Firing CPR is a big mistake

[candg4ever]

I don't like it, but I understand it. If we win one of the last two games we've played, IMO, he's still our coach. That being said, I think we have the talent to do better...

The timing makes sense. It gives us an opportunity to get ahead of other schools looking.

I do hate losing a class coach that both the players, and the fans love, it really hurts.

Bottom line, sadly, it's all about the wins, and there just weren't enough of those recently. CPR is the real deal, whoever gets him next will be very fortunate.

 

[CascadeClone]

Have not read every page of this thread, but what to expect on the assistants? Normally, a new head coach would bring in all his guys. But any chance some of the good ones stay?

I would love to see Ayeni stay, for Warren and others.
I think Blaney has made this o-line look better that it has since KO and Hicks were here.
Sturdy seems like he has been OK as well, though not so sure.

Curious if those in the know would comment on this.

 

[CTTB78]

Don't know why there are so many feeling sorry for CPR. He and his staff screwed up about as bad as you can and he is getting $4.5 million for his effort. None of us are that lucky.

Agree with CPR and the millions he has banked, but it sucks for lower level assistants.

 

[awd4cy]

The question is if anyone can win regularly with this schedule. Just about everyone in this thread really doesn't understand that.

If we were still playing in the north, Rhoads is never in jeopardy.

The schedule is everything....

Tulsa 2012
UNI 2013
TCU 2013
NDSU 2014
Kansas 2014
Texas Tech 2014
Toledo 2015
Kansas State 2015

 

[atlantacyclone]

It's pathetic how much the culture of losing has sunk into this fan base.

So which D1 sport did you play to come up with that gem?

 

[Newell]

His enthusiasm is fantastic but he simply isn't a good head coach. The last minute of Toledo and the last minute and a half of K State sealed his fate.

 

[Cy$]

So which D1 sport did you play to come up with that gem?

Common sense

 

[atlantacyclone]

That makes sense.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

So which D1 sport did you play to come up with that gem?

You're right. Stop blaming the culture/environment for what clearly are shortcomings of the OP.

 

[xr4ticlone]

Since WWII ONE ISU coach has won more than 50% of their games...ONE.

I'm sure the 2nd one is our next hire. LOL...

I understand the frustration...but burning through a coach like CPR and thinking he's the issue is just foolish.

He's a good coach, a better man, and a loyal guy to a fault. Sadly, he should have taken the PITT job 4 years ago...as it stands he'll probably never get another HC job again...which is what EVERY candidate we look at is going to assume as well.

I'm going to guess we're in for a tough search that will end with a hire that won't get anyone excited. We'll have set the table for the next coach to do 2 things....A. win quickly. B. leave immediately afterwards.

 

[fsanford]

Since WWII ONE ISU coach has won more than 50% of their games...ONE.

I'm sure the 2nd one is our next hire. LOL...

I understand the frustration...but burning through a coach like CPR and thinking he's the issue is just foolish.

He's a good coach, a better man, and a loyal guy to a fault. Sadly, he should have taken the PITT job 4 years ago...as it stands he'll probably never get another HC job again...which is what EVERY candidate we look at is going to assume as well.

I'm going to guess we're in for a tough search that will end with a hire that won't get anyone excited. We'll have set the table for the next coach to do 2 things....A. win quickly. B. leave immediately afterwards.

Thomas Edison failed 1000 times before inventing the lightbulb. All I can say good thing you were not his best friend cuz we would all be sitting in the dark right now

 

[CycloneErik]

Since WWII ONE ISU coach has won more than 50% of their games...ONE.

I'm sure the 2nd one is our next hire. LOL...

I understand the frustration...but burning through a coach like CPR and thinking he's the issue is just foolish.

He's a good coach, a better man, and a loyal guy to a fault. Sadly, he should have taken the PITT job 4 years ago...as it stands he'll probably never get another HC job again...which is what EVERY candidate we look at is going to assume as well.

I'm going to guess we're in for a tough search that will end with a hire that won't get anyone excited. We'll have set the table for the next coach to do 2 things....A. win quickly. B. leave immediately afterwards.

Hi, Angry Pity Party Guy!

 

[capitalcityguy]

OP appears to not live anywhere near Ames so season tickets are most likely not an option.

I think you evaluate the situation a lot differently when you are burning Saturdays and $$$ every fall to witness this first-hand vs watching it from afar and your main investment is 3 hrs in front of a TV.

It doesn’t mean the OP doesn’t care or isn’t’ passionate. I think it just means he is not evaluating based on the same experiences as those of us who are on the ground. Ie….whether or not to renew his season tickets next year (or skipped over half the game this year) as apathy was starting to erode the “active” fan’s enthusiasm. This isn’t the perspective the OP is evaluating this situation and thus why he is looking at this much differently than the majority.

 

[CurvedAir]

It's pathetic how much the culture of losing has sunk into this fan base.

Here's a Kansas State fan's (and afternoon KC radio host) opinion on what happened Saturday. Fast forward to 16:40. Listen to the disgust in his voice describing the late game blunders.

It's beyond belief that any Iowa State fan thinks a change wasn't needed.

View attachment Monologue_-1448317678.mp3

 

[kingcy]

Since WWII ONE ISU coach has won more than 50% of their games...ONE.

I'm sure the 2nd one is our next hire. LOL...

I understand the frustration...but burning through a coach like CPR and thinking he's the issue is just foolish.

He's a good coach, a better man, and a loyal guy to a fault. Sadly, he should have taken the PITT job 4 years ago...as it stands he'll probably never get another HC job again...which is what EVERY candidate we look at is going to assume as well.

I'm going to guess we're in for a tough search that will end with a hire that won't get anyone excited. We'll have set the table for the next coach to do 2 things....A. win quickly. B. leave immediately afterwards.

So we should just settle. Look I like the guys as much as anyone. I wanted him to win at ISU in the worse way. But at the end of the day when you make bad decisions at the end of games that affect their outcome, there is a problem.

 

[xr4ticlone]

You're right...I'm out of state. I watch religiously but I'll admit that FB isn't my biggest interest.

Living in TX has opened my eyes a little. I think we're all aware of the limitations ISU has from a historical standpoint...but I think the BIGGEST limitation is geographic right now. Playing in the TX centric B12 and trying to pull talent to Iowa is Mt. Everest. Playing 9 conference games and Iowa is a death sentence for any coach given the talent ISU can put on the field.

I can be mad at PR, I can acknowledge he's not a Bill Snyder type coach...but few are. What I can also see is the players love him, his passion is intense and real, and his loyalty is unquestionable. I believe that we had some real issues when it came to assistants...some cancers, some bad choices, and some poor recruiters. Rhoads was IMHO correcting most of that. Sure he learned on the job...but I've got some bad news for you folks...90% chance we're about to get a new coach that will be either a first time HC or a first time HC of a major program. They're going to be drinking from the fire hose too...without 7 years of experience.

I think this team will go to a bowl next year. I think it would have gone with or without CPR.

What I know is this...for a fact....
A. We're $4.5 million worse off than we were Saturday.
B. Given some recent pay developments we're going to pay the next coach more than CPR...only less if it's a total uninspiring hire.
C. We're probably not getting an experienced HC.
D. We're not getting anyone as loyal as CPR...that HC doesn't exist.
E. There is a high probability we're going to get a coach that won't win any more games than CPR did statistically. History says that's almost guaranteed.
F. We're not going to change any of the major issues we face. Geography. Budgets. Recruiting base of old white people. National media attention. Top 20 conference opponents on a weekly basis with 9 conference games + a rejuvenated Iowa.

 

[xr4ticlone]

Thomas Edison failed 1000 times before inventing the lightbulb. All I can say good thing you were not his best friend cuz we would all be sitting in the dark right now

If coaching was like inventing lightbulbs you'd have a great point. : ) Maybe we should have fans take turns at the helm until we find the right one?

 

[simply1]

We did burn the Rhoads card, and it's a difficult place to win with what will be an ongoing difficult schedule. I've been away for over 4 years now myself, but I do think CPR got rid of some cancers, fixed holes on the team, and had it set up to be successful next year. If he had made the staffing steps earlier, etc, we probably win more games and aren't here talking about it now. Yeah, people may have not shown up next year but if the promise came through that was there this year, then they would have come back. Would his coaching mistakes have gotten in the way of that? Entirely possible. I think it was also possible that he learned from those mistakes as well and would have worked to correct them. Who knows, I hope whoever is hired can work out, and I'm not one to just take losing for granted either, but we had a pretty special guy relative to our program and this time sucks.

 

[cyclones500]

A nice article pretty much capturing the situation:

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hlas-pollard-had-little-choice-but-to-fire-rhoads-20151122

That actually is a fairly good summary.

Taken in a vacuum, individually, the previous two losses would be frustrating, but could be absorbed as extremes. Loss 1 came vs. a top-5 team, and ISU simply couldn't close the deal. Leading a relatively-weak KSU team by 21 at halftime and blowing it in the way our team did is bizarre, but weird things can happen.

If you add those two games with the full body of work, though, you have no choice, you have to cut the cord.

Yes, there were some big wins and survival in close calls along the way, but there were losses to FCS, horrendous blowouts, and a losing record in perhaps the best build-up season Rhoads had, 2012. And so on.

Even after squandering chances against Iowa and Toledo, Iowa State still could be playing for bowl-eligibility vs. WVa by getting it done vs. OSU and KSU.

 

[IAStubborn]

The guy is 3-13 in games decided by 7 pts or less. That is inexcusable.

There are WAY too many "what if's" in your original post. He needed to turn more of those "what if's" into wins to keep his job. He gave JP no other choice. JP wanted to keep him and gave him more than enough chances.

Obviously we're all sad it didn't work out for him here. Everyone loved him and wanted to see him do well. But that isn't reason enough to keep him. It's unfortunate, but it's the way it is.

That's it right here. He goes 13-3 in this games and he is bowling 6/7 years and has an 8 win season in 2012. We would.be building a statue if that were the case. Game of inches.