CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: Hawkinole on January 07, 2020, 11:46:56 PM
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Geno Stone, Iowa's second team All Big Ten safety from New Castle, Pennsylvania declared for the NFL draft. Iowa's defensive backfield plays lights out, but I don't think Geno Stone was the best cover person in the defensive backfield. That honor I bestow upon CB Michael Ojemudia who is a graduating senior and came in as a 2-star recruit.
There are holes to fill in 2020 in the defensive backfield.
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Oh my, an even bigger defection. Peyton Mansell, the 2018 Iowa backup QB entered the transfer portal. So 2019 backup QB Spencer Petras will almost definitely be the starting QB in 2020.
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I believe Mansell has family back in Texas and wants to be closer to home. My guess is that he goes to an FCS or G5 school (SMU or North Texas are probably good options), but there might be an outside chance he ends up at a school like Texas Tech (it worked for Nic Shimonek).
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I believe Mansell has family back in Texas and wants to be closer to home. My guess is that he goes to an FCS or G5 school (SMU or North Texas are probably good options), but there might be an outside chance he ends up at a school like Texas Tech (it worked for Nic Shimonek).
His wife is a pitcher for Baylor. IIRC he was a 4* recruit so my guess he will land someplace decent. He also could be graduating this spring so he may leave with two years eligibility and not have to sit out a year.
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It appears Mansell is heading to Abilene Christian. I didn't check ESPN, but Mansell was a mid-3 star recruit by the main services coming out of HS.
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Interesting. Abilene Christian is an FCS school that went 5-7 a year ago. Their starting QB is Luke Anthony, a junior, who was a 2-star recruit per 24/7. Not sure why Mansell would transfer to a school who as a returning starting QB. Perhaps it is not all about football.
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Epenesa and Wirfs officially declare.
Toren Young also for forgoing senior year. Unexpected, but I get it it. UDFA junior RB with a degree vs UDFA senior RB with a degree. Not much reason for him to stay.
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Interesting. Abilene Christian is an FCS school that went 5-7 a year ago. Their starting QB is Luke Anthony, a junior, who was a 2-star recruit per 24/7. Not sure why Mansell would transfer to a school who as a returning starting QB. Perhaps it is not all about football.
Last year's starter at ACU, Luke Athony, has announced he is transferring. But the Backup QB at ACU saw a lot of action as a dual threat running QB, so there is still no guarantee that Mansell will be the starter next year.
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Toren Young also for forgoing senior year. Unexpected, but I get it it. UDFA junior RB with a degree vs UDFA senior RB with a degree. Not much reason for him to stay.
I am from Iowa. I would have stuck it out at Iowa.
Toren Young is a slasher. He had one long run this season. Toren has great foot speed from 0 to 10-yards, but he was slow at wide open in the field. I wish him luck. I wished he had stayed. He could have contributed in 2020 on short yardage plays.
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Last year's starter at ACU, Luke Athony, has announced he is transferring. But the Backup QB at ACU saw a lot of action as a dual threat running QB, so there is still no guarantee that Mansell will be the starter next year.
Thanks for this. I didn't know Luke Anthony was transferring.
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I am from Iowa. I would have stuck it out at Iowa.
Toren Young is a slasher. He had one long run this season. Toren has great foot speed from 0 to 10-yards, but he was slow at wide open in the field. I wish him luck. I wished he had stayed. He could have contributed in 2020 on short yardage plays.
Not that it really matters, but that only solidifies Goodson as the #1 back, but it might make Byrd the #2 back. He's a Thompson High School graduate (Alabaster AL), which coincidentally is the school system my daughter attends. I'll be pulling hard for him.
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Not that it really matters, but that only solidifies Goodson as the #1 back, but it might make Byrd the #2 back. He's a Thompson High School graduate (Alabaster AL), which coincidentally is the school system my daughter attends. I'll be pulling hard for him.
I would think Mekhi Sargent remains the #2, at least to start the season. Hard to say where Ivory Kelly-Martin is at in the big picture.
Selfishly, I'm sad to see Young go. I liked Goodson and Young as a 1-2 combo.
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Toren Young is a slasher. He had one long run this season. Toren has great foot speed from 0 to 10-yards, but he was slow at wide open in the field. I wish him luck. I wished he had stayed. He could have contributed in 2020 on short yardage plays.
What is really surprising tho, is he is declaring for the draft not transferring to another school.
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Iowa lands grad transfer Coy Cronk. He'll help fill the giant hole left by Tristan Wirfs, and help solidify OL. With the addition, Kallenberger likely stays at LG instead of moving out to RT, and they just need to find some consistency/health at RG.
Question marks remain at MLB and overall DL depth
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I studied up on Coy Cronk today. If he makes a good recovery from his injury I think this will be quite an acquisition. He will only have a few months in the Iowa strength and conditioning program. Every indication is that Cronk was a beloved teammate, and well-liked by Coach Allen.
I'd like to know what the thought process is that led him to leave Indiana. I am a bit cynical about this relating to finding the best school to pursue graduate studies. I am guessing they think this is a better path to the NFL, but I didn't see that discussed in any articles either.
His dad is making all the announcements about his son entering the transfer portal, and then later when he is accepted at Iowa.
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perhaps his father wasn't well liked by Coach Allen
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I'd like to know what the thought process is that led him to leave Indiana. I am a bit cynical about this relating to finding the best school to pursue graduate studies. I am guessing they think this is a better path to the NFL, but I didn't see that discussed in any articles either.
There's a lot of message board chatter out there and a grain of salt should be applied where needed, but it's pretty well established he left Indiana because they asked him to move to G after starting 40 games at LT.
For that reason, I was a bit shocked to see him land at Iowa because I know the staff wouldn't promise him the starting RT spot, and I don't think they'd promise trying him exclusively at T.
