5 year ISU outlook

  • After Iowa State won the Big 12, a Cyclone made a wonderful offer to We Will that now increases our match. Now all gifts up to $400,000 between now and the Final 4 will be matched. Please consider giving at We Will Collective.
    This notice can be dismissed using the upper right corner X button.

Cyrok

Active Member
Oct 14, 2009
694
87
28
DSM
I was going to enter this as a mailbag question for CW to answer, but it's too long.

Part 1: Rhoads, Hoiberg, Fennelly, Johnson-Lynch, Jackson - is this the best over-all group of head coaches we've had at ISU? (I know it's early with Fred, but I believe!) Toss in Pollard and Geoffry and that's a fantastic starting line-up imo.

Part 2: What are your thoughts on an optimistic 5-year outlook for ISU sports: up-trending success in all the sports with post-season play, highlighted by football where we go bowling each year and reasonably expect something like 8-5 records. This allows us to milk the Big 12 for as much money and exposure as we can before it dissolves and puts us in a position to get into a more stable BCS conference?

Part 3: How much does it suck that the world is going to end in 2 years so we won't be able to see how this plays out? :)jimlad:)
 

CYVADER

Well-Known Member
Nov 16, 2006
5,384
242
63
Cornfields
fennelly and johnson lynch are the best at those sports. jackson has a LONG way to go to catch nichols, otopolik, and even gibbons, and douglas. rhoads seems to be on the brink, but still a little early to say best ever. hoiberg-WAY to early to tell, but so far the risk reward is looking pretty good. pollard-for all his haters, he must be doing something right. he is still plugging away-raising money and awareness for ISU.

optimistic 5 year-you nailed it with football. basketball would be: NIT this year, NCAA's 3 of the following 4. wbb and volleyball-sustained success, wrestling-win a national title.

expected 5 year-2-3 bowl games in football. basketball-nothing this year, NCAA's 2 of next 5. wbb and volleyball-sustained success, wrestling-top 5 finishes 4 of 5 years
 

CykoAGR

Well-Known Member
Dec 16, 2008
1,691
69
48
43
Waukee, IA
I was going to enter this as a mailbag question for CW to answer, but it's too long.
Part 1: Rhoads, Hoiberg, Fennelly, Johnson-Lynch, Jackson - is this the best over-all group of head coaches we've had at ISU? (I know it's early with Fred, but I believe!) Toss in Pollard and Geoffry and that's a fantastic starting line-up imo.
In my time as a loyal fan, the last 10yrs, I would say that this is the best GROUP that ISU has had. I cannot speak prior to the last decade. It’s really hard to compare to past history because of the changing of NCAA athletics and how "it is all about the Benjamin’s baby" to quote Puff Daddy (aka, Sean P Diddy, aka whatever the hell he calls himself now).


Part 2: What are your thoughts on an optimistic 5-year outlook for ISU sports: up-trending success in all the sports with post-season play, highlighted by football where we go bowling each year and reasonably expect something like 8-5 records. This allows us to milk the Big 12 for as much money and exposure as we can before it dissolves and puts us in a position to get into a more stable BCS conference?

I don’t see a huge upward trend in WR or WBB. These programs are stable and I look for them to continue to be very competitive with some good-great years with a few disappointing years spread around. I think that Jackson has the potential to possibly win a NC with some luck but should consistently finish in the top 10. Fennelly will have a tough time beating the powers in womens BB but should continue to have years where his teams make a deep run into the tourney and Uconn has to lose sometime right?


Rhoads has proved that he can do some good things with not a lot of talent. I firmly believe that he is truly changing the culture at ISU. With landmark wins over NU in Lincoln and TX in Austin he and his team are on the right course. It seems that he and his staff are recruiting some respectable talent that can compete in the Big 12. I am cautiously optimistic that ISU fans in 5 years will be riding a 5 year bowl streak (some of them may not be great bowls but they are still bowls) and CPR and staff will have a solid foundation and a winning tradition at ISU. I think the key will be staff continuity and CPR’s ability to retain his current staff and/or replace them with competent coaches to minimize the fallout if someone does leave. On the negative side if CPR and staff are not able to get us over the “hump” to annual bowl contention then I think we lose not only CPR but JP as well because he has had quite a few hires as AD and that just doesn’t happen too often.

The jury is still out on FH but right now the future looks bright, he has a great staff that can recruit and a system that helps bring in fans and top tier talent. Obviously next year will have some higher expectations because of the roster so it should be a good measuring stick for FH to show that he can coach bigger ego’s that we need to win in the Big 12 and make a deep run into the tourney.


Part 3: How much does it suck that the world is going to end in 2 years so we won't be able to see how this plays out? ()
I hope that it at least waits until after 2012 FB season.
 

Steve

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
4,201
758
113
fennelly and johnson lynch are the best at those sports. jackson has a LONG way to go to catch nichols, otopolik, and even gibbons, and douglas. rhoads seems to be on the brink, but still a little early to say best ever. hoiberg-WAY to early to tell, but so far the risk reward is looking pretty good. pollard-for all his haters, he must be doing something right. he is still plugging away-raising money and awareness for ISU.

optimistic 5 year-you nailed it with football. basketball would be: NIT this year, NCAA's 3 of the following 4. wbb and volleyball-sustained success, wrestling-win a national title.

expected 5 year-2-3 bowl games in football. basketball-nothing this year, NCAA's 2 of next 5. wbb and volleyball-sustained success, wrestling-top 5 finishes 4 of 5 years

Good comments and going back to the Nichols era there was a lineup that stands above where we are at this point. It was before the era of women's sports, but it will be hard to ever top the combination of Majors, John, and Nichols being in place at the same time. All three either had or were soon to have significant success on the national level. I believe that the administration would have been Parks and Stapleton who were both supportive in their positions.
 

ISUCyclone06

Well-Known Member
Oct 31, 2010
1,734
101
63
Greensboro, NC
Lets take it one year at a time. Rhoads could be hired away, Freddy could have heart issues forcing him to step away from coaching, and Pollard could decide its time to retire and enjoy life with his recent family issues. Right now we are a program on the rise and I'm going to enjoy it and be proud to be one.
 
  • Like
Reactions: swarthmoreCY

swarthmoreCY

Well-Known Member
Aug 9, 2008
16,374
736
83
Here nor there
Lets take it one year at a time. Rhoads could be hired away, Freddy could have heart issues forcing him to step away from coaching, and Pollard could decide its time to retire and enjoy life with his recent family issues. Right now we are a program on the rise and I'm going to enjoy it and be proud to be one.

There is no reason to assume any of these things are more likely here than anywhere else.
 

Cyrok

Active Member
Oct 14, 2009
694
87
28
DSM
CykoAGR:
"I think the key will be staff continuity and CPR’s ability to retain his current staff and/or replace them with competent coaches to minimize the fallout if someone does leave."


I agree this is hugely important for our football team. Are there any rumors out there about anyone leaving? Or is it too early and we have to see what happens after all the bowls. In any case, I have to believe CPR is fun to work for.
 
Last edited:

Cyrok

Active Member
Oct 14, 2009
694
87
28
DSM
Good comments and going back to the Nichols era there was a lineup that stands above where we are at this point. It was before the era of women's sports, but it will be hard to ever top the combination of Majors, John, and Nichols being in place at the same time. All three either had or were soon to have significant success on the national level. I believe that the administration would have been Parks and Stapleton who were both supportive in their positions.

That's before my time. Is that late '70's? Johnny Majors took us to a couple bowls I think. Who is John? A basketball coach? Johnny Orr came in the mid-eighties right? Finally, I know Nichols is wrestling - did he win some NC's?

Thanks for the post - it's fun to learn more here.
 

statsaholic

Well-Known Member
May 17, 2006
473
288
63
Sloan, Iowa
That's before my time. Is that late '70's? Johnny Majors took us to a couple bowls I think. Who is John? A basketball coach? Johnny Orr came in the mid-eighties right? Finally, I know Nichols is wrestling - did he win some NC's?

Thanks for the post - it's fun to learn more here.

The late Maury John .. basketball coach we hired from Drake, who was the father of belly button defense. Great potential, and then he got cancer and died. A sad day.. Another probably sad day when ISU didnt hire his assistant Gus Guydon... wont say why, but it was potentially a colorful reason.

My take on it anyway.
 

theshadow

Well-Known Member
Apr 19, 2006
17,269
15,329
113
That's before my time. Is that late '70's? Johnny Majors took us to a couple bowls I think. Who is John? A basketball coach? Johnny Orr came in the mid-eighties right? Finally, I know Nichols is wrestling - did he win some NC's?

Thanks for the post - it's fun to learn more here.

Those three were at ISU together for 2 years: 71-72 and 72-73.

1971-72:
Johnny Majors, Football - Sun Bowl (first bowl in school history)
Maury John, Basketball - 12-14/5-9 in first season (ISU was 5-21/2-12 the year before)
Harold Nichols, Wrestling - National Champs (3rd title in four years - 69, 70, 72)

1972-73:
Football - Liberty Bowl
Basketball - 16-10/7-7
Wrestling - National Champs (4th title in five years)
 

Stormin

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
44,412
12,614
113
Good comments and going back to the Nichols era there was a lineup that stands above where we are at this point. It was before the era of women's sports, but it will be hard to ever top the combination of Majors, John, and Nichols being in place at the same time. All three either had or were soon to have significant success on the national level. I believe that the administration would have been Parks and Stapleton who were both supportive in their positions.

Great group. Unfortunately we couldn't keep them together. As you mentioned, Maury John died of cancer, Majors left for Pitt and won a national championship, Nichols stayed on longer but Gable wouldn't wait and started his dynasty at Iowa.

A bit of trivia. ISU has had 3 Head Football Coaches leave ISU and ultimately take (or will take) their teams to Bowl Games where they played for the National Championship.

Johnny Majors (Pitt), Earle Bruce (Ohio State), Gene Chizik (Auburn)
 

theshadow

Well-Known Member
Apr 19, 2006
17,269
15,329
113
A bit of trivia. ISU has had 3 Head Football Coaches leave ISU and ultimately take (or will take) their teams to Bowl Games where they played for the National Championship.

Johnny Majors (Pitt), Earle Bruce (Ohio State), Gene Chizik (Auburn)

3 more if you add assistants...
Mack Brown (Texas)
Jimmy Johnson (Miami)
Pete Carroll (USC)