In last Friday’s presidential debate, Senator John McCain stated that a major problem with our governmental departments is a lack of accountability. I would venture to say the same holds true for the Iowa Hawkeye’s coaching staff.

Kirk Ferentz’s salary was the highest for a college football coach when it was first agreed upon. Current reports put him anywhere from 2nd to 8th in the nation (depending on endorsements and incentives) making slightly over 3 million dollars per year.

Some would argue this is a reasonable salary for a coach bringing in BCS bowls and contending for national championships. But what about a coach who has not won more than 7 games in one of the past three seasons? What about a team who has so many legal issues that reports of players being arrested have become commonplace on the nightly news? What about a team who is losing recruits so quickly, they are fast becoming the “New Northwestern?” Meanwhile, Joe Paterno has his Nittany Lions currently ranked 6 in the country at a bargain 1.6 million/year.

I am not saying Ferentz is a bad guy- by all reports he seems to be just the opposite. Where is the accountability though? Who takes responsibility when a dozen members of the team are suspended for legal troubles? How can one accept the huge salary in good conscience after the events and performance of the past three years? Ferentz may be a great guy, but it is time to step up and make some changes.

In addition, if Kirk Ferentz is a true Hawkeye, it is time to start acting like one. It seems that every year Kirk makes the “finalists” list for every major coaching job that becomes available. A perfect example was last year’s Michigan coaching job. We all knew Ferentz was not going anywhere. Lets be honest, Michigan did not want anything to do with that contract. Nor will anyone pay him anything comparable based on the performance of the last three years. Yet news channels continued to report how Ferentz was in the running.

I believe that if you are a real Hawkeye come out and say it. Announce to the press that you have struggled, but you are proud to be a Hawkeye and do not plan on leaving without a championship. A little pride and belief in your team goes a long way in my mind. Hayden Fry also had difficult seasons, but his pride in Hawkeye football never wavered.

So here we go again. After two straight losses, the Hawks are looking like they are on pace to repeat their performance of the last three years. Where does it end? A decision needs to be made. Are we happy with mediocre 6-7 seasons? If so why not put in a coach for 500,000/year to accomplish just that. Or do we want to become a powerhouse and once again have a team to be proud of? A team like those Ferentz has coached in the past.

We can have virtually any coach in the country for what Kirk is being paid. It is time to make the necessary changes to get us back to a team we can believe in. A team that Iowans can be proud of and a team comprised of players who act more like role models and less like gang bangers.

This weekend should be interesting. The Hawks appear to have a team packed with more talent than has been seen in several years. Coaching is fast becoming the question. Will the Hawks be able to march into Spartan Stadium and come away with a win? Will our $3 million/year investment in Ferentz be enough to stand up to $1,150,000/year Mark Dantonio’s Spartans? It is time to step up and show us why we are paying you “the big bucks.”

I have been a Iowa Hawkeye fan all my life, but there is a question that has been nagging at me lately. At what point is it acceptable to begin rooting for the Hawks to lose out force changes within the coaching staff? It seems that this may be the only way to improve upon the mediocrity that has somehow become acceptable.

Fact of the Day: In the 1997 fiscal year, Hayden Fry was paid $264,159 to coach the Iowa Hawkeye men’s football team.

Ryan’s Saturday Prediction: Iowa Hawkeyes 13 Michigan State Spartans 21