Just imagine looking at Iowa State and TJO this offseason as an outsider...
-- team *sucks* last year, locker room/culture/reputation a smoldering crater at this point
-- the few decent players (mostly Bolton and Coleman-Lands) leave
-- basically everybody else (none of which were any good anyways) leave, only a few scrubs left
-- bring in this mid-major guy who was okay but certainly not outstanding in Brookings and Paradise
-- keeps one assistant from the hated previous administration, brings in well-regarded assistants from the MVC and MWC to fill out the coaching staff but neither with high-major qualifications
-- cobbles together a roster from the scrap heap, mostly high-major guys at least but none of them were really "the guy" or a star on their teams... looks to be a team full of adequate role players
Brockington = Penn State
Kalscheur = Minnesota
Kunc = Washington State
Grill = Iowa State by way of UNLV
Enaruna = Kansas
-- roster lacks star power and offensive punch, looks to be overmatched on talent and continuity
-- does inherit and manage to keep a highly-rated PG recruit, though the depleted roster means that young PG is probably going to have to play a larger role than you would ideally want
-- the other highly-touted recruit inherited is kicked off the team
-- a few other guys (not very good ones, probably) kicked off the team/quit before the first game
-- playing both a tough non-con and in one of the most difficult conferences of all-time
Despite all this, TJO has this team in excellent shape to make the NCAA tournament with a single-digit seed. It is not likely, but Iowa State has a decent chance of making a run at the conference title.
I can imagine being a fan of another program and seeing this and wondering why can't we do that. If TJO can pull a worst-to-first Major League turnaround in the Big 12, why can't we do the same?
We should step back and admire this. What TJO has done is mesmerizing this season.
Reminds me of the SEC fans I know who always wanted their coach fired because "Kirby smart almost won a national title in his second year, why can't we do the same thing at our school?"
Well, duh -- your new coach isn't Kirby Smart. Your new coach is going to have to beat Kirby Smart and Nick Saban. And Georgia is probably the best or second-best coaching job in the SEC.
What produced this instant success is a confluence of circumstances unlikely to repeat.