Hawkeye Report Podcast

We have a jam packed podcast this week. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann open the show discussing the Iowa Basketball team suddenly picking up their two biggest wins of the season. That includes a win at Michigan State. We look back at the victory over the Spartans on Tuesday night and how Iowa was able to pull the upset.  Iowa is now potentially seeing a shot at the NCAA Tournament in the distance. We dive into the Hawkeyes resume after the wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State. How does it stack up when compared to other potential programs being mentioned as being on the bubble?  Then we discuss the Iowa women's basketball team hitting the road for a huge game on Thursday night at Indiana. Kyle previews this massive game that Iowa will likely need to keep their hopes of a Big Ten title alive. How does Iowa match up with the Hoosiers? We also look at the remaining games for Iowa and their competition for the title, Ohio State.  Finally we wrap up discussing Iowa baseball. We look back at the three game series a

It was a historic night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and that means we had to do a podcast to talk about it. The history was made by All American Caitlin Clark, who not only scored eight quick points to become the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women's basketball history, but she also set a program record by finishing with 49 points.  Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann were at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Thursday evening to discuss the incredible performance from the All American guard and the post game celebration that brought out emotions from Clark and her family.  Then we wrap up the podcast with a quick preview of the opening weekend for the Iowa baseball team and what we are excited to watch from the Hawkeyes squad, who is favored to win the Big Ten this season. 

The Hawkeye Report Podcast is basketball heavy on a Wednesday night. First, Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo look back at Iowa's loss on the road to Maryland. The Hawkeyes built an early lead and held it until the middle of the second half before seeing their offense go sideways.  What did we see in the second half that was cause for concern? What about the disparity in foul shooting in the second half? Was that a factor in the outcome? Is Iowa basically down to playing six players most of the minutes and a few random minutes for the rest of the bench? Finally we discuss the upcoming schedule and if Iowa could make it into the field for the NIT this year. Then we talk about a couple of local Quad City prep players, including one that visited Iowa City on Sunday and a freshman hoops players that fans will want to keep tabs on in the future.  We then move on to discussing Caitlin Clark and the history that she will make on Thursday night in Iowa City when she becomes the all-time leading scorer in women's college b

It's a special edition of the podcast. We preview the most anticipated season of Iowa baseball in decades. The Hawkeyes are nationally ranked with one of the top starting rotations in all of college baseball and we tap into the knowledge of our baseball beat writer Kyle Huesmann and John Evans, who is on the call for the Iowa baseball radio broadcasts.  We start with the the pitching staff, led by the potential All American Brody Brecht and including Marcus Morgan. We discuss the entire staff and who might be helping out in the back end to close out games.  Then we discuss the situation at catcher with the starter out to begin the season. After that we go around a very strong group of infielders. How good can that group be and are they one of the best fielding groups in the conference? After that we take a look at the outfield group and how there are some stars that are emerging in those three spots. Finally, we look at the schedule, which is pretty challenging, especially in the non-conference slate of games

Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa football program has hired Tim Lester to lead the Hawkeye offense in 2024. We had our first chance to talk to Ferentz since the hire and meet Lester for the first time and ask him plenty of question. We review what happened at the Tuesday press conference with our good friend from the Des Moines Register, Chad Leistikow.  We dive deep into what Ferentz had to say on Tuesday and how it was somewhat different than the interview he gave Gary Dolphin late last week. How did that improve how Iowa fans are feeling about the hire of Lester.  We also look at what Lester had to say in his time at the podium. What it was important that he said he would be in the press box calling plays and what he said about the offense he plans to put together this fall in Iowa City.  Finally, we also discuss the news late today that Special Teams Coordinator Levar Woods interviewed with the Tampa Bay Bucs about their open special teams coaching position. What could it mean that he took that step? 

The news that Iowa has a new offensive coordinator went official on Wednesday. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo discuss the continued reaction to the hiring of Tim Lester. Why has it been mixed from Iowa fans and what should Hawkeye followers look to hear from the new coordinator and Kirk Ferentz when they meet with the media next week? What are two important things that Lester needs to accomplish this spring should Iowa hit the portal for a quarterback this spring? Then we discuss the vacant wide receiver coaching position and if there is a frontrunner for that job. After that we turn our attention to the Iowa basketball team. They had a shot to pull off a come from behind win at Indiana and let it get away late. Why is Iowa struggling to close out tight games? What needs to change on that front and why has Ben Krikke been struggling of late?  We also dive into Iowa's resume this year and project their record moving forward. What would it take to get to the NCAA Tournament this season? 

