SUMMER SERIES (podcast): The rise & fall of Paul Rhoads at ISU

[swessball]

When they talk about winners and losers of realignment, Paul Rhoads will be at the very top of the losers list.

Reality is when you are trying to build a program, especially where there wasn't one at a place with zero tradition, your window is very small.

He had the I am so proud speech, and the bowl win the first year to sell recruits. It should have been a huge opportunity. Instead we spent the summer hearing Iowa State would be left out of a power 5 conference.

They survive that, he has a decent second year, 5 wins against a tougher schedule. A thrilling game with Nebraska, where he came out of it almost looking better because of the failed fake extra point at the end of the game than if it had succeeded. A second opportunity to recruit gets taken away again by realignment.

These are the guys that followed knott AJ McDonough (sp), and they weren't up to the challenge because they were overmatched physically. He could never catch up. The hardest positions to fill are quarterback and linemen, they never were able to figure out the qb position, and the d line never grew after the players that were here when he got here, left.

So Paul's inability to recruit was because of realignment talk? Nope, not buying it. Heck there were non-power five schools consistently out-recruiting ISU before and after the realignment talk.
For me, Paul's lackluster recruiting efforts were a result of three major factors.
1.) Facilities for the most part were terrible to below average during his tenure. Bergstrum was added midway into his career which helped, but Jack Trice still looked like a glorified Texas high school stadium for all but one year. By the time all the facilities were to par it was too late.
2.) Recruiting strategy. In short the plan was to pick up leftovers from the Texas and Florida schools. When we are offering kids in Texas that have zero offers from any of the other 5+ division one schools there's a problem. The chances of finding a diamond in the rough are much greater in the midwest where kids don't get much exposure (Ex. Tom Farniok, Klein, Knott). The kids in Texas and Florida got looked at every week by a half dozen D1 programs and we were often the only ones to show interest.
3.) ISU never had an identity (applies only to the offense really). Why play for Iowa State? Were we an air raid offense? No. Did we ground and pound? No. Did we develop players? No. Nothing really stood out on the offensive side of the ball that would make a player say "Wow I'd really like to play in that system."

Throw in the fact that they couldn't identify players that were in their back yard (Waters, Johnson) and its easy to see why we couldn't recruit when Paul wasn't here.

 

[Cat Stevens]

So Paul's inability to recruit was because of realignment talk? Nope, not buying it. Heck there were non-power five schools consistently out-recruiting ISU before and after the realignment talk.
For me, Paul's lackluster recruiting efforts were a result of three major factors.
1.) Facilities for the most part were terrible to below average during his tenure. Bergstrum was added midway into his career which helped, but Jack Trice still looked like a glorified Texas high school stadium for all but one year. By the time all the facilities were to par it was too late.
2.) Recruiting strategy. In short the plan was to pick up leftovers from the Texas and Florida schools. When we are offering kids in Texas that have zero offers from any of the other 5+ division one schools there's a problem. The chances of finding a diamond in the rough are much greater in the midwest where kids don't get much exposure (Ex. Tom Farniok, Klein, Knott). The kids in Texas and Florida got looked at every week by a half dozen D1 programs and we were often the only ones to show interest.
3.) ISU never had an identity (applies only to the offense really). Why play for Iowa State? Were we an air raid offense? No. Did we ground and pound? No. Did we develop players? No. Nothing really stood out on the offensive side of the ball that would make a player say "Wow I'd really like to play in that system."

Throw in the fact that they couldn't identify players that were in their back yard (Waters, Johnson) and its easy to see why we couldn't recruit when Paul wasn't here.

It appears you didn't understand the point being made.

 

[JP4CY]

I listen to the Stewart Mandell and Bruce Feldman podcast and they sound concerned about CPR's future at Arkansas. They rattled off secondary stats from last year and mentioned how he's now the DC. Don't know much about their scheme but said they are transitioning to a 3-4 this year as well.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

I listen to the Stewart Mandell and Bruce Feldman podcast and they sound concerned about CPR's future at Arkansas. They rattled off secondary stats from last year and mentioned how he's now the DC. Don't know much about their scheme but said they are transitioning to a 3-4 this year as well.

Meh give him a year or two. 3-4 will probably work great for them. Can recruit those nose guards down there in SEC country. Then you just need long and fast bodies for the edges and you've got yourself a regular blitz happy defense.

 

[Frak]

Meh give him a year or two. 3-4 will probably work great for them. Can recruit those nose guards down there in SEC country. Then you just need long and fast bodies for the edges and you've got yourself a regular blitz happy defense.

I'll say that without looking at stats, the 3-4 under Rhoads with Tucker at NG was a better D than the 4-2-5 under Campbell last year. ARK can get the NG that can take on a double team. Then those 3-4 DTs and OLBs grow on trees down there.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

I'll say that without looking at stats, the 3-4 under Rhoads with Tucker at NG was a better D than the 4-2-5 under Campbell last year. ARK can get the NG that can take on a double team. Then those 3-4 DTs and OLBs grow on trees down there.

The downfall with our 3-4 defense was that our LB's were not good at all and Wally was way too conservative in the blitzing department. In a league like the Big 12 I think our 4-2-5 will be pretty solid in another year or two. You have to have DB's in this league and I'm a big fan on having a physical LB/DB hybrid out on the field that can run with a receiver.

 

[isutrevman]

The downfall with our 3-4 defense was that our LB's were not good at all and Wally was way too conservative in the blitzing department. In a league like the Big 12 I think our 4-2-5 will be pretty solid in another year or two. You have to have DB's in this league and I'm a big fan on having a physical LB/DB hybrid out on the field that can run with a receiver.

And whenever Tucker was out it went to hel l.

 

[bstegs]

A little late in getting to listen to this podcast, but there was one omission when talking about Steele Jantz. He receives some praise for winning the Army game following his amazing Iowa game performance. Neither Chris nor Brent seem to remember him throwing 3 interceptions in his first 4 attempts that game. After the high of the Iowa game, my heart was in my stomach in that first quarter as I began to lose faith in Jantz.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

A little late in getting to listen to this podcast, but there was one omission when talking about Steele Jantz. He receives some praise for winning the Army game following his amazing Iowa game performance. Neither Chris nor Brent seem to remember him throwing 3 interceptions in his first 4 attempts that game. After the high of the Iowa game, my heart was in my stomach in that first quarter as I began to lose faith in Jantz.

Oh Steele, It just wasn't to be.

 

[awd4cy]

A little late in getting to listen to this podcast, but there was one omission when talking about Steele Jantz. He receives some praise for winning the Army game following his amazing Iowa game performance. Neither Chris nor Brent seem to remember him throwing 3 interceptions in his first 4 attempts that game. After the high of the Iowa game, my heart was in my stomach in that first quarter as I began to lose faith in Jantz.

I think I lost faith in Steele during the A&M homecoming game a couple weeks later. Threw an int on the first play of the game when our reciever was running a short quick slant.

 

[istater7]

A little late in getting to listen to this podcast, but there was one omission when talking about Steele Jantz. He receives some praise for winning the Army game following his amazing Iowa game performance. Neither Chris nor Brent seem to remember him throwing 3 interceptions in his first 4 attempts that game. After the high of the Iowa game, my heart was in my stomach in that first quarter as I began to lose faith in Jantz.

You mean UCONN?

 

[bstegs]

You mean UCONN?

Yes. Sorry. They made the same mistake of calling it Army and then switching back to UConn. Anyway, it's the game where Cy was injured and Jantz threw 3 interceptions in 4 attempts.

 

[cyclones500]

I think I lost faith in Steele during the A&M homecoming game a couple weeks later. Threw an int on the first play of the game when our reciever was running a short quick slant.

Is that the game when Barnett was inserted sometime during the second half? Or late first half?

 

[awd4cy]

Is that the game when Barnett was inserted sometime during the second half? Or late first half?

He was inserted right after that first play I remembered. I think he pretty much started every game after that.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

You mean UCONN?

I call that officially the day Paul Rhoads began his epic decent. Not epic because I liked it, but did you see that KSU game..... shudders.

 

[Omaha Cy]

Really late to this party....

A major dagger to Rhoads was Coe and Irving being removed prior to the 2014 season. ISU immediately went from a fairly solid D-line to a soggy paper bag. Should've been a rebound year and bowl appearance. They had solid offensive talent with Lazard, Wimberly, Montgomery, and Bibbs. A season over before it even started.

Rhoads not gambling in the 2nd half of his tenure was the worst. The fakes, and onside kicks were gone, which was the sizzle of ISU. I thought Rhoads deserved the chance in 2015 to rebound and turn things around, but when they blew the game vs Toledo I was officially done.

Looking back at 2011/2012 you had to watch ISU every week because you knew if they showed up, something incredible could happen. Yeah the 3 TD beatdowns sucked but we knew ISU would get off the mat and win another memorable game.

Rhoads tenure ultimately left a lot to be desired, but he really is a key piece to puzzle of excitement surrounding ISU football and the engine that powered a lot of facilities in the Jack. He was a good hire. Had his limitations as a coach but caught lightning in a bottle for a while. In the end the mountain was too high to climb. Had they been able to figure out the QB position, he's at ISU a few more years.

An incredibly low point for me was the 2014 loss to ******* kansas. Rhoads left Sam in late vs Oklahoma the prior week leading to injury. Rohach sucked vs KU and the rest of the team was a bunch of no heart having bastards. Bibbs played hard but that was about it. I thought that was the end, but ISU played hard vs Tech & WVU the next 2 weeks instilling hope again. Seemed that 2015 was looking up a bit with Tucker on the D-line, some nice pieces in the defensive backfield, and Bundrage coming back from injury to pair up with Lazard/Montgomery. Too many holes in the team. The Texas win was nice. Suck it Bevo!