KSUFans Archives
Sports => Snyder's Electronic Cyber Space World => Topic started by: Haverhill on November 17, 2009, 01:03:44 PM
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Ames, Ia. - Internet search engines experienced heavy traffic last December when word filtered through the Iowa State football team about a guy being mentioned to be their next head coach.
"We looked up everything we could find, because I don't think there were a lot of us who knew who Paul Rhoads was," linebacker Fred Garrin said. "We wanted to see what the guy was all about."
Web sites mentioned previous assistant coaching stops like Pittsburgh and Auburn. Now it can add Rhoads being the best among the coaches hired after the 2008 season.
He goes into Saturday's 1 p.m. game at Missouri having the best turnaround of the 22 rookie coaches at their respective jobs.
At 6-5, Iowa State has four more wins than last season under Gene Chizik. Behind Rhoads on the list is Steve Sarkisian, whose Washington team is 3-7 after it went 0-12 last season under coach Tyrone Willingham.
"Look at it like this," said former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, under whom Rhoads worked in 2008.
"If I'm not mistaken, Paul's won more games in one year at Iowa State than Chizik won up there in two years."
Chizik had a 5-19 two-season record at Iowa State. He's the head coach at Auburn, where his team has won two more games than Tuberville's Tigers won last season.
"I'm pulling for (Rhoads)," said Tuberville, who is out of coaching. "I'm keeping track of what's going on at Iowa State. I think they've got a good shot to beat Missouri Saturday for their seventh win, and how great would that be?
"That first year is a tough year when you're coaching a new group of guys, but Paul had a head start because he's one of them."
That's a reference to Rhoads being an Iowa native - born in Nevada and raised in Ankeny.
"Don't underestimate that," said former Iowa State coach Johnny Majors. "That's very important at a place like Iowa State."
Majors also is a former head coach at Pittsburgh, where Rhoads worked eight seasons, including 2005-07 for coach Dave Wannstedt.
"Am I surprised at what Paul's done in his first year?" Wannstedt responded Monday. "Absolutely not. A lot of assistant coaches are great X and O guys, but fall short in recruiting. Some guys are great recruiters, but can't deal with alumni.
"Paul has a great feel for all areas that are vital in turning around a program."
He had everything except the words former head coach attached to his name.
"For a number of reasons, Jamie took a risk in hiring me," Rhoads said. "I had just got fired by Auburn as an assistant when they made the coaching move. Jamie showed great courage in putting himself out there and hiring me.
"Not many people would have done that in my opinion. I was unproven at a time when he needed a guy that could some in here and get the job done."
So far, so good.
Iowa State has reached bowl eligibility for the first time since 2005 - led by an unknown to at least some of the players he now coaches.
"I had no idea who he was," senior center Reggie Stephens said. "The first time I met him was over Christmas break.
"I dropped in his office to talk to him, and we didn't even talk much about football. We talked about families, how I was doing in school and things like that.
"I thought that was cool."
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20091116/SPORTS020602/911170347/1003/SPORTS/Iowa-State-football-A-quick-turnaround
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Who cares? Seriously.
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Who cares? Seriously.
QFT
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what does this have to do with ku?
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great thread
:peek: