After reading the post on Coach Hart, I thought a post on assistant coaches would be appropriate. After IU lost a D-line coach recently I commented to a friend who coaches at the high school where I teach that the Hoosier should go after Eli Rasheed, he is an IU D-line grad, worked his way up the coaching chain (he coached at my high school when I started teaching there) and is the current D-line coach for the Iowa State Cyclones. He said he would not leave. It is the perfect job. I was taken aback and he said great program with a head coach that is going to be loyal to the program, go 8-4 great, 10-2 they put a statute of you at the stadium, go 5-7, please do better next year. Great school, great town, good kids on the team, and you have the highest income in town behind the head coach. Why go elsewhere. ND where national title or your out. Move your family every 3 years? Iowa has had a similar approach.
Thoughts on assistant coaches
- Thread starter newIUfan
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Iowa State has improved but so has IUFB. Iowa State plays in a conference with defenses that aren't very good while IU plays in a division and conference with exceptional defenses. I look for IU to have a better season this coming season with a better defense and an offense with good skilled players with an OL that will have to prove itself that I think will. IU's schedule is much tougher than Iowa State's schedule and coach Allen will stay at IU as he loves being home.
The Cyclones have lost every recruit from Iowa they’ve gone head to head with Iowa on this year. It’s something like. 8-0. Calling that a rivalry is delusional.
Overall think IU has a pretty solid staff. Solid, good coaches to me are a combination of both good Xs/Os and good recruiter. I know Coach Allen hasn't always made in-game decisions to look like a top X/O guy perhaps, but he certainly knows enough and his leadership, vision, ability to build a team culture and connect with recruits makes him more than capable of leading the program. And his more recent hires have all been trending upward in a great way, with his possible achilles heel being the hiring friends he knows possibly over other coaches he doesn't.
Thoughts on all coaches below (that want them all to succeed):
Sheridan, I'm bullish on him as OC. Think he's got the Debord-like touch.
Hart - Highly skilled recruiter for sure. Think will have good year w/RB's this year.
Head WR - done pretty good job, but like to see the young talent he's brought in have some guys rise to higher levels of play in B10.
Hiller OL: seeing improvements in play and some recruiting, like to see bit more controlling OL play and higher recruits ahead.
Wright: too early to judge but hoping his past will help with recruiting wins.
Wommack, DC: Not sold yet, but open to him having great results.
Peoples DL: Too early to judge, but early reviews are positive "tacticion"
Jones Safeties: Wish he had Husky too. Too early to judge, but seems like solid coach/good recruiter.
Teegardin, ST - Not sure why they left him with Husky too. After last few years of ST let downs, he has a chance to shine as a star if they can improve here.
Wellman S/C: Probably as good of a hire as IU could have gotten post Ballou.
Thoughts on all coaches below (that want them all to succeed):
Sheridan, I'm bullish on him as OC. Think he's got the Debord-like touch.
Hart - Highly skilled recruiter for sure. Think will have good year w/RB's this year.
Head WR - done pretty good job, but like to see the young talent he's brought in have some guys rise to higher levels of play in B10.
Hiller OL: seeing improvements in play and some recruiting, like to see bit more controlling OL play and higher recruits ahead.
Wright: too early to judge but hoping his past will help with recruiting wins.
Wommack, DC: Not sold yet, but open to him having great results.
Peoples DL: Too early to judge, but early reviews are positive "tacticion"
Jones Safeties: Wish he had Husky too. Too early to judge, but seems like solid coach/good recruiter.
Teegardin, ST - Not sure why they left him with Husky too. After last few years of ST let downs, he has a chance to shine as a star if they can improve here.
Wellman S/C: Probably as good of a hire as IU could have gotten post Ballou.
Forgot Shelby CB - Mullen has been a star, Taylor on the rise. Want to see more Int's and depth here and more playing like Mullen ahead.
I would think that describes IU to a 'T' as well. The thing is, you need to have guys who appreciate all that and can produce as well. And then once they produce, the attempts to poach them begin. No matter what the profession, quality people are looking to take the next step, accept the next challenge. I'd love to see us fully staffed with lifers, as long as they're producers too. But that's not how it works in the real world. I think the best we can do is try and keep people from making lateral moves to more prestigious programs. One way to do that is making IU more prestigious. I think we're getting there.
One of the facts of life is that people who excel in their jobs are people who are driving towards making that next step. At least for those that feel they have a next step. One of the hardest things to do is keep that drive when you think you have made it and are no longer driving for that next step.
I can’t imagine a full staff of lifers who all are driven to excel like a staff full of guys who are all looking to succeed so well that it opens other opportunities. I’m OK with that.
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