He's an NFL talent right now, without further development from Iowa. However, he does have an opportunity to raise his draft stock. His NFL future is at G. Seemingly everyone knows that except Coy? Maybe he knows it, too.
Next year's OL is yet to be known, but I'm not entirely sure Cronk's addition changes the fact that everything hinges on Kallenberger. He's still projected at LT in 2021, IMO, and if he can handle RT this year the staff needs to give him those reps. That would move Cronk to LG. If Cronk is far and away better at RT than Kallenberger, leave him at LG.
So we're looking at:
LT - Jackson
LG - Cronk
C - Linderbaum
RG - Schott / Banwart
RT - Kallenberger
or
LT - Jackson
LG - Kallenberger
C - Linderbaum
RG - Schott / Banwart
RT - Cronk
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A review of the Holiday Bowl from the standpoint of USC by someone whose appearance reflects even more experience than my own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iwA5c-YSmg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iwA5c-YSmg)
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what in the hell is going on at Iowa right now? Lots of former black players coming out against Ferentz and the program.
https://www.goiowaawesome.com/iowa-hawkeyes-football/2020/06/4820/former-players-speak-about-the-culture-of-iowa-football-program-and-the-treatment-of-black-players
https://saturdaytradition.com/iowa-football/former-hawkeyes-speak-on-racial-disparities-in-iowa-football-program/
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Chris Doyle placed on administrative leave. Iowa football players now allowed to use twitter. Ferentz trying to save face.
https://twitter.com/IowaAwesome/status/1269481550137221121?s=20
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https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-football/former-players-have-spoken-and-hawkeye-football-has-been-rocked-20200606 (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-football/former-players-have-spoken-and-hawkeye-football-has-been-rocked-20200606)
"Over the last 10 years, about three-fourths of Iowa’s team captains have been white while only about half the starters were. About half of the Hawkeyes’ NFL draftees in that time have been African Americans. Were more of them worthy of captainship, I wondered, but never asked. It would have been uncomfortable.
For the last eight years, Iowa has put the name of a former Hawkeye on its ANF Wall of Honor in Kinnick Stadium. Each honoree has been white. Obviously, one of Iowa’s recruiting areas is Midwestern farm kids, and they’re white.
But couldn’t there be something for balance, something to celebrate African Americans from the program who have gone out and made the world a little better? There is no shortage of great candidates. I’ve never asked anyone at Iowa, and have had the platform to do so."
Interesting column
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But couldn’t there be something for balance, something to celebrate African Americans from the program who have gone out and made the world a little better? There is no shortage of great candidates. I’ve never asked anyone at Iowa, and have had the platform to do so."
Interesting column
Rob Howe with Hawkeyenation.com is a very respected journalist for Hawkeye sports. He has a very interesting take in his article Howe: Iowa Football Must Address Former Players Speaking Out (https://www.hawkeyenation.com/opinion/howe-iowa-football-must-address-former-players-speaking-out) that may answer your question and it has a lot to do with attrition.
As a journalist covering the program for the last 23 years, I should have done more. I could have asked why Iowa brought in 49 black players on scholarship in the four recruiting classes from 2015-2018 and 19 of them transferred, but only four of 40 white players left for reasons other than academics, discipline or injury. The numbers here did not include original walk-ons.
In the ’15 class, Iowa brought in nine back athletes. All but James Daniels and Michael Ojemudia left. Of the 12 white players in the recruiting cycle, none left for reasons other than injury, academics or personal reasons before graduating.
Maybe there’s reason for these lopsided statistics. I will ask the next time I’m given the opportunity.
Now, there may be a lot of other factors involved in the transfers of the black athletes that is not about race but the disparity should be noted. Most Iowa, as well as non-Iowa, fans were like him and didn't notice. The overall opinion is KF runs a respectful program. Still, with James Daniels starting the trend, I would be shocked if Iowa is the only program with this problem and I bet more across the nation will bring attention about other programs.
If you look through the tweets you will see many are not calling for anyone to be fired, especially those who credit Chris Doyle for preparing them for the NFL. Most are actually saying KF is not the problem and one tweet from Kevin Ward mentioned that KF noticed an issue with the attrition rates and has been working to fix it. What that means and what he actually knows is not known as of now but I am sure it will come out.
I do think the plan he is putting together is in the right direction. Having a diverse committee of current and former players is a good start. I am not sure what they can solve but even if they bring awareness, it will help. I do think KF is someone who would be respectful to the committee and their conversations. I believe he would do what he can to fix the issue.
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with all this going on (and I will admit I am not close to the Iowa program) does this affect Kirk and his position?
Does he hang it up instead of fighting through? How long does Kirk plan on coaching? Is he another JoePa? where he wants to stay until the bitter end?
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what in the hell is going on at Iowa right now? Lots of former black players coming out against Ferentz and the program.
https://www.goiowaawesome.com/iowa-hawkeyes-football/2020/06/4820/former-players-speak-about-the-culture-of-iowa-football-program-and-the-treatment-of-black-players
https://saturdaytradition.com/iowa-football/former-hawkeyes-speak-on-racial-disparities-in-iowa-football-program/
The overwhelming majority of the comments are about strength coach Chris Doyle and the culture set in the weight room, and many even go out of their way to exclude KF from their complaint. So no, they're not coming out against Ferentz.
That said, Doyle has been with KF at Iowa since Day 1, so Kirk is ultimately responsible for Doyle's actions and culture.
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Now, there may be a lot of other factors involved in the transfers of the black athletes that is not about race but the disparity should be noted. Most Iowa, as well as non-Iowa, fans were like him and didn't notice. The overall opinion is KF runs a respectful program. Still, with James Daniels starting the trend, I would be shocked if Iowa is the only program with this problem and I bet more across the nation will bring attention about other programs.