The Iowa Hawkeyes have hired a new offensive coordinator and as promised that means we are doing an emergency podcast! Tom Kakert and Blair Sanderson for 30 minutes breaking down all the angles of this very interesting and up and down hiring of a new offenisve coordinator to guide the Iowa offense in 2024. We look at the background of Tim Lester and what he brings to the table from that perspective. We dive into the stats that he posted as a coordinator back when he was guiding the offense at Syracuse and then eventually becoming the head coach at his alma mater, Western Michigan. What do we think of his tenure leading the Broncos program and why he was dismissed after the 2022 season.  What were the offensive numbers they put up and what kind of an offense did Lester tend to run during his time as a head coach? Will we see more RPO looks from the Hawkeyes and is he a fan of complementary football, like KIrk Ferentz? 

A lot of ground to cover on the podcast today. We are joined by Kyle Huesmann and start this week with the Iowa women's basketball team dropping a game on Sunday at Ohio State. Kyle gives his thoughts on the loss to the Buckeyes and what went wrong for Iowa and we discuss the play of Caitlin Clark in the contest.  We then discuss the after the game courtstorm and our thoughts on the folks who seem to be blaming Caitlin Clark and calling her a flopper based on a slow motion video. We also talk about how security needs to be better for the opposing teams in those situations.  Next we move on to Kadyn Proctor committing to the Iowa football program. What he said about his commitment to the Hawkeyes and what it might be like for the Hawkeye offensive line this fall. We also discuss why Iowa didn't tamper with Proctor.  Then we update the on-going search for an offensive coordinator and when Iowa might have one in place with interviews taking place this week. Finally we wrap up talking Iowa basketball and the loss

It's somewhat of an emergency podcast today with news that Iowa has officially hired Beth Goetz as their athletic director. Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo discuss the hiring, which shouldn't have come as a surprise. We talk about the job she has done since she arrived in Iowa City and how she has given a warm embrace to the Iowa Swarm Collective and also how she made a decision on Iowa's offensive coordinator. We also talk about how she is well prepared and equiped for the changing landscape of college athletics.  Then we talk about the hiring that hasn't happened and that's the Iowa offensive coordinator position. Where do things stand and could this search be headed into the next week, which would be beyond the expecation that Kirk Ferentz had about a month ago. Are there any new candidates that are emerging?  Next we discuss Kadyn Proctor, who officially entered the NCAA Transfer Portal on Thursday. What are Iowa's chances to land the five star offensive tackle? What would Iowa's offensive line look like if

A very interesting podcast this week. Our good friend Tory Brecht joins us to talk about his recent columns on Iowa basketball and the lack of fan support. What are the root causes to the lack of support and what can be done to fix it? We have a lot of different theories.  We dive into what we like about this Iowa basketball team and some of the very positive comments from Stephen Bardo this week about how connected this team is on the court in their play. We also discuss what record it would take for the Hawkeyes to reach the NCAA Tournament?  Then we turn our attention to the never ending search for a new offensive coordinator. After not landing on Paul Chryst or Joe Philbin, who might Kirk Ferentz be looking at? Could he be eyeing an NFL coach? Does Kirk's past hires tell us the type of person that he will likely end up hiring?  Finally we discuss the football coaching news of the day, rewarding the great Phil Parker and keeping a rising star in Seth Wallace on the coaching staff. 

Plenty to discuss on this edition of the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Matt Randazzo is back and we open the podcast discussing several Iowa football players deciding that they will use their Covid year and return for one more season. What's the impact of those decisions and the return of five starters on the Iowa defense? Then we talk about the scholarship situation. The Hawkeyes will eventually have to get to 85 scholarship players and they currently sit at 90. How will they get down to that number and when do they have to be there? Also, do the Hawkeyes need to dive into the transfer portal this spring and land a quarterback? Any other positions?  Next we discuss the search for an offensive coordinator. What's the latest the search and is it close to coming to a conclusion? Is Paul Chryst the frontrunner? Could Joe Philbin still be in the mix? Is there a mystery candidate?  Finally we wrap up talking Iowa men's and women's basketball. What have we seen from Owen Freeman and how impressive has he been? How import

Happy New Year! The podcast is back and to open the year it's Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann with a whole lot of ground to cover. We open discussing Cooper DeJean heading to the NFL. Where does DeJean rank among the Iowa defensive backs in the Ferentz era?  Then we update where things stand with the remaining Iowa players who could come back next year. Will Quinn Schulte, Sebastian Castro, or Nick Jackson be back for one more season? The Hawkeyes are also hitting the portal....maybe. We give you the latest on quarterback target Ty Thompson and if he's still visiting Iowa this weekend.  Next up with update the search for an offensive coordinator. Is Kirk Ferentz zeroing in on a target and could that decision be coming as soon as this weekend? Who is the leader right now for this position?  Finally we discuss the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and discuss the play of Deacon Hill and what we saw from Marco Lainez. We also talk about the great Caitlin Clark and her game winner against Michigan State and we talk Iowa men's ba

We had to squeeze one more podcast in before the holidays. There was a good reason because Brock Harding had his first career double-double for the Hawkeyes, so Matt Randazzo needed to take a victory lap.  We talks about Harding's big night, but also Ben Krikke and Payton Sandfort having a double-double and Tony Perkins catching fire. But, this leads to a larger discussion of why Iowa fans are not coming out to watch this basketball team? What, if anything, can be done to get more fans to come out to games? Then we wrap up signing day coverage with a look at the recruiting class just inked by the Hawkeyes. How do they rank nationally and what were some of the thoughts about it shared by Kirk Ferentz and Tyler Barnes. What has Barnes been focused on? Also retaining six Iowa players for next season. We discuss the chances of that happening.  Finally we wrap up picking the Big Ten bowl games this year, including the Iowa/Tennessee game. 

