A little bit of everything in our weekly post press conference visit with Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeye head coach touches on recruiting and early commitments, if they would look at adding another quarterback in 2013, to special uniforms this weekend, to why he doesn't bring up criticisms he faces from the media at press conferences like Hayden Fry used to do.


Q: What about the jersey's you are wearing this weekend? Do you like them?

FERENTZ: I do. I like them. They are unique.

Q: Are you going to be wearing something different?

FERENTZ: No, I will be wearing my normal game day battle regalia. No fatigues.

Q: Between you and Coach Fry, you have set fan expectations high here at Iowa. What do you tell people now about the future of the Iowa Football program based on where the program is at now?

FERENTZ: I think we have the greatest fans in the world. I am appreciative of that and I appreciate their support. I think it has been fantastic and I appreciate the good things in life.

Q: What do you tell them about the future?

FERENTZ: I am optimistic. We are going to continue to work hard and that is what we have tried to do for 13 plus years.

Q: You already have a verbal commitment at quarterback in the Class of 2013. Are you looking at other quarterbacks in this class?

FERENTZ: As I said earlier, we have a few scholarships left and will try to do the most intelligent things we can. It's like the draft, too. You try to get the three, four, or five or two best players available and you try to help the team. But, it's an ongoing process.

Q: The whole recruiting cycle has sped up in the past few years. Greg Davis came from Texas where they always have a lot of commitments early. Is that something that influenced you?

FERENTZ: No, it's a national trend from what I can tell. I haven't gone back and looked at things recently, but my guess is now if you don't have 10 or 12 guys committed that you are a total failure as a program. (laugh) That doesn't mean you are getting the 10 to 12 best players. That is the danger. If you think historically about some of the players we have had in our program, there is no way they would have been offered prior to their senior season. I am trying to be mindful of that, but at the same time I am very pleased with the guys that are engaged with us right now. The whole process has sped up.

Q: You have discovered quite a few guys in their senior year.

FERENTZ: Stanzi and Vandenberg. Chad Greenway wasn't a big recruit. Bob Sanders. Ed Hinkel…right on down the line. Bullock was late January.

Q: Do you fear that you would be missing out on players like that?

FERENTZ: I am worried about that. Absolutely. Brandon Myers, Tanner Miller, go right on down the list. There is balance there. I am not sure I know the formula.

Q: Are you still thinking high teens for total commitments the 2013 class?

FERENTZ: Yeah, I think that is what we are looking at.

Q: Was the uniform idea for this weekend from Paul Federicci?

FERENTZ: Idea guys. I am not an idea guy. Clearly it wasn't me. (laugh). Fed was the driving force.

Q: Did they talk with you about it?

FERENTZ: Not necessarily. I know this is Veterans Day weekend. My only question on the whole thing was whatever we do; I don't want to offend anyone in the military. So we checked with the people who have good expertise in all branches and wanted to make sure everyone thought it was a good idea. I think it is really a nice way to honor a special group of people. You know I am hardly on ground level, but a good friend of mine is really involved with the homeless veteran's issue. There are no politics involved in that and it's all about what is right and what is wrong. Any recognition we can give to those vets is a good thing. Today is a great example of that. We all have the right to vote and you can't say that about a lot of places. If we are doing something positive that is a great thing.

Q: You don't spend time talking about your critics in the media at press conferences like this or in other public forums. Many of your colleagues don't do that. Why don't you do it?

FERENTZ: It comes with the territory. That is how I look at it. It's part of my job. I don't mind it when you guys are telling me I did a great job. I try not to respond to that either, so it's the same when it goes the other way. It's all part of the job.

Q: That is one way where you don't emulate Coach Fry.

FERENTZ: I can never be Coach Fry. Never. (laugh) I knew that coming in. I just have to be who I am and what I am comfortable doing. At the end of the day what I need to be investing my attention and energy on is our program, our players, and what is best for our players.

Q: Coach Fry, there was a method to his madness

FERENTZ: Oh yeah. (laugh) I thoroughly entertained during my nine years. He carried that into our room every now and then too. I said, don't be mad at us.

Q: He looks back and laughs at that now.

FERENTZ: Oh yeah.

Q: Will you do that too?

FERENTZ: Yeah, probably someday. Coach Fry would walk out the door and just giggle at us after driving all of us crazy too. I figured that out pretty quick, but he had fun.


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