Fran is a pretty smart guy, and he is not a bad coach. His demeanor, recruiting, and decision making down the stretches of games has prevented him from being considered elite.
He has actually hurt his team over and over with his rage. i don't think it is an act, I think he is genuinely angry. The fact that he passes on responsibility for his actions should be a red flag too.
As far as recruiting, there is no way that he ever thought it would be as tough as it has been at Iowa. Unless you are Cal, you are never going to get everyone you want, but they have been reduced to 7-8 choices in recruits where a mediocre iowa is the kid's best offer.
As far as his coaching goes, just how many times can you lose games the same way?