It's a jam packed edition of the podcast! We open the show discussing Kirk Ferentz and his presser today discussing the search for an offensive coordinator. What did he say about the search? Is he down to four candidates and did he confirm a couple of them by his responses? Also, Ferentz took some digs at a couple of other Big Ten schools and explained why he belives what he does about putting together a football program. Then we discuss what four Iowa players said today at their presser and if it means Jay Higgins and Sebastian Castro are coming back for one more season? What about several other player returning/ Could we see Cooper DeJean back for one more year and what about Luke Lachey? We discuss the upcoming signing day on Wednesday. Iowa is up to 21 players in this class, including punter Rhys Dakin from Australia. Who are the biggest names in this class that includes six four star prospects in the Class of 2024. Finally we wrap up discussing Iowa mens and womens basketball and what we learned from the

Plenty of ground to cover this week on the Hawkeye Report Podcast. Tom Kakert and Kyle Huesmann dive deep in to Iowa hoops on this weeks show. We start with Iowa women's basketball and their win over Wisconsin and what we learned from that victory. What are we seeing from several players taking on larger role on the Hawkeye women's team in recent weeks. We also discuss the play of Caitlin Clark if she is actually bored by playing at the college level, as was suggested this week. Plus we talk about the Indiana Fever getting the #1 pick and if that impacts Clark heading to the WNBA.  THen we talk Iowa men's basketball after what was an extremely rough week for the Hawkeyes, losing three games in a row by double figures. Is it time to panic about Iowa basketball this season? What changes could be made to the starting lineup? Why has Iowa struggled in these three game sets in early December since they started this up in 2017?  Finally we wrap up discussing a few notes on Iowa football. A tip of the cap to Tory Ta

It's transfer portal season and also retention of current player season. We dive into that very hot topic this week towards the end of the podcast. We discuss three players who are weighing the NFL vs. a return to Iowa. There is also a group of players who were honored on Senior Day and could potentially return for another season. What are the chances that any or all of those players return? How is this impacting Iowa's scholarship situation and their ability to look to portal prospects.  First, we open talking about the Iowa women's hoops squad going to Ames and winning over Iowa State. Of course the headline starts with Caitlin Clark reaching 3,000 career points. Then we dive into the Iowa men's basketball team and preview their game in Ames on Thursday night. How important are the next two games for the Hawkeyes.  Then we wrap up some Iowa football discussions from the Big Ten title game and we take an early look at the match-up between Iowa and Tennessee in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.   

The Hawkeyes fell to Michigan on Saturday night in the Big Ten title game. We open this edition of the Chuck Long Podcast discussing the result of the contest with the Iowa legend. Can you teach pocket awareness or are you just who you are when it comes to that area of the game?  Then we talk about the match-up with Tennessee and their head coach Josh Heupel. Back in 2000, Long was the quarterback coach at Oklahoma and actually coached Heupel to a runner-up finish for the Heisman Trophy. He talks about how detail oriented he was as a player and why he is not surprised that Heupel has become a good coach. We also discuss the unique line splits that Tennessee will use and why they line up the way they do.  Finally we talk about the bowl prep for Iowa and giving players time off and other getting more work in practice and also the decisions by the college football playoff committee and if they made the right call of Alabama ahead of Florida State. 

It's a new Hawkeye Report Podcast! Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo open the show taking one final look back at the wild win over Nebraska. Then we move on to discussing the match-up for the Big Ten Title on Saturday in night in Indy when Iowa faces Michigan. We break down the Iowa/Michigan from all the angles and take a look at a potential path for the Hawkeyes to pull off what would be a massive upset. How could Iowa beat Michigan and what would the game look like? Is there a target score for Iowa to hit or prevent Michigan to get to on Saturday night? Then we talk about bowl game options for the Hawkeyes and then we dive into portal madness. Iowa hasn't gotten caught up in the portal departures yet. When could that happen and what positions will they look to add.  Finally we pick some games and talk about the development of Owen Freeman and a busy and challenging week ahead for the Iowa basketball team, including trips to Purdue and Iowa State. 

We wrap up the regular season with another edition of the Chuck Long Podcast. This week we open up discussing the wild win over Nebraska. It