Pollard and blame

[GWad]

It seems from comments in and around JTS that the majority of Iowa State fans don't feel that Pollard has any accountability in the failure of the football program. However, the nine years of JP's leadership have yielded one of the worst football records in school history, (at a school with a very poor FB history). Even tho' JP did the hiring, I don't agree that he should bear the brunt of the blame. I argue that JP has basically given CPR everything he has asked for and needed to succeed (and than some,....e.g. SEZ). I believe CPR's mistakes have mounted up and he must accept the lion's share of the blame.
I wonder what others think??

 

[Luth4Cy]

JP made a hire that went to three bowl games in his first four years before recent struggles. Hiring Rhoads was by no means a bad hire, IMO. JP's biggest mistake was giving Rhoads a ten year contract.

I understand why some people don't like JP, but in all seriousness I think he's been an excellent AD.

 

[CycloneErik]

JP has a whole lot of good accomplishments here at ISU. He's earned the right to be shielded from intense blame on this one.

 

[jsb]

I am consistently amazed that so many people forget that 3 out of 6 years, Rhoads has made it to a bowl game. That is not all bad.

I suspect that no other coach with more than 3 years at Iowa State has done that either.

 

[CyCloned]

It seems from comments in and around JTS that the majority of Iowa State fans don't feel that Pollard has any accountability in the failure of the football program. However, the nine years of JP's leadership have yielded one of the worst football records in school history, (at a school with a very poor FB history). Even tho' JP did the hiring, I don't agree that he should bear the brunt of the blame. I argue that JP has basically given CPR everything he has asked for and needed to succeed (and than some,....e.g. SEZ). I believe CPR's mistakes have mounted up and he must accept the lion's share of the blame.
I wonder what others think??

A lot of the failure with the football team has come from the round robin schedule in the 10 team big 12. There are only a couple bad teams in the conference, and ISU is one of them. With only three non-conference games and one of those being Iowa, it is going to continue to be hard for ISU to get to 6-7 wins. If you look to the team to the east, they will likely make it through the entire season and only play one ranked team. ISU has already played 4, with 2 more to come. Who you play does make a difference, and CPR, or whomever replaces him will need to figure out a way to elevate ISU to a higher level, and it will not be easy.

 

[CycloneErik]

I am consistently amazed that so many people forget that 3 out of 6 years, Rhoads has made it to a bowl game. That is not all bad.

I suspect that no other coach with more than 3 years at Iowa State has done that either.

That was a good stat when it was 3 out of 4. Now that going to a bowl game really doesn't take what it did back when other coaches had the job, 2 straight years without a bowl is a very bad performance.

 

[KnappShack]

Wait. We're blaming JP now? I thought we were blaming Leath and Chris Williams for this sorry, no account football program.

I'm going to blame Cy next. He has to have blood on his hands too

 

[Luth4Cy]

That was a good stat when it was 3 out of 4. Now that going to a bowl game really doesn't take what it did back when other coaches had the job, 2 straight years without a bowl is a very bad performance.

Even Majors and Bruce didn't have Rhoads record over their first three seasons though, and Majors came into a better situation than Rhoads did.

Not saying Rhoads should be our coach in the future, but it's not like the guy had no accomplishments.

 

[jdoggivjc]

I am consistently amazed that so many people forget that 3 out of 7 years, Rhoads has made it to a bowl game. That is not all bad.

I suspect that no other coach with more than 3 years at Iowa State has done that either.

Edited for next year.

I am consistently amazed that so many people forget that 3 out of 8 years, Rhoads has made it to a bowl game. That is not all bad.

I suspect that no other coach with more than 3 years at Iowa State has done that either.

Edited for the following year

I am consistently amazed that so many people forget that 3 out of 9 years, Rhoads has made it to a bowl game. That is not all bad.

I suspect that no other coach with more than 3 years at Iowa State has done that either.

Edited for the year after that.

 

[CycloneErik]

Even Majors and Bruce didn't have Rhoads record over their first three seasons though, and Majors came into a better situation than Rhoads did.

Not saying Rhoads should be our coach in the future, but it's not like the guy had no accomplishments.

He did have good accomplishments early on. Apparently, the situation wasn't that bad, and the cupboard wasn't that bare. Rhoads came in with enough guys to get some wins, and built a program that doesn't have enough talent to get some wins.

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

I am consistently amazed that so many people forget that 3 out of 6 years, Rhoads has made it to a bowl game. That is not all bad.

I suspect that no other coach with more than 3 years at Iowa State has done that either.

6-6 3 out of 4 years sounds mediocre. But I guess mediocre is better than anything the last two seasons.

 

[Luth4Cy]

6-6 3 out of 4 years sounds mediocre. But I guess mediocre is better than anything the last two seasons.

At Iowa State making a bowl, any bowl, is a success. Especially in the early seasons for a new coach.

 

[Spam]

I am consistently amazed that so many people forget that 3 out of 6 years, Rhoads has made it to a bowl game. That is not all bad.

I suspect that no other coach with more than 3 years at Iowa State has done that either.

Didn't Danny Mac make a bowl game 5 out of 6 years at one point? And 5 out of the last 7 when we fired him

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Even Majors and Bruce didn't have Rhoads record over their first three seasons though, and Majors came into a better situation than Rhoads did.

Not saying Rhoads should be our coach in the future, but it's not like the guy had no accomplishments.

Bruce came into a better situation, but by Year 4-6 Bruce won 8 games each year.

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

At Iowa State making a bowl, any bowl, is a success. Especially in the early seasons for a new coach.

Totally agree. His issues started when they fell off the face of the earth before the Tulsa bowl game. This is some of the worst football I have ever seen and I saw the Walden years. Ever since Pollard has been here there is no doubt the product on the field has been bad.

 

[heitclone]

While fans consider success based on W/L's, to the AD there is nothing even remotely resembling failure. JP's success or failure is gauged by $, facility upgrades, tickets sales etc. By those standards the ISU football program is an overwhelming success, as has JP's time as AD.

 

[Luth4Cy]

Bruce came into a better situation, but by Year 4-6 Bruce won 8 games each year.

I'm well aware of that, but my point wasn't that Rhoads was an equal to Bruce, just that he did have his fair share of success and we should at least acknowledge that rather than just bashing him.

 

[Go2Guy]

If JP fires PR and hires a new coach, I wonder if any BCS AD has had the opportunity to hire (3) football coaches at one school?

 

[Luth4Cy]

Totally agree. His issues started when they fell off the face of the earth before the Tulsa bowl game. This is some of the worst football I have ever seen and I saw the Walden years. Ever since Pollard has been here there is no doubt the product on the field has been bad.

The product was bad long before Pollard was here. And even then he did still hire a coach who went to bowl games, which is something a lot of former ADs were unable to accomplish.

 

[alarson]

I am consistently amazed that so many people forget that 3 out of 6 years, Rhoads has made it to a bowl game. That is not all bad.

I suspect that no other coach with more than 3 years at Iowa State has done that either.

But we are now close to finishing the second year where we will not make a bowl or even be anywhere close most likely.

I think its also worth noting that the last bowl we went to was an unmitigated disaster that capped off a pretty terrible end of season stretch where we lost 4 of our last 5 and 6 of our last 8 games, with one of those wins in both cases being kansas and the other being Baylor when they were in the middle of a losing streak as well that year. So while we made a bowl game that year im not sure i'd call it much of an accomplishment.