Bump in the road, or something bigger?

[mk23]

After that crapfest of a bowl game, I felt like things were going great. Couple of good transfers. CTA wins a couple awards and gets a big bonus. Seemed like most of our important players were returning.

Then BAM! Hagen goes to PU (which doesn't necessarily impact IU directly, but still seems like a kick in the groin). Swann and Johnson and Johnson all bolt to the NFL. Looks like we're left out of the Wan Dale sweepstakes with little brother taking the lead position. And now Hart jumps to a clearly sinking ship. WTH is going on here?

Big or little concerns?

 

[still4IU]

After that crapfest of a bowl game, I felt like things were going great. Couple of good transfers. CTA wins a couple awards and gets a big bonus. Seemed like most of our important players were returning.

Then BAM! Hagen goes to PU (which doesn't necessarily impact IU directly, but still seems like a kick in the groin). Swann and Johnson and Johnson all bolt to the NFL. Looks like we're left out of the Wan Dale sweepstakes with little brother taking the lead position. And now Hart jumps to a clearly sinking ship. WTH is going on here?

Big or little concerns?

IU was 12th in the BIG in rushing. Looks like this could be an opportunity to upgrade that area.

 

[94Hoosier]

He‘s going because Michigan might slide him in when harbaugh leaves/gets fired....Michigan man and all

 

[Big Red Crimson Buffalo]

I’m convinced this Hart thing is a byproduct of our underperforming running game and Hart being passed over for the OC twice. It’s inevitable. He wasn’t moving any higher up the staff. Good for him. Tough loss for us. Purdue is a fantastic fit offensively for Wan’Dale and can completely understand that interest. He’s looking for a specific style of offense. If Moore did not declare, Robinson wouldn’t even consider that as a destination, and rightfully so. IU has its Army All-American in Matthews. No harm there. What will make or break IU is the DL and replacing key guys on defense.

 

[IndyIUFan66]

Sorry but Hagen & Hart are both fine guys/coaches, but we’re not named as OC or DC. Neither in my mind lit up the stats as coaches. And would say Hart seems to be a good recruiter (better than Hagen) but have we really had any off the chart RB’s in Hart’s era?

I absolutely like our née DL coach just fine. I also believe it is a great opportunity to bring in a new RB coach who can bring in new energy and ideas to the run game, and may be an equal or even better recruiter.

per the Defense, we are losing two DL & a Safety to NFL draft. Start getting used to that, that happens with great programs. There are a lot of big bodies in the DL pipeline and the DE from Ole Miss is a huge get. Per Safety Johnson, we have Layne & Ball (both injured this year) returning and a couple stud FR coming in as well.

I believe IU could have as good a shot as any time in recent years to win the B10 next year with this team coming back. OSU will be losing Fields and likely 3-4 to NFL, and the OSU game is at IU. We’ll see what happens but I like where we are and still trust the Coach of the Year has a strong vision for where he wants the team to go.

 

[vesuvius13]

Having vacancies in the coach staff or player ranks open up new opportunities for others. I trust that Coach Allen will find great coaches for both jobs as he has proven with other hires fans were concerned about.

With the running game changing some schemes like coach Allen is talking about we will find out what the real issue is with the lack of running production. I want to see IU with a strong running game to go with the strong passing game.

 

[RBB89]

After that crapfest of a bowl game, I felt like things were going great. Couple of good transfers. CTA wins a couple awards and gets a big bonus. Seemed like most of our important players were returning.

Then BAM! Hagen goes to PU (which doesn't necessarily impact IU directly, but still seems like a kick in the groin). Swann and Johnson and Johnson all bolt to the NFL. Looks like we're left out of the Wan Dale sweepstakes with little brother taking the lead position. And now Hart jumps to a clearly sinking ship. WTH is going on here?

Big or little concerns?

Why should I be concerned about any of that? Guys go pro every year, we already landed a WR transfer from Florida State, and I have no idea how Hagen going to Purdue affects us. He lost his job at Texas, and he’s coached at Purdue before.

 

[iu2win]

The way I look at the situation with Hart is this: Coach Allen was able to land Hart as the RB coach at IU during a time when the IU football program was only beginning to show promise. Now, the program has been elevated to a point perhaps higher than at any other time in the program's history. There is no reason to think Coach Allen should not be able to land an equally talented (or even better) coach at the same position. Also, who can fault a coach for wanting to return to coach at his alma mater? I believe in Coach Allen and I believe in IU Football. Go Hoosiers !!!

 

[Pigalow]

I’m convinced this Hart thing is a byproduct of our underperforming running game and Hart being passed over for the OC twice. It’s inevitable. He wasn’t moving any higher up the staff. Good for him. Tough loss for us. Purdue is a fantastic fit offensively for Wan’Dale and can completely understand that interest. He’s looking for a specific style of offense. If Moore did not declare, Robinson wouldn’t even consider that as a destination, and rightfully so. IU has its Army All-American in Matthews. No harm there. What will make or break IU is the DL and replacing key guys on defense.

I think the O-line will make or break IU. The D-line right now is a system product, & that is why just about anyone we plug into it does reasonably well at run defense. We(still)need better edge rushers. We got good pressure this year through scheme & well disguised blitz packages, but that won't last. We need guys who can beat tackles off the edge & get to the QB. We haven't had that in.....so long.

 

[Crossblock]

When you look at people moving into assistant Coaching Ranks here is an example, I forget exactly what Joe Brady's background was before becoming Passing Game Coordinator at LSU. He was either a Quality control Coach in the NFL, or an Assistant at a smaller School. But he was in his late 20's when hired by LSU. He turned the LSU passing game (with a little help from Joe Burrow) into a dynamic High Scoring Offense that led them to a National Championship. Now at just over 30 Years old, he is being considered for NFL head Coaching Positions.

There could be an unknown, off the radar Coaching Candidate that could be brought in to turn the Running Game around. We don't necessarily need someone with 10 or 15 Years experience as an Assistant to get this done.

 

[Sope Creek]

The way I look at the situation with Hart is this: Coach Allen was able to land Hart as the RB coach at IU during a time when the IU football program was only beginning to show promise. Now, the program has been elevated to a point perhaps higher than at any other time in the program's history. There is no reason to think Coach Allen should not be able to land an equally talented (or even better) coach at the same position. Also, who can fault a coach for wanting to return to coach at his alma mater? I believe in Coach Allen and I believe in IU Football. Go Hoosiers !!!

Enhhh . . . maybe. But he did take the job after Deland McCullough, who might have been as good of an RB coach as there is in the country at any level.

Here's hoping for an improvement in the running game . . . but CTA awarded Hart the AHC title for a reason, I should think.

 

[YOTHN]

I think Hart was a great recruiter and lets be honest, the RB coach offers basic things about the position but beyond that, he's a recruiter and life coach. The O-Coordinator designs where he should be, the RB coach helps with blocking, running, ball control..etc techinques. That's not to say he wouldn't be a great coach but for now, he was a great character guy with a proven voice. Coaches moving on just shows Allen keeps hiring good people and gives me more reason to believe he knows the types of guys that fit.

So most any coach leaving doesn't bother me unless its the O-Coordinator. Without the offense being Allen's expertise, we rely heavily on the O-Coordinator. But even there, Allen has seemed to hit homeruns so he has proven he knows how to hire.

The players going pro feels somewhat unusual for IU but that is going to continue to happen as long as we are a top team. We don't lose just one conference game and not have a talented team. More players in the pro's also helps us in recruiting.

All of this to say that as long as Allen is at the helm, we all can rest peacefully knowing he knows what the h3ll he's doing. Which is AMAZING because for decades we had to supervise everything knowing no one in the program cared as much as us fans did.

 

[baileyiu]

This isn't even a bump in the road! It is an opportunity to upgrade!

When I look at all of the hires CTA has made, I get excited about the opportunity for him to hire another coach. I don't think he has missed on a hire yet!

 

[YOTHN]

This isn't even a bump in the road! It is an opportunity to upgrade!

When I look at all of the hires CTA has made, I get excited about the opportunity for him to hire another coach. I don't think he has missed on a hire yet!

I agree. And that is not meant to be any disrespect for the folks we had because they've all been amazing......but I agree. ha

 

[h20pls]

After that crapfest of a bowl game, I felt like things were going great. Couple of good transfers. CTA wins a couple awards and gets a big bonus. Seemed like most of our important players were returning.

Then BAM! Hagen goes to PU (which doesn't necessarily impact IU directly, but still seems like a kick in the groin). Swann and Johnson and Johnson all bolt to the NFL. Looks like we're left out of the Wan Dale sweepstakes with little brother taking the lead position. And now Hart jumps to a clearly sinking ship. WTH is going on here?

Big or little concerns?

I think this is business as usual.

Life in the Big Ten.

What happens in the off season.

CTA needs to, and will, address this as he should.

Doesn't feel like a lot to see here.

Reload. Next man up. Stiff upper lip. That sort of thing.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

I don't think assistant coaches moving on is a problem. It's not like we're firing them for lack of performance like purdue.

Would you rather have Assistant Coaches that NOBODY wants instead?

 

[Chriselli]

I would say that he has done really well with his defensive hires, and he hit KDB out of the park, but the jury is still out on his other offensive hires. Like others, I agree that it should be much easier to recruit high caliber coaches and recruits than it was when their predecessors were brought in.