Hawkeye Goulash: Positive Ambivalence
Honestly, I could go for some goulash right now, but alas, I do not believe we have ever made that in my 25 years of marriage…which means I need to become the change I wish to see in my world. Hamburger Helper, perhaps?
MEN’S BASKETBALL: On Thursday, Jack McCaffery, Fran’s youngest son and Class of 2025 Top 50-ish basketball prospect, gave an interview to 247Sports where he said that he has already made up his mind and spoken with his family about his desire to attend college away from ‘home’, which means, somewhere other than the University of Iowa.
A lot of folks were surprised by this, but I was not. That’s not to say I was predicting he would play basketball for someone other than his father, but I felt it was not a foregone conclusion he would attend Iowa. Why is that?
Because we have all been witness to Connor and Patrick playing basketball for their father at Iowa. Unless you are blind, you’ve also seen a great deal of blowback against the McCaffery boys, or rather, and I should say, that is my opinion. This is also not uncommon whenever sons play for their fathers at the college level and it’s not unique to Iowa. However, there have been times when the level of vitriol or expectation, etc., from some segments of the fanbase, has been uncomfortable, at the least.
I also won’t put all that blame on the fans. The McCaffery’s are a reasonably volatile crew in expressing their emotions on gamedays, be that on the court, the sideline, or in the stands and tunnels beneath the stadium. You often do not have to guess what the McCafferys think; they will tell you.
I admire and appreciate that, as that’s how I live my life. But I realize I have often been my own worst enemy because of my penchant to speak freely and at times, I should use velvet gloves instead of a sledgehammer.
Considering Jack will be entering his junior year of high school this fall, and considering the powerful personalities of his parents and being a parent myself, I tend to believe this is something that Fran and Margaret were likely not only on board with but could have potentially seeded. I am also a parent, and if I put myself in their position, I might very well have encouraged my children to do the same thing, as in look elsewhere, get away, and avoid the extra layer of spotlight and scrutiny that Connor and Patrick just went through, which at times has felt unfair. Again, my opinion.
At this stage of his development, Jack is going to have no shortage of suitors for his skills. Some analysts believe he is the best of the bunch, and time will prove or disprove that.
I also believe that Iowa’s recruiting at the guard position, something that has never been easy for the program, was hampered (to some degree) by Connor’s spot on the roster and to a lesser extent, Patrick. Opposing coaches have certainly played up that angle to prospects, saying things like, ‘Do you really think there is going to be a fair competition for playing time against the coach’s son?’
Regardless, it appears that Patrick’s 2023-2024 season could be the last time a McCaffery scion is on the Iowa men’s basketball roster…which leads to another discussion…
WHOLESALE COACHING TURNOVER IN THE OFFING?
Patrick McCaffery tweeted this on Thursday:
https://twitter.com/patrickmccaff22/status/1669526925071507470
“10 toes down w my baby brother ALWAYS! this is a decision he made for himself. has nothing to do w my father retiring or going anywhere else.”
Look, I will not sit here and say that Patrick is anything other than a supporting brother and son. I like Patrick and Connor, and I don’t have any direct and personal reason to dislike Fran.
However, it would not shock me if this coming season was Fran’s last at Iowa. It would not shock me if he stayed beyond this year, either. But something like Jack’s comments on getting away from home, and my belief that the parents likely brought up the topic and fully endorsed, increases the percentage that this could be Fran’s last year at Iowa. Again, to repeat, I am not saying that is going to happen or that I firmly believe he will be done at Iowa this year…it’s just more likely now than it was a few days ago.
Fran’s first contract at Iowa was for $650,000 a year. His current deal, which was recently extended to the 2027-2028 season, or five years from now, pays Fran roughly $2.2M annually.
The fact that Fran isn’t making $3M to $5M per year holds me back from leaning into this notion even harder than I am. Fran is 64, which, while not being ‘old’, means he’s closer to the end of his career than to the beginning. If Fran wants to make one more move before he is done, next spring would be the time to do it, as he will no longer have a son on the roster.
After the conclusion of the 2023-2024 season, half of Fran’s time in Iowa City will have included at least one son on the roster, including the past four seasons with two sons on the roster.
How will the job feel when he walks out onto the court without family there? I realize that most head coaches never coach their own sons, but that doesn’t matter; Fran has, and it’s been a part of his family dynamic for what will be seven straight years…there is going to be a big something missing from his day to day…and 14 years at one place is a long time.
We will see what happens, and I am not saying that I hope Fran leaves. His teams play a very exciting brand of basketball, one that most Iowa fans have come to expect from the Hawkeyes, dating back to Dr. Tom’s up-tempo style. Iowa’s style has translated well to the regular season, and, as was the case with Dr. Tom’s teams, it allows Iowa to punch at a higher weight class than their collective sum of talent would otherwise have you believe.
Unfortunately, March is the ultimate truth serum. Iowa’s consistent lack of triple-threat guards is their undoing in the tournament. Still, as I have said before, the journey to March Madness is over four months’ worth of games and discussions and is far more valuable to me as a fan than winning two games in March to get to the Sweet 16. I want to be entertained as much as I can be for as long as I can, and Fran’s teams have done that.
If Fran decides to move on to another challenge or call it a career, I will wish him well. If he chooses to keep going, I will wish him well. Let’s call that positive ambivalence.
As for the ‘wholesale changes’ I mentioned to start this section, that’s just going back to last week, where I said that given what Kirk Ferentz has in place for this coming season, namely a senior Big Ten Champion quarterback under center, with an impressive array of offensive weapons around him, elite specialists returning and a defense that should once again be a Top Ten national unit, it will all come down to offensive line development and growth. If the Offensive Line makes solid strides, this team should win the Big Ten West. If Iowa wins 11 games this coming year, including bowl play, Ferentz will have the .600 career winning percentage required to be considered for the College Football Hall of Fame.
I doubt the HOF aspect enters into Kirk’s calculus, but it just feels like something like that could be a mountaintop moment to retire on.
If Kirk decides to move on to another challenge or call it a career, I will wish him well. If he chooses to keep going, I will wish him well. Let’s call that positive ambivalence.