If you look through the tweets you will see many are not calling for anyone to be fired, especially those who credit Chris Doyle for preparing them for the NFL. Most are actually saying KF is not the problem and one tweet from Kevin Ward mentioned that KF noticed an issue with the attrition rates and has been working to fix it. What that means and what he actually knows is not known as of now but I am sure it will come out.
I do think the plan he is putting together is in the right direction. Having a diverse committee of current and former players is a good start. I am not sure what they can solve but even if they bring awareness, it will help. I do think KF is someone who would be respectful to the committee and their conversations. I believe he would do what he can to fix the issue.
This strikes me as a correlation/causation question, perhaps less to say it's not about race, but it might not be about the Iowa football culture when it comes to race.
IC is 80 percent white. The school is 3.3 percent black. The state is 90 percent white. That means you have young people coming from farther away, moving from situations where they see a lot of people who look like them to situations where they see almost none outside the football building. In that case, I'm not so surprised at that attrition. (I wouldn't be surprised if UW looked similar in terms of attrition makeup)
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Rob Howe with Hawkeyenation.com is a very respected journalist for Hawkeye sports.
I would say he's arguably the least respected journalist covering Iowa Football. It's a neck-and-neck race between him and Pat Harty.
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with all this going on (and I will admit I am not close to the Iowa program) does this affect Kirk and his position?
Does he hang it up instead of fighting through? How long does Kirk plan on coaching? Is he another JoePa? where he wants to stay until the bitter end?
Hard to say because the situation is evolving so quickly.
Knowing what we know right now, I'd (sadly but not surprisingly) say it's the big money boosters that decide his fate. Not the AD, not the president, not the Board of Regents, and not Kirk himself.
I think I can safely say Doyle is done. How will KF handle that? He may retire out of protest, but I'm leaning toward not. I don't think he'll allow his legacy to be defined by that.
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How was Doyle not sacked after the rhabdo fiasco?
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How was Doyle not sacked after the rhabdo fiasco?
I believe the official answer was that they had done that exact workout dozens of times without incident; they had just never done as the first workout back from break. The result was that the workout was retired.
As we know, Doyle wasn't fired. He wasn't suspended. What you may not know is that Kirk created a new award that year, Assistant Coach of the Year, and gave it to Doyle.
Depending on how you look at it, that move could have been to show his support for Doyle, or it could have been a figurative middle finger to the media calling for his Doyle's head.
I've got a feeling Kirk will be a little less stubborn this time around.
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I would say he's arguably the least respected journalist covering Iowa Football. It's a neck-and-neck race between him and Pat Harty.
I've worked with him before in a now disbanded website I used to moderate. The articles he wrote for us always had the most traffic and he does get first hand information regularly. Now, I don't follow his recruiting stuff because I don't pay attention to that but many do. Everyone I have talked to...well almost everyone...has echoed my comment. Maybe highly respected was the wrong term but he definitely has a large following.
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This strikes me as a correlation/causation question, perhaps less to say it's not about race, but it might not be about the Iowa football culture when it comes to race.
IC is 80 percent white. The school is 3.3 percent black. The state is 90 percent white. That means you have young people coming from farther away, moving from situations where they see a lot of people who look like them to situations where they see almost none outside the football building. In that case, I'm not so surprised at that attrition. (I wouldn't be surprised if UW looked similar in terms of attrition makeup)
So yeah, it is but it isn't or it could be :smiley_confused1:.
I think you are correct in the demographics and there is probably a perception is reality scenario as well. This may be something the committee will review. Figure out how to make some kid from FL fit in and not feel like such an outsider while away from the field. Still, a safe place should be the weight room and if those perceptions are a reality, then the change needs to start there. Still would have to balance the treatment towards equal and hopefully doesn't become special treatment. I think that would have just as much of a negative effect if they go to far out of their way to make the positive changes and it almost comes off as condescending or pity.
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I reeeeally don't think this is an issue specific to Iowa. I'm sure that dirt can be dug up for the other 130-ish FBS teams without having to dig too deeply.
This seemed to have started when KF was interviewed by Scott Van Pelt regarding the George Floyd incident, and afterwards several former players spoke out about how things weren't as hunky-dory as most folks not immediately connected to the program thought it would be.
This is in all likelihood just the tip of the iceberg. More players from more schools are probably going to speak out in the coming weeks.
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I reeeeally don't think this is an issue specific to Iowa. I'm sure that dirt can be dug up for the other 130-ish FBS teams without having to dig too deeply.
This seemed to have started when KF was interviewed by Scott Van Pelt regarding the George Floyd incident, and afterwards several former players spoke out about how things weren't as hunky-dory as most folks not immediately connected to the program thought it would be.
This is in all likelihood just the tip of the iceberg. More players from more schools are probably going to speak out in the coming weeks.
Fully agree and in one of James Daniels' tweets said that he hoped this opened the door for others across the nation. I also think KF's plan of the committee looking at the entire culture and not just athletics will spread throughout the nation. Maybe even to the point that some conferences will require something similar.
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Fully agree and in one of James Daniels' tweets said that he hoped this opened the door for others across the nation. I also think KF's plan of the committee looking at the entire culture and not just athletics will spread throughout the nation. Maybe even to the point that some conferences will require something similar.
You're hard-pressed to find a program that emphasizes accountability and integrity more than Iowa. These accusations are eye-opening for sure, but I also don't think KF is going to sit and watch. He'll do whatever he can to make everyone's experience better.
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Next year's OL is yet to be known, but I'm not entirely sure Cronk's addition changes the fact that everything hinges on [Mark] Kallenberger. He's still projected at LT in 2021, IMO, and if he can handle RT this year the staff needs to give him those reps.
Jack Kallenberger, Mark Kallenberger's brother has left the program amid allegations of bullying by coaches about his purported lack of intelligence. https://247sports.com/college/iowa/Article/Jack-Kallenberger-Iowa-Football-Seth-Wallace-Chris-Doyle-Kirk-Ferentz--147953928/ (https://247sports.com/college/iowa/Article/Jack-Kallenberger-Iowa-Football-Seth-Wallace-Chris-Doyle-Kirk-Ferentz--147953928/) Kallenberger is not making allegations of racial profiling in that he is white.
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lack of intelligence???
this is the O-line room
I guess they are mostly referred to as the Big Uglies, not the Big Dumbies
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Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz admits he had a "blind spot" in not spotting problems that made black players feel mistreated or uncomfortable in his program, but he expects things to change moving forward.
Ferentz on Friday said Iowa's program is on a better path following several emotion-charged team meetings, the formation of an advocacy group including 11 former Iowa players and more openness regarding communication within the program and player expression outside of it.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29304234/iowa-kirk-ferentz-admits-blind-spot-black-players-issues-vows-improve-environment (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29304234/iowa-kirk-ferentz-admits-blind-spot-black-players-issues-vows-improve-environment)
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So Purdue just picked up a 4* transfer DB from Iowa, DJ Johnson. Originally from Indianapolis, so that does make some sense.
He's transferring as a RS Soph, so absent any waiver, he'd have to sit a year and then would have 2 years eligibility remaining. But some think that either due to COVID or due to the issues at Iowa (he was outspoken about them on Twitter) he'll be granted a waiver and have immediate eligibility.
So for the Iowa folks who might actually know something about this kid, what is Purdue getting?
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So Purdue just picked up a 4* transfer DB from Iowa, DJ Johnson. Originally from Indianapolis, so that does make some sense.
He's transferring as a RS Soph, so absent any waiver, he'd have to sit a year and then would have 2 years eligibility remaining. But some think that either due to COVID or due to the issues at Iowa (he was outspoken about them on Twitter) he'll be granted a waiver and have immediate eligibility.
So for the Iowa folks who might actually know something about this kid, what is Purdue getting?
Got some time as Iowa's main nickel/dime back last year. I don't think he was in contention for a starting CB spot this year. Solid depth addition for now, starting potential down the road.
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https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29306944/iowa-db-jack-koerner-seriously-injured-watercraft-accident (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29306944/iowa-db-jack-koerner-seriously-injured-watercraft-accident)
hope he is OK
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news conference today any idea what it is about?
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news conference today any idea what it is about?
https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1272556675870965767
(https://twitter.com/PeteThamel/status/1272556675870965767)
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Chris Doyle will be paid over $1M to leave Iowa Football. When other football programs as in Iowa State are cutting salary due to COVID-19, this is an expensive resolution to a serious problem of Doyle's own creation, allegedly.
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Chris Doyle will be paid over $1M to leave Iowa Football. When other football programs as in Iowa State are cutting salary due to COVID-19, this is an expensive resolution to a serious problem of Doyle's own creation, allegedly.
Pay him 15 months salary vs a very public and expensive lawsuit. Seems like an easy decision.
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I wish someone would pay me $1.1M to go away.
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I don't speak legalease, so is there a "no show" clause preventing Doyle from taking a position elsewhere? Even if there isn't something explicitly stating this, his brand is tainted and I'm sure very few FBS programs (or NFL teams) want to take that chance right now.
Sucks that it had to come to this, but it's for the best.
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I don't speak legalease, so is there a "no show" clause preventing Doyle from taking a position elsewhere? Even if there isn't something explicitly stating this, his brand is tainted and I'm sure very few FBS programs (or NFL teams) want to take that chance right now.
Sucks that it had to come to this, but it's for the best.
I only scanned the document, but the only employment prevention clause I saw was future employment with the University of Iowa.
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I wish someone would pay me $1.1M to go away.
Set up a GoFundMe
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for 1.1 million I'd do a lot of things
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Was Brian Ferentz brought up at the news conference?
Ferentz's son, Hawkeye offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, also has been mentioned as problematic in his dealings with black players.
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We can assume there is a no comment clause in this settlement.
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for 1.1 million I'd do a lot of things
He can do nothing for $1.1M.
I haven't heard of any complaints filed with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. The statute of limitations is fairly short on those types of complaints. I am not sure that if a complaint were filed and if there was no prior complaint voiced to the head coach or athletic director that there would be much value to a player's complaint. It appears that the university was responsive so quickly, and suspended him when it came to the attention of the head coach. This is probably a good move on the part of the athletic program, but an expensive one.
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His son, Dillon Doyle, who was expected to get quite a bit of playing time at linebacker, entered the transfer portal last week.
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Was Brian Ferentz brought up at the news conference?
Was the media allowed to ask questions or was it just a statement?
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Was Brian Ferentz brought up at the news conference?
Was the media allowed to ask questions or was it just a statement?
From what I have seen about BF is it was more of an isolated incident(s). No where near the volume of complaints about Doyle. Also, what is little known is BF reports directly to the athletic director and not KF. KF would be part of the conversation but he can not be part of any decisions, other than gameday, since BF became the OC. This was how they went around any future nepotism issues.
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so, Brian is in the clear for now.
That's good, don't need more problems
he's probably smart enough to just wear Hawkeye t-shirts that do not promote one political party over another
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I'm not sure he is completely in the clear. He and Seth Wallace are still being investigated. Still, unless something major comes out, I doubt they leave for any reasons other than their own. Something to consider tho, Brian was thought to keep the Ferentz name as HC when his dad leaves/retires, so I wonder if that will be impacted. I also don't think Kirk is 100% in the clear yet but he will retire before he is let go so we may never know the extend of his knowledge.
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What is just as surprising to me is, as far as I've seen, Iowa is the only school with it public. I'm sure many have kept it out of the media but Iowa can not be the only school with disgruntled former athletes.
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see the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Stillwater
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A week or two ago, FSU's new coach Mike Norvell issued a self-laudatory statement about individually contacting every player to discuss George Floyd, and got major push back. What he actually did is send a mass text to players. His self-laudatory statement about individually contacting every player was followed by a player workout boycott, followed by an actual team meeting to fix everything, which seemed to get folks back to working out.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29265754/florida-state-marvin-wilson-disputes-coach-mike-norvell-reached-individually-george-floyd-death (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29265754/florida-state-marvin-wilson-disputes-coach-mike-norvell-reached-individually-george-floyd-death)
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so, Brian is in the clear for now.
That's good, don't need more problems
he's probably smart enough to just wear Hawkeye t-shirts that do not promote one political party over another
The Hell you say!
Next thing you know, somebody will say some coach is smart enough not to wear a mullet.
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Iowa gets its second transfer in the past month from Northern Illinois.
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NIU can't be too happy with Iowa right about now.
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at least they're not stealing from UNI
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ith uncertainty remaining about available seating for football games at Kinnick Stadium this fall, Iowa announced Monday it has “paused’’ ticket sales for the 2020 season.
Iowa director of athletics Gary Barta said in a statement that based on current information, the athletics department will “start focusing on reduced capacity seating models based on our season ticket holders’’ because of social distancing guidelines surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several other additional changes involving ticketing and parking – including a move to entirely mobile ticketing and parking passes – and a decision to suspend operations of the Hawkeye Express train shuttle for the season were also announced.
“Hawkeye fans are excited for the upcoming season and we truly appreciate their continued enthusiasm and support. With the current information available, we needed to pause additional sales,’’ Barta said.
Barta indicated Iowa officials hope to have details for seating capacity for the Hawkeyes’ seven home games in place by late July.
On Monday, Iowa announced that only individuals who have renewed season tickets and completed per-seat contributions by June 30 will be included in potential Kinnick Stadium seating plans.
New sales of the Fight for Iowa digital season pass, mini-plans, group, Hawkeye Village and single-game ticket sales have now been “paused’’ until a clearer picture of Kinnick Stadium capacity and social distancing requirements for the fall season have been determined.
The one thing that has been determined is that paper tickets and parking passes for the 2020 season will not be available, moving to a mobile-only system.
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Former Iowa running back Akrum Wadley on Monday detailed several allegations of mistreatment by current and former Hawkeyes coaches, writing that "playing for Iowa Football was a living nightmare."
Wadley, who played for Iowa from 2014 to 2017, mentioned head coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz and former strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle in the allegations, published on Facebook by Robert T. Green, whose sports advisory firm is working with several former Iowa players to voice their experiences with the program.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29383844/ex-iowa-rb-akrum-wadley-says-playing-hawkeyes-was-living-nightmare (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29383844/ex-iowa-rb-akrum-wadley-says-playing-hawkeyes-was-living-nightmare)
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Former Iowa running back Akrum Wadley on Monday detailed several allegations of mistreatment by current and former Hawkeyes coaches, writing that "playing for Iowa Football was a living nightmare."
Wadley, who played for Iowa from 2014 to 2017, mentioned head coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz and former strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle in the allegations, published on Facebook by Robert T. Green, whose sports advisory firm is working with several former Iowa players to voice their experiences with the program.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29383844/ex-iowa-rb-akrum-wadley-says-playing-hawkeyes-was-living-nightmare (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29383844/ex-iowa-rb-akrum-wadley-says-playing-hawkeyes-was-living-nightmare)
This is heartbreaking to read that Akrum Wadley, one of the greatest running backs in recent Iowa football hx, felt like he had a bad experience at the University of Iowa. College and becoming an adult is supposed to be a fun learning experience. He was such an incredible athlete to watch play. He was a star, but he started out slow out of the box after some fumblitis in the early part of his career at Iowa that put him on the bench for longer than I wanted to see, because he was obviously very talented. I seem to recall he was forced to carry a football with him for a while around campus to class, which could be publicly humiliating depending on one's psychological make-up.
Much was written in sports articles at the time how the coaching staff was on him to put on weight. I presume they had a vision of him for a type of Big Ten running back. At one point someone yanks his meal ticket as a punishment for insufficient weight gain, an odd punishment for not gaining weight. Most O-Linemen are tasked with putting on weight, after arrival, as well. Most of us who wrestled didn't enjoy cutting weight for wrestling. Some things are necessary if you want to succeed in sports. His weight issues somehow made it into the Des Moines Register, and/or Cedar Rapids Gazette. I am not sure why. So he may have felt publicly shamed.
Brian Ferentz is alleged to have joked about Wadley's appearance being akin to a bank robber after Wadley donned a team-issued pull over black/gray woolen hat. Were jokes like that directed to white players, too? The investigators should interview white athletes as well and question their experiences to see if this is related to race.
I am not sure what to make of all this. An investigation by a law firm into the allegations made by black players is getting underway. I am glad I am not on that investigation. The investigators are three attorneys expected to conduct 100 interviews, who will arrive at conclusions, and issue a report. I cannot imagine this investigation and report will not take until December. These allegations will affect recruiting. Kirk Ferentz has had a reputation for high ethical standards. There are so many times his conservative play calling has come under attack, but the past 3-years it has sometimes gotten better, and I would say the past 3-4 years he has enjoyed good support from the fanbase.
Hiring a family member can put one in a dicey situation. It would have been best to not hire one's son. It would have been best to not create an award for assistant coach of the year after the strength and conditioning coach (Chris Doyle) coaches his charges into a debilitating and potentially fatal disease, rhabdomyolysis. I thought Doyle should have been let go then.
Iowa had the Steve and Sam Alford father son basketball show that didn't go well, but I don't think there were employer-employee issues then like we have now. Let's live and learn from our mistakes. Even large institutions don't always learn.
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Almost two months after the initial story of racial issues within the Iowa football program began, more issues are arising for Kirk Ferentz’s program. According to an exclusive report by HawkeyeNation.com, a document shows that the Iowa athletic department knew over a year ago that there were, “significant problems and inequalities,” inside the program.
The nine-page document obtained by HawkeyeNation.com was given to the Iowa athletic department in early 2019 detailing racial bias within the Hawkeye program that were brought to light by former players in June. However, no actions were taken at the time of the document’s creation.
According to the report, former Iowa offensive lineman James Daniels — who tweeted about the racial issues in the program back in June — met with Iowa athletic director Gary Barta in the spring of 2019 and detailed the concerns of racial inequality. Ferentz allegedly knew that black players in the program were:
Expected to conform to white culture
Subjected to verbal harassment
Targeted for extra drug testing
Misled about resources available to them during the recruiting process
Subjected to inequitable discipline policies and double standards
Misunderstood by both coaches and white players
Unsupported in their academic pursuits
A common theme throughout the HawkeyeNation.com report was that black student-athletes were expected to conform to the, “Iowa mold.” Specifically, one student-athlete said that black student-athletes were expected to live up to an equal standard as white student-athletes.
“The white student-athletes at Iowa are viewed as the standard that African-American student-athletes should strive to mold themselves after,” the student-athlete said.
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out of curiosity, what is the Iowa mold?
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out of curiosity, what is the Iowa mold?
https://moldtestusa.com/iowa/
(https://moldtestusa.com/iowa/)
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I think the Iowa Mold, without reviewing your link is guys like me. Strong, hard hitters, who are slow, can't leap, and are men of conviction.
We have a few Neanderthal genes. We are not going to win a Big Ten title without a lot of assistance from outside.
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don't click on the link.....
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Too late
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With Doyle's departure, the focus shifts to Ferentz, the longest-tenured coach in the FBS, and whether the program has put Black players in a position to succeed.
According to data from the Race and Equity Center at the University of Southern California, Iowa ranked 60th among 65 Power 5 schools -- last in the Big Ten -- in graduation rates for Black athletes in all sports between 2014 and 2018. Only 40% of Iowa's Black athletes graduated, compared to 77% of all athletes, a differential that also ranked last in the conference. Hawkeye Nation also reported that Iowa enrolled 31 Black scholarship football players between 2013 and 2015, but only eight graduated from the school.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29517486/iowa-football-kirk-ferentz-see-black-players-speak-program-racial-inequities (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29517486/iowa-football-kirk-ferentz-see-black-players-speak-program-racial-inequities)
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With Doyle's departure, the focus shifts to Ferentz, the longest-tenured coach in the FBS, and whether the program has put Black players in a position to succeed.
According to data from the Race and Equity Center at the University of Southern California, Iowa ranked 60th among 65 Power 5 schools -- last in the Big Ten -- in graduation rates for Black athletes in all sports between 2014 and 2018. Only 40% of Iowa's Black athletes graduated, compared to 77% of all athletes, a differential that also ranked last in the conference. Hawkeye Nation also reported that Iowa enrolled 31 Black scholarship football players between 2013 and 2015, but only eight graduated from the school.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29517486/iowa-football-kirk-ferentz-see-black-players-speak-program-racial-inequities (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29517486/iowa-football-kirk-ferentz-see-black-players-speak-program-racial-inequities)
I read the article concerning the graduation rates on www.Hawkcentral.com. I was left with the impression from that article that there is a high rate of blacks leaving the program early. I wonder whether they have correlated early departures to academic performance, or more generally with dissatisfaction with the environment offered for black players at Iowa. I do know they offer a lot of academic help when you are an athlete, and the time those athletes spend training in their sport, even an above-average college student athlete, could benefit from the extra help. It is not an easy college life.
One guy here in my town had a son who was lightly recruited by Iowa about 10-12 years ago. He was recruited enough to have met Chris Doyle. I think he was offered a "preferred walk-on." He was a big offensive lineman (white). His father had the impression Chris Doyle was condescending. The son received a scholarship at an FCS school that appeared in the FCS national championship game, and finished 2nd in FCS. He had a free agent tryout with the NFL, but was cut.
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I read the article concerning the graduation rates on www.Hawkcentral.com. I was left with the impression from that article that there is a high rate of blacks leaving the program early. I wonder whether they have correlated early departures to academic performance, or more generally with dissatisfaction with the environment offered for black players at Iowa. I do know they offer a lot of academic help when you are an athlete, and the time those athletes spend training in their sport, even an above-average college student athlete, could benefit from the extra help. It is not an easy college life.
I agree with this. It's just that 60th among 65 and last in the Big Ten isn't a good look. Especially with the complaints by black football players.
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I agree with this. It's just that 60th among 65 and last in the Big Ten isn't a good look. Especially with the complaints by black football players.
In fact you are right it is a very bad look, either way as I reflect on it, whether this is the result of academic performance, or dissatisfaction with the manner of treatment, or the culture, of the place. Some are just not cut out for the academics at a Big Ten university, and if those are the players being recruited, it means there is a problem with background checking for recruiting. If the culture is bad or staff are prickly or misguided, that is arguably much worse than poor academic background checking for recruits.
I generally had a great experience in college at U of Iowa, not perfect; nothing ever is. As a football fan, it is upsetting to hear Akrum Wadley complain about his experience. My experience watching him develop as a player and slash through Ohio State, and others, was so enjoyable. I just hate to hear his overall impression of his experience at Iowa was that he was mistreated because of his color; that should not be.
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An external review of Iowa's football program found an environment where many Black players felt bullied and demeaned, and recommended that coach Kirk Ferentz and athletic director Gary Barta take steps to improve the culture.
Iowa commissioned the review, conducted by Missouri-based firm Husch Blackwell, after claims from more than 60 former players in early June about racial inequities in the football program. The review found many positive comments from current and former players toward Ferentz, but it identified three members of the coaching staff, on-field or from the strength and conditioning program, who "abused their power and verbally abused and bullied players."
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29564189/external-review-finds-racial-bias-bullying-iowa-football-program (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29564189/external-review-finds-racial-bias-bullying-iowa-football-program)
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An external review of Iowa's football program found an environment where many Black players felt bullied and demeaned, and recommended that coach Kirk Ferentz and athletic director Gary Barta take steps to improve the culture.
Iowa commissioned the review, conducted by Missouri-based firm Husch Blackwell, after claims from more than 60 former players in early June about racial inequities in the football program. The review found many positive comments from current and former players toward Ferentz, but it identified three members of the coaching staff, on-field or from the strength and conditioning program, who "abused their power and verbally abused and bullied players."
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29564189/external-review-finds-racial-bias-bullying-iowa-football-program (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29564189/external-review-finds-racial-bias-bullying-iowa-football-program)
And isn't the head coach responsible for the actions of the coaches he has hired and are on his staff? to blindly say he was not aware of what was going on doesn't work in today's world.
I don't know how supporters in Iowa would think Kirk is ok being blinded by the actions of coaches like making a player running around the football field with recruits present with a garbage can over the players head
I think the truth is Barta doesn't want to look for a new coach because his first choice was Brian and that might be the greater of two evils. a coaching change could spin the program into a deep hole of mediocrity
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Barta is going to have to get a handle on this quickly or he'll be looking for a job while the new AD hires a new coach
I've always thought Kirk was one of the very good guys in the sport, hopefully I was right and he can get past this.
but, Barta and Kirk better think fast and do the right thing
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Ummm... WTF?
https://twitter.com/SBock247/status/1291734273423269889 (https://twitter.com/SBock247/status/1291734273423269889)
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He almost committed to Iowa, then was a rumored silent commit to MSU, committed to Michigan, transferred to Iowa, on the the move again
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if he's looking to play immediately, maybe he needs to drop a division.
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Unless he has a degree. I doubt he will get another waiver.
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if he's looking to play immediately, maybe he needs to drop a division.
perhaps he heard the Huskers are looking for WR talent
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Too many alarm bells going off with this one.
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but, but, can he run really fast?
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Unless he has a degree. I doubt he will get another waiver.
I'm sure he'll claim he was uncomfortable in the current environment given the recent drama. He lawyered up to get the last waiver, no reason think he won't do so this time.
I'm not sure if there is an official stat available but I believe the waiver success rate when getting legal representation involved is somewhere around 100%, or at least it was this time last year.
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He's not black, is he?
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No.
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Oliver Martin is a very good WR. Unfortunately for him he should have committed to Iowa out of high school. Other WRs committed to Iowa who strangely enough, are really good WRs. This is ordinarily not WR-U. I think he has to drop down a division or he doesn't play because he redshirted at Michigan, if memory serves me correctly. He should be looking to the top FCS schools, or alternatively he should put in a more concerted effort at Iowa, try and get playing time this spring, get a degree, and hope for the best in the NFL draft.
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Coy Cronk who was rumored to possibly have to play guard this year (or next) at Iowa, is lined up at LT at Iowa, his position at Indiana, in a photo at practice this fall. https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/columnists/chad-leistikow/2020/08/12/leistikow-what-take-spring-football-season-big-ten-conference-kirk-ferentz-ohio-state-ryan-day/3350332001/ (https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/columnists/chad-leistikow/2020/08/12/leistikow-what-take-spring-football-season-big-ten-conference-kirk-ferentz-ohio-state-ryan-day/3350332001/)
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The Nebraska football team has added another former Iowa Hawkeye scholarship player as a walk-on transfer.
Former four-star wide receiver Oliver Martin has transferred to NU, after playing at Michigan in 2017-18 and Iowa in 2019.
The 6-foot-1, 200 pound Martin joins offensive lineman Ezra Miller, who also left Iowa this off-season after being placed on a medical scholarship.
Martin is currently listed as a student in the NU directory as well for the fall academic term. He has two years of eligibility remaining, and it's unknown what that will look like with the new COVID-19 NCAA rules.
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IOWA CITY, Iowa (KWWL) -- The University of Iowa announced Friday its plan to discontinue four sports programs at the end of the 2020-21 academic year.
Those programs include men’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and men’s tennis. The four programs will still have the opportunity to compete in their upcoming 2020-21 seasons, should the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 permit, before they are discontinued. All existing scholarships will be honored through graduation for those student-athletes who choose to remain at Iowa. The contracts of affected coaches will also be honored.
A release from the university says factors considered in the decision to cut the 4 programs, in part, include sponsorship at the NCAA Division I level, impact on gender equity and Title IX compliance, expense savings, history of the sport at Iowa, and engagement level.
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Eight Black former University of Iowa football players are seeking $20 million in compensation and for athletics director Gary Barta, head coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant coach Brian Ferentz to be fired over what they contend was intentional racial discrimination during their Hawkeye careers.
The group, which includes two of the football program’s most prolific producers in Akrum Wadley and Kevonte Martin-Manley, made the demands in a certified, 21-page letter sent to the UI. A copy of the letter, dated Oct. 5, has been obtained by the Des Moines Register.
The group is represented by Tulsa civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons and has additional demands, including attorney’s fees; the creation of a permanent Black male senior administrator position in Iowa athletics; mandatory anti-racist training for athletics staff; the establishment of a board of advisers including Black players and anti-racist professionals to oversee the football program; and tuition waivers for any Black athlete who did not graduate with a degree during Kirk Ferentz’s 22-year tenure.
According to the letter, if the demands are not met to the former athletes’ satisfaction by Monday, Oct. 19, the athletes were prepared to pursue a lawsuit “to ensure they are rightfully compensated for their emotional, mental and bodily damages and that Iowa is appropriately held accountable for its unlawful, discriminatory conduct.”
On Sunday, UI general counsel Carroll Reasoner formally replied to Solomon-Simmons to say the football program had previously taken steps to implement some of the demands but unequivocally added, “We respectfully decline your monetary and personnel demands.”
In other words: No $20 million settlement and no further firings.
To date, 21-year strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle is the only person to lose his job over racial-bias allegations that shook the program in early June.
UI president Bruce Harreld, who on Oct. 1 (four days before this letter was submitted) announced his plans for retirement, shared this statement Sunday: "We appreciate some former athletes sharing insights on their experience while at the University of Iowa. Many of their concerns have been reviewed and addressed. And to be clear, any student-athlete that has left the university and did not obtain their degree is welcome to return, and we are here to support them.
"There are several demands outlined in the letter, and we are proud of the efforts made to date. We have a path forward that includes ideas and recommendations from many current and former students aimed at making the University of Iowa a more inclusive and better place to learn, grow and compete as an athlete. However, the university rejects the demands for money and personnel changes."
The 21-page letter lays the groundwork for litigation and was led by Solomon-Simmons, whose website touts his national TV presence and role in high-profile cases, including efforts to obtain reparations for the survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot. Des Moines attorneys Alfredo Parrish and Brandon Brown are listed as local counsel.
Accounts of negative Iowa football experiences under the direction of Ferentz, college football's longest-tenured active coach, are outlined on behalf of these eight former players:
Maurice Fleming, a defensive back at Iowa from 2012 through 2015 who transferred to West Virginia. Fleming states that Doyle would use the n-word in his presence. Doyle said on June 7 that he has never made racist comments, and current Iowa strength coach Raimond Braithwaite (who is Black and has known Doyle since 2002) recently said he had “never witnessed or heard (Doyle) make a racial comment.” On June 15, it was announced that Doyle would be paid $1.1 million by the UI as part of a separation agreement.
Andre Harris, a wide receiver who never saw game action in his three years at Iowa (2013-15) and transferred to Eastern Illinois. He says coaches gave him harsher punishments than white teammates for similar rules violations.
Marcel Joly, a running back who had two career carries in four years at Iowa (2014-17). He says coaches once questioned whether a BMW he drove to the football facility was legitimately purchased.
Martin-Manley, a five-year wide receiver (2010-14) whose 174 career receptions remain a school record. Martin-Manley says complaints he brought to Kirk Ferentz’s attention about racist practices in the program were ignored.
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This is not my area of expertise, but civil procedure is an area in which I have expertise. When someone comes to me with a claim for violation of civil rights I suggest they seek other counsel, and advise them that in Iowa a civil rights claims must first be filed with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission within 300-days of the alleged discriminatory act or unfair practice. I believe the deadline is the same for filing with the EEOC.
Unless they have a claimant who has a claim of a discriminatory act or unfair practice committed upon him within the past 300-days there are hurdles to overcome. It appears none of the claimants represented presented a timely civil rights claim. It is a good law firm. Maybe they can find an exception, or a claim outside the Civil Rights Act which is difficult to find; their hurdles are high. With the publicity generated by the demand letter perhaps they are fishing and hoping a client on the 2020 Hawkeye team contacts them.
The persons disclosed as clients in this article appear to have not timely filed a claim.
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they may just be looking to cause trouble and perhaps a monetary gain to be quite?
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I wouldn't characterize their intent as "trouble." They may have actual grievances.
It's is hard to run a law business handling plaintiff's cases if there is no monetary gain for the lawyer and client, so yes on "monetary gain."
I believe the most recent players listed were on the team at the latest, in 2017. The two-year statute of limitations for personal injury and relative rights passed for all of these claimants, if they had some claim other than for violation of civil rights which civil rights claims had to be asserted within 300-days.
I do not see how this goes anywhere, but then I have only read the newspaper article, not the demand letter.
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OK as a middle aged white man, I can not begin to understand the issues they faced. I will not pretend I understand but I also do have issues with this.
Maybe they have legitimate grievances but I think this just opens a door that we should not walk thru. Did their race have anything to do with their progression? Watley is regarded as one of the top playmakers under Ferentz, looks to me like he received plenty of opportunity to excel. Fleming seems to be the only one who has said (and maybe I have missed it) Doyle used that word. Rest have said it was insensitive comments but I do not recall anyone saying he specifically used it. If you look at his quote, Fleming said it first and looks like Doyle was mocking him for using the word. It doesn't make it right by any means but it is definitely less wrong when it seems to be used as a "don't make excuses" type of comment.
Unfortunately in this day, which has gone back many years, we are in a litigious society and settlements are more broad than we know. This will probably be settled to save the media hype but I have to wonder if there truly is a $ amount that they should be owed for getting an opportunity the majority of us can never have. This looks like it is someone taking advantage of a public situation. They did well at Iowa on the field and I do believe they faced some issues off the field but I find it hard to believe that they deserve money for it. As for the firings, I will let that play itself out because unless you were there, it's tough to place judgement.
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News broke early on Thursday morning that a couple of Hawkeyes would look to finish their careers elsewhere. Redshirt freshman running back Shadrick Byrd and redshirt freshman linebacker Yahweh Jeudy have officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal and will likely be moving on from Iowa, a source confirmed to 247Sports.