As we embark upon March Madness, I’ve been reflecting on the lackluster Iowa Hawkeye’s 2024/25 athletic season. Namely, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, and football. It’s been rough, Hawk fans. It’s been rough.
Ladies first.
I’m not over losing Caitlin. Any-time I see highlights showcasing #22 draining deep threes to win games or break records, I die a little inside…she does it time and time again! Those four years we had with her were magnificent. I didn’t appreciate them enough at the time (I tried) and now I’m lamenting the void from Carver-Hawkeye Arena like a painful breakup. My heart aches for her. Thank God for the WNBA!
I applaud loyal Iowa fans. They have come out to support the current women’s basketball team well aware Caitlin’s grandeur is a memory. We get teensy tastes here and there of the past magic from Lucy Olsen when she splashes threes or drives to the basket for the and one. It’s then I contemplate what could have been had Lucy played for Iowa all four years of her college career. Can you imagine Olsen’s 20+ points combined with Clark’s 30+? Maybe we would have defeated LSU in the national championship game. Maybe. For the record, Angel Reese was never in contention for the WNBA rookie of the year, injury or no injury. But I digress…
A nod to our new head coach, Jan Jensen as she tries her best to rebuild a team after losing the GOAT. It’s a herculean task but I’m optimistic that with several freshmen producing solid minutes this season, perhaps in a year or two, we’ll be back in contention. In the meantime, I’m extending Jan grace and patience as she solves this unique puzzle. One freshman I’m particularly excited about is 6′ 4″ center, Ava Heiden. I believe she could be the next Megan Gustafson; provided we don’t lose her to the transfer portal.
Let’s talk men’s basketball.
Fran McCaffery is, well, Fran. Hired in 2010, he’s Iowa’s winningest head basketball coach, leading the Hawks to the NCAA tournament seven times, and the NIT four times, yet never finishing first in the Big 10 conference.
I like Fran’s fast-paced, quick-on-transition, aggressive style. He recruits solid shooters, has an annoying penchant for small, out-of-control point guards, and is a loose cannon whose assistant coaches hold him back from throttling a ref when a call doesn’t go his way.
Don’t get me wrong, I like an emotional coach; it shows he’s invested, but when Fran pulled that embarrassing stare-down stunt with an official back in 2023 (see photo) – I lost a lot of respect for him. Fast forward to this season, with a 6-10 conference record (as of this writing,) he now parks himself on the sidelines, hands stuffed in his pockets resigned to neither an NCAA nor NIT tournament berth. In Fran’s defense, he lost Owen Freeman, one of his best players, to injury. However, the men’s team “meh” factor came into sharp focus during the Caitlin years when the women were selling out Carver and the men were not. When that happens, you know something has gone terribly awry!
I agree with Sioux City, Iowa sports writer Blake Hornstein, who wrote, “The consequence of perpetual mediocrity is apathy. Loyal fans will invest, but attendance and television ratings don’t lie. For the Iowa men’s basketball program, we’re beyond that point.”
Nailed it – it’s time for Fran to take his red-faced freakouts to a different program (Iowa State?). And maybe while Iowa’s Athletic Director, Beth Goetz is buying Fran out of his contract, she could do something about the pathetic student section at Carver – think Gonzaga’s Kennel Club or Illinois’ Orange Krush as great examples. Oops, I’m digressing again…
Finally…football.
It was Monday, December 30, 2024 when I sent the following text to my family group chat: “Not watching Iowa football anymore until Kirk is gone. Punting on fourth and two, down three with three minutes left in a BOWL GAME is the FINAL STRAW!” I’d witnessed that scenario play out enough in past Hawks’ seasons but this was too much. If the coaching staff doesn’t have enough confidence in our guys to gain TWO yards when it counts, I refuse to commit to another season. I’d rather watch the Hofbräu Masskrugstemmen Steinholding championships on The Ocho.
Oddly enough, Kirk Ferentz is Iowa’s winningest football coach at 204. It’s kind of inevitable when you’ve been the coach for 27 years. Kirk needs two more wins to be the winningest Big 10 coach of all time – Woody Hayes, coach of Ohio State from 1951-1978 holds the record. So you know what that means…a 28th season of Kirk because when a guy gets that close to breaking a record he’s going to GO FOR IT!!
FYI: Kirk’s contract expires in 2029.
Anyway, I’m optimistic the women will be selected for the NCAA tournament, the men will see zero post-season action, and the football team will have another below-average season and eke out a “decent” bowl game because that’s all we can ever expect, right Hawk fans? We certainly shouldn’t hope for a national championship or anything crazy like that. Well, at least Kirk will get his title and hopefully then he’ll hang it up. Oh no, there I go again…digressing.
Caitlin’s next pre-season Fever game is May 4, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Bring on the magic!
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