long periods of time to build successful programs in the major conferences.

CPR is now in the territory, as far as having a breakout season, where he will have to be an exception to a trend that doesn't see many exceptions. A good start would be beating Iowa. As others have pointed out in other threads, the Big 12 is not looking good this year. There are wins to be had.
 
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CTTB78

Well-Known Member
Apr 7, 2006
9,540
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I feel like the apathetic portion of our fanbase:
A) Is a reason why we struggle to emerge out of mediocrity
B) Grew up in the Duncan/Criner/Walden years with a terrible AD

It's not unrealistic to expect a victory against an FCS team. Bowls aren't much of an accomplishment anymore to be honest. Iowa State has the resources to expect at least six wins every year.

We haven't had great coaches for the last 20-30 years resulting in some sort of myth that it is impossible to win at ISU. I would even honestly rate our current coaching staff in the bottom half of the Big 12.

Our basketball program would probably be identical to our football program if we never found Johnny Orr to kickstart some success.

Agree. CPR has been hugely succesful because the fans feel we have this build of momentum with ISU football. If we are to take the next step, losing to UNI wasn't in that picture. While some feel that we have slid back to Kent St. days and will go 0-12, we'll see what happens with Iowa and Tulsa. Both even games. We'll see if the build is real.
 

JUKEBOX

Well-Known Member
Oct 27, 2008
7,961
1,479
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I could definitely see this with the staff as a whole. Where would you put Rhoads on the HC list?

I ask only because I don't know where I would throw him.

Definitely below:
Stoops
Briles
Snyder
Gundy
Patterson

At this point, I think he is a better coach than:
Weis
Mack Brown (right now, that UT program is in shambles)

Equal with:
Kingsbury and Holgerson?

Thats a really tough question. I think Kingsbury will be a great coach, and surpass Rhoads but since he has only coached two college games, Ill put him there. Holgerson has shown he may not be what they thought.

I can't stand Weis and Mack needs to hang it up.

I would rank Rhoads in the same area you did.
 

im4cyclones

Well-Known Member
Jun 14, 2010
3,937
671
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Ames, IA
He better find a solution.

More complaints:

We gave Walden 8 years to build Iowa State and in his final season, he went 0-10-1.
Fools on CycloneFanatic wanted to keep McDermott as he slowly demolished the basketball program.
Criner and Duncan were awful, yet aren't that far away from Rhoad's winning percentage (and would have made bowls in today's college football world).

Pollard is a remarkable PR guy(/AD), and has got the Cyclone fanbase rejuvenated over a relatively poor program. We have won very few games at Jack Trice the last two years, and the high of beating Oklahoma State has made our fanbase glance over the Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Rutgers, Tulsa, UNI, etc. humiliations. I don't think we should fire Rhoads, but he should be held accountable and make the necessary changes to elevate Iowa State to where it should be.

And where is that, exactly? What are you expectations?
 

im4cyclones

Well-Known Member
Jun 14, 2010
3,937
671
113
Ames, IA
He better find a solution.

More complaints:

We gave Walden 8 years to build Iowa State and in his final season, he went 0-10-1.
Fools on CycloneFanatic wanted to keep McDermott as he slowly demolished the basketball program.
Criner and Duncan were awful, yet aren't that far away from Rhoad's winning percentage (and would have made bowls in today's college football world).

Pollard is a remarkable PR guy(/AD), and has got the Cyclone fanbase rejuvenated over a relatively poor program. We have won very few games at Jack Trice the last two years, and the high of beating Oklahoma State has made our fanbase glance over the Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Rutgers, Tulsa, UNI, etc. humiliations. I don't think we should fire Rhoads, but he should be held accountable and make the necessary changes to elevate Iowa State to where it should be.

Seems like I remember hearing the Rhoads has only lost three times when he was favored. Plus he has done things that no one else has ever done at ISU.

Beat downs have been an occurrence for ISU teams long before Rhoads.
 

JUKEBOX

Well-Known Member
Oct 27, 2008
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And where is that, exactly? What are you expectations?
I expect 6 wins for down/rebuilding years.
I expect 7 wins for average seasons.
I expect 8-9 wins for great seasons.
Hope for a "special season" (9+ wins) once every 15 years.