Ferentz Tips His Cap to Paterno and Carr--'Most Of Us Would Be Happy Just to Last 100 Games, Let Alone Win 100 Games'

Iowa doesn't have a football game this week, so that gave coach Kirk Ferentz a chance today to answer a question or two about some other guys.

Like Lloyd Carr.

Joe Paterno, too.

In his 10th season as a collegiate head coach--seven at Iowa--Ferentz's record is 59-55.

When his Hawkeyes lost to Michigan, 23-20, in overtime last week, it marked Carr's 100th career victory in 11 years with the Wolverines.

"Most of us would be happy just to last 100 games, let alone win 100 games," Ferentz said.

"What coach Carr has been able to accomplish is tremendous, and I'm happy for him," Ferentz said. He's an outstanding coach person and an outstanding coach."

Then there's Paterno [pictured on the right above], who has won a phenomenal 350 games at Penn State.

"I don't make a lot of predictions, but I'll say that will never happen again at one school," Ferentz said. "I can't comprehend that happening again."

Times are changing in the coaching business, Ferentz said.

"If you look at pro football, when I was growing up you looked with admiration at coaches like Tom Landry, Don Shula and Chuck Noll, who coached with one organization for a long period of time," he said.

"I think those days are gone forever, for the most part. Maybe Bill Cowher [at Pittsburgh] would be an exception. In college football, it's the same way. The coach Paternos, coach [Bobby] Bowdens--guys who've had great runs at their schools--that's going to be tougher and tougher to do."

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Iowa's coaches don't get any rave reviews in the latest second-guessing at www.collegefootballnews.com

Here's Matthew Zemek's take on the loss to Michigan:

"Iowa? Poor Coaching? Say It Ain’t So!

"It’s only once every five years or so that the Iowa Hawkeyes can be criticized for having poor coaching—-that’s an indication of the track record possessed by Kirk Ferentz, Ken O’Keefe, and Norm Parker [whose defense was just fine against Michigan on Saturday]. But in a Kinnick-busting, pink-debunking loss to the Wolverines this past weekend, the Ferentz-O’Keefe combo clearly erred in managing the Hawks’ final series of offensive plays in the waning moments of regulation. Clock time wasn’t an issue at all, and for most of Iowa’s final drive, the play selection was solid. But with the Hawks facing a second-and-4 at the Michigan 15, everything changed on two plays.

"Yes, Albert Young was having success on the ground, but it was just as true that quarterback Drew Tate, who started strong and then got cooled off by a fierce Michigan pass rush, had regained his rhythm on this all-important drive. With his leader and chief playmaker from 2004 back in a groove, Ferentz—-along with O’Keefe, his offensive coordinator—-had to put the ball in Tate’s hands, going for a touchdown instead of settling for a tie. But the next two plays—a timid run and then a shovel pass—-did the exact opposite.

"Rather than using a big, tall weapon such as Scott Chandler, who should be cash-money in red-zone situations, Iowa took the ball out of Tate’s hands, junked the passing game, and sent a message to Michigan that a field goal was OK. Running Young in spots was fine—-this success on the final drive came precisely because Young’s runs were mixed in with successful downfield passes by Tate—-but using Young exclusively was a clear mistake. The interesting element of a shovel pass is that it managed to be a pass that took the ball out of Tate’s hands early in the play. Even when passing at the end of that drive, Ferentz and O’Keefe didn’t allow Tate the time to allow a play to develop and then make something happen.

"Again, this occurs as rarely as the Democratic Party finds someone with charisma to run for the presidency, but yes, for the first time in what seems like a decade, Iowa got poor coaching, and it cost the Hawks against Michigan."

[RON MALY'S COMMENTS: All right, so Kirk Ferentz isn't going to get this guy's vote on the Coach of the Year ballot. Everyone is entitled to one bad day].

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This figures to be the Year of the Panther in the Missouri Valley Conference men's basketball race.

Northern Iowa, led by senior guard Ben Jacobson of Sioux City, is the preseason favorite of coaches, reporters and sports information directors to win the league title.

The Panthers received 23 first-place votes to finish ahead of defending champion Southern Illinois.

Drake was picked to finish a disappointing seventh--the same place it wound up last season.

UNI and Creighton tied for third place last season with 11-7 records. The Panthers were 21-11 overall. Drake wound up 7-11 and 13-16.

Jacobson, one of 50 candidates for the prestigious national John Wooden Award, was picked the Valley's preseason player of the year. Joining him on the preseason all-conference team were Creighton senior Nate Funk [also of Sioux City], Indiana State guard David Moss, Bradley forward Marcellus Sommerville and Southern Illinois guard Jamaal Tatum.

The preseason picks in order: Northern Iowa, Creighton, Southern Illinois, Missouri State, Wichita State, Bradley, Drake, Indiana State, Evansville and Illinois State.

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Drake was picked to finish fourth in the Valley women's race, and junior forward Jill Martin was named to the preseason all-confernce team.

"Jill Martin is one of those special players," Drake coach Amy Stephens said. "This year she will be looked at as a leader on this team, not only on the court, but off the court as well."

Indiana State is picked to win the women's title, followed by Missouri State, Creighton, Drake, Northern Iowa, Evansville, Illinois State, Bradley, Wichita State and Southern Illinois.

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Bud Appleby of Des Moines thinks Drake is getting the short end of the stick in the Missouri Valley Conference's basketball television package.

Know what? He's right.

"There are more than 50 Valley basketball games on TV, but I count only two involving Drake's men and none involving Drake's women," Appleby says in an e-mail.

The Bulldogs' Jan. 21 men's game at Northern Iowa will be on the Missouri Valley Conference network, and so will the Feb. 1 men's game at Missouri State.

On the other hand.....

Northern Iowa's Jan. 5 men's game at Wichita State will be televised by ESPNU. UNI's women's game Jan. 29 at Missouri State will be on the Valley network, the Panther men will play at Creighton on Jan. 31 in another ESPNU telecast, the UNI-Missouri State men's game Feb. 11 against Missouri State at Cedar Falls will be on the Valley network, and the Feb. 25 UNI-Southern Illinois men's game at Carbondale, Ill., will be on ESPN2.

The entire Valley TV schedule:

Nov. 6 State Farm/MVC Women’s Soccer Omaha, Neb. 2:05 pm ESPNU
Nov. 13 State Farm/MVC Men’s Soccer Championship Peoria, Ill. 1:05 pm MVC
Nov. 26 State Farm/MVC Volleyball Championship Cedar Falls, Iowa 3:35 pm MVC
Dec. 10 Wichita State vs. Michigan State (MBB) Auburn Hills, Mich. 6:05 pm ESPN2
Dec. 17 Indiana State @ Butler (MBB) Indianapolis, Ind. 1:05 pm Classic
Dec. 22 Illinois State @ Indiana State (MBB) Terre Haute, Ind. 6:05 pm MVC
Dec. 30 Bradley @ Wichita State (MBB) Wichita, Kan. 6:05 pm MVC
Dec. 31 Richmond @ Missouri State (WBB) Springfield, Mo. 5:05 pm MVC
Jan. 2 Wichita State @ Southern Illinois (MBB) Carbondale, Ill. 8:05 pm ESPNU
Jan. 5 UNI @ Wichita State (MBB) Wichita, Kan. 8:05 pm ESPNU
Jan. 7 Indiana State @ Evansville (MBB) Evansville, Ind. 5:05 pm MVC
Jan. 8 Bradley @ Southern Illinois (MBB) Carbondale, Ill. 2:05 pm ESPNU
Jan. 14 Missouri State @ Wichita State (MBB) Wichita, Kan. 7:05 pm MVC
Jan. 15 Illinois State @ Bradley (WBB) Peoria, Ill. 12:05 pm MVC
Jan. 16 Evansville @ Illinois State (MBB) Normal, Ill. 7:05 pm MVC
Jan. 18 Bradley @ Creighton (MBB) Omaha, Neb. 7:05 pm MVC
Jan. 21 Drake @ UNI (MBB) Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:05 pm MVC
Jan. 22 Missouri State @ Indiana State (WBB) Terre Haute, Ind. 3:05 pm MVC
Wichita State @ Missouri State (MBB) Springfield, Mo. 2:05 pm ESPNU
Jan. 24 Creighton @ Southern Illinois (MBB) Carbondale, Ill. 7:05 pm MVC
Jan. 28 Wichita State @ Creighton (MBB) Omaha, Neb. 6:05 pm MVC
Jan. 29 UNI @ Missouri State (WBB) Springfield, Mo. 12:05 pm MVC
Jan. 31 UNI @ Creighton (MBB) Omaha, Neb. 8:05 pm ESPNU
Feb. 1 Drake @ Missouri State (MBB) Springfield, Mo. 7:05 pm MVC
Feb. 4 Southern Illinois @ Wichita State (MBB) Wichita, Kan. 11:05 am ESPN2
Indiana State @ UNI (MBB) Cedar Falls, Iowa 3:05 pm MVC
Feb. 7 Missouri State @ Southern Illinois (MBB) Carbondale, Ill. 8:05 pm ESPNU
Feb. 11 Missouri State @ UNI (MBB) Cedar Falls, Iowa 7:05 pm MVC
Feb. 14 Creighton @ Wichita State (MBB) Wichita, Kan. 6:05 pm ESPNU
Pre-Game Show Peoria, Ill. 7:05 pm MVC
Southern Illinois @ Bradley (MBB) Peoria, Ill. 7:35 pm MVC
Feb. 18 #Valley School(s) vs. TBD Team(s) TBD TBD TBD
Feb. 19 Evansville @ Creighton (WBB) Omaha, Neb. 12:05 pm MVC
Feb. 21 Southern Illinois @ Evansville (MBB) Evansville, Ind. 8:05 pm ESPNU
Feb. 22 $Pre-Game Show TBD 7:05 pm MVC
$To Be Determined (MBB) TBD 7:35 pm MVC
Feb. 25 UNI @ Southern Illinois (MBB) Carbondale, Ill. 1:05 pm ESPN2
$To Be Determined (MBB) TBD 5:05 pm MVC
$Pre-Game Show TBD 7:05 pm MVC
Creighton @ Missouri State (MBB) Springfield, Mo. 7:35 pm MVC
Feb. 26 $To Be Determined (WBB) TBD 2:05 pm MVC
March 3 State Farm/MVC MBB Tournament St. Louis, Mo. 12:05 pm MVC
State Farm/MVC MBB Tournament St. Louis, Mo. 2:35 pm MVC
State Farm/MVC MBB Tournament St. Louis, Mo. 6:05 pm MVC
State Farm/MVC MBB Tournament St. Louis, Mo. 8:35 pm MVC
March 4 State Farm/MVC MBB Tournament St. Louis, Mo. 1:35 pm MVC
State Farm/MVC MBB Tournament St. Louis, Mo. 4:05 pm MVC
March 5 State Farm/MVC MBB Tournament St. Louis, Mo. 1:05 pm CBS
March 11 State Farm/MVC WBB Tournament Springfield, Mo. 1:05 pm MVC
State Farm/MVC WBB Tournament Springfield, Mo. 3:35 pm MVC
March 12 State Farm/MVC WBB Tournament Springfield, Mo. 3:05 pm MVC
April 16 Missouri State @ Wichita State (Baseball) Wichita, Kan. 1:05 pm ESPNU
May 7 Creighton @ Missouri State (Baseball) Springfield, Mo. 12:05 pm MVC
May 13 State Farm/MVC Softball Tournament Omaha, Neb. 6:05 pm MVC
May 27 ConAgra Foods/MVC Baseball Wichita, Kan. 7:05 pm MVC