Favorite for OC job

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cygrads

Well-Known Member
Jul 27, 2007
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Altoona, IA
I bet Klenakis is on the short list, but I don't expect an announcement to come from CPR until the midst of or after the bowl season because the other guys on the short list are still coaching for their current teams. Just my guess.

KU Just hired Rice's OC and Rice is going to a bowl game - not sure CPR needs to wait.
 

DuckDynastyCy

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2013
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Nashville, TN
KU Just hired Rice's OC and Rice is going to a bowl game - not sure CPR needs to wait.

It may be that the ISU Administration (ie Jamie) and the President are more involved in ok'ing this hire to make sure we get the right guy and that is taking more time? I think Jamie understands how important this hire is to the ISU Athletic Department as a whole.
 

jbindm

Well-Known Member
Dec 2, 2010
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Des Moines
KU Just hired Rice's OC and Rice is going to a bowl game - not sure CPR needs to wait.

Fair point. I don't really know how the hiring game works at the collegiate level. Is it like the nfl where teams have to seek permission from the coach's current team for an interview or is it up to each program's head coach whether or not to allow their staff to interview for other jobs during the season?
 

Stormin

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Apr 11, 2006
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We all need to remember Klenakis's resume is much more impressive then Mess's was when he was promoted from within.

Very true. I am wanting someone new. But if Klenakis is named OC I would not object.
 

Wesley

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Apr 12, 2006
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Omaha
I agree, the fact that this hasn't been already announced may be because a decision has not been made. Otherwise, why not announce it so current verbals can be reassured? I'm also not sure that telling a recruit that we intend to continue having a similar offense automatically means coach K will he the new OC. He may just be assuring the recruit that Rhoads intends to hire someone who has a similar offensive philosophy.

Maybe Paul is seeing who might want to come and, if not, go in house.
 

Tedcyclone

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Oct 27, 2009
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West Des Moines
I dont need to be excited by the name, or the perceived ability that they would have to turn our offense around.
I just want to be happy once they take the field next fall. CPR wont get a pass on this higher, this time. So dont worry about it, hell do what he thinks is best.
 

berther48

Active Member
Jul 10, 2009
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I think the OC position is very important, Jamie Pollard and Paul know that the future of Cyclone football depends on turning the corner NOW not years from now. I think Jamie is off interviewing, contacting people Paul wants. Paul is going after recruits that he needs, Jamie is setting up the interviews for next week. Jamie wasn't on Applebee's program, was he at the UNI game, didn't see him there. That was a big game, big event and no Pollard? He is off some where getting us an OC. The interest in ISU started with Paul, then Fred comes along , added to Bill and Christy, cyclone athletics looking good. He knows the importance of the FB season bouncing back NEXT season.
This hire will affect ISU for the next 3 years at least. I feel confident that they will bring us the best then can, maybe thats coach K or some one new but we will know soon.
 

AuH2O

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Sep 7, 2013
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I understand what you are saying, but I still look at Coach K as a new guy with us since 2013 was his first year with us. I also don't think he had much influence on the 2013 offense other than trying to figure out how to make 3rd string OLmen block.

I agree, he really is new blood. He also has proven success. I would prefer a big splash hire from the outside, but judging Klenakis on his ability to coach an injury-decimated squad that he didn't recruit or develop isn't right.
 

clonedude

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Apr 16, 2006
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I've been thinking to myself that whoever they hired as the OC would probably have to be told they will need to run the Pistol offense to work with what Klenakis has been teaching our OL. I think the Pistol is the direction Rhoads wants to go in. It doesn't work when your OC isn't on the same page as your OL coach and vice versa.

We have no identity on offense. It was Mess's offense, with some of Coach K's Pistol sprinkled in from time to time, and also some of Sturdy's ideas too possibly. It truly was a Mess. I think Rhoads wants to go full bore to the Pistol. But I think it's probably a big turn off for these potential OC candidates to be told what to do by Rhoads and Coach K. They want to come in and be given total control and do it their way, which you can't blame them.

So if it is Coach K, it might be more of a default hire IMO. If you can't find someone willing to come in and run what you want them to in order to fit in with what the OL is being taught, then just promote the OL coach to OC and run it the way you want.

I do agree with many on here that if Klenakis wasn't already on the staff, everyone would be VERY excited about him being hired IMO. Bringing the Pistol that Nevada ran with Kaepernick would be exciting news. So in that sense, it's not that bad of an idea.

To those that wonder why Coach K wasn't handed the job midseason, at that point I'm not sure it would have mattered much? You can't overhaul your offense midseason. We'd still be stuck with the same playbook. So what would be the point really?

My biggest concern about Coach K and the Pistol though is the read option QB run part. I do NOT want to see Sam or Grant running the read option next year. I'm sick of our QBs being banged up all the time from taking a beating every game. I think you can run the Pistol without the QB running the ball though. It can be done. I hope that's where we would go with it.
 

Luth4Cy

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Sep 19, 2012
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It really shouldn't be a big deal to tell a new OC you want to run a spread offense and have some formations in the pistol.
 

DuckDynastyCy

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2013
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Nashville, TN
I've been thinking to myself that whoever they hired as the OC would probably have to be told they will need to run the Pistol offense to work with what Klenakis has been teaching our OL. I think the Pistol is the direction Rhoads wants to go in. It doesn't work when your OC isn't on the same page as your OL coach and vice versa.

We have no identity on offense. It was Mess's offense, with some of Coach K's Pistol sprinkled in from time to time, and also some of Sturdy's ideas too possibly. It truly was a Mess. I think Rhoads wants to go full bore to the Pistol. But I think it's probably a big turn off for these potential OC candidates to be told what to do by Rhoads and Coach K. They want to come in and be given total control and do it their way, which you can't blame them.

So if it is Coach K, it might be more of a default hire IMO. If you can't find someone willing to come in and run what you want them to in order to fit in with what the OL is being taught, then just promote the OL coach to OC and run it the way you want.

I do agree with many on here that if Klenakis wasn't already on the staff, everyone would be VERY excited about him being hired IMO. Bringing the Pistol that Nevada ran with Kaepernick would be exciting news. So in that sense, it's not that bad of an idea.

To those that wonder why Coach K wasn't handed the job midseason, at that point I'm not sure it would have mattered much? You can't overhaul your offense midseason. We'd still be stuck with the same playbook. So what would be the point really?

My biggest concern about Coach K and the Pistol though is the read option QB run part. I do NOT want to see Sam or Grant running the read option next year. I'm sick of our QBs being banged up all the time from taking a beating every game. I think you can run the Pistol without the QB running the ball though. It can be done. I hope that's where we would go with it.

Question: Why would we hire an OC to run an offense that Klenakis invented?
 

Rods79

Well-Known Member
Nov 27, 2006
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Des Moines
To those that wonder why Coach K wasn't handed the job midseason, at that point I'm not sure it would have mattered much? You can't overhaul your offense midseason. We'd still be stuck with the same playbook. So what would be the point really?

Seriously? The situational play-calling this year was a disaster. Potential halftime 'adjustments' were a disaster. The gameplans and first series of scripted plays were a disaster. You had the whole defense right up on the line because of our play-calling the entire year, exposing the injured oline, because you wouldn't take shots down the field when they were there to loosen them up. A new play-caller would have done a lot, because it almost couldn't get any worse. And if any of that had Kelankis' fingerprints on it...I'm not sure this is the right move.
 

clonedude

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2006
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Question: Why would we hire an OC to run an offense that Klenakis invented?

That's basically the entire point of my post. To those that would hate this hire, you have to ask yourself... if we were going to the Pistol anyway because that's what the OL is being taught, why not hire the guy who was partially responsible for inventing it? Who else would be better qualified?

So if Rhoads had already pre-determined that he wanted to go full bore with the Pistol, then who better to hire than Coach K?

Now... whether or not going to the Pistol is what we should be doing, that's up for debate. But if it is, then by default you just go with Coach K IMO.
 

swarthmoreCY

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Aug 9, 2008
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Here nor there
It could be the best move. If this was Dec 2012 I would be fairly impressed with the hire. Now you can hire him after he has had a year to learn the players, conference, and our problems. The first thing anyone new at a job must do is to learn what is not working. Hopefully he has a long list.

I will say it is also concerning, as this offense has deep rooted issues. Systemic problems. When removing dead tissue, you better get all of it, otherwise you will be doing the same procedure again. We have had a flawed way of thinking. Is hiring from within enough to change that?
 

clonedude

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2006
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Seriously? The situational play-calling this year was a disaster. Potential halftime 'adjustments' were a disaster. The gameplans and first series of scripted plays were a disaster. You had the whole defense right up on the line because of our play-calling the entire year, exposing the injured oline, because you wouldn't take shots down the field when they were there to loosen them up. A new play-caller would have done a lot, because it almost couldn't get any worse. And if any of that had Kelankis' fingerprints on it...I'm not sure this is the right move.

I do agree with you. The lack of calls to beat the blitz and to beat a defense with all 11 guys within 10 yds of the line of scrimmage was ridiculous. We only threw the ball downfield this year when we got down BIG. Against Iowa in the 4th quarter, and against WV after we got down 31-7. And it worked both times.

Maybe having Coach K call the plays would have helped? I guess it couldn't have hurt. I just fear that Coach K probably loves the read option since Kaepernick was so good at it. That part scares me to death. Sam and Grant are no Colin Kaepernick. Maybe this Darius Lee-Campbell is though. But I doubt if he comes in and starts as a true freshman.
 

SwirlingFloater

Active Member
Dec 19, 2008
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West Des Moines
I like Coach K's intensity and I like how much experience he has.

I think if Coach K is the new OC it gives us a chance to upgrade our recruiting. I am not sure how strong Messingham, Pope and Bleil are/were on the recruiting trail. They are all good guys, but I feel like having young dynamic coaches like Sage and/or Austin Flynn would be major upgrade on the recruiting side of things.

If Coach K is the man, would love to see Sage as QB coach and Austin as RB coach.
 

clonedude

Well-Known Member
Apr 16, 2006
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It could be the best move. If this was Dec 2012 I would be fairly impressed with the hire. Now you can hire him after he has had a year to learn the players, conference, and our problems. The first thing anyone new at a job must do is to learn what is not working. Hopefully he has a long list.

I will say it is also concerning, as this offense has deep rooted issues. Systemic problems. When removing dead tissue, you better get all of it, otherwise you will be doing the same procedure again. We have had a flawed way of thinking. Is hiring from within enough to change that?

Great post! This will be the number one question with this hire, if it's true. And I think it's also what Pollard is most concerned with as well.

This offense has some deep rooted issues to fix. Is promoting from within, even if it's only a guy that's been here a year, enough to change this thing around? Coach K had better have a long list of things he would change from this year, or else it's a really bad hire IMO.
 

SpokaneCY

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Apr 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
I bet Klenakis is on the short list, but I don't expect an announcement to come from CPR until the midst of or after the bowl season because the other guys on the short list are still coaching for their current teams. Just my guess.

No validity to this statement at all. All CPR has to do is contact (courtesy) the AD and ask for permission. Any time of the season. Take a spin and you'll see LOTS of coaches have already switched jobs regardless of whether their teams are bowling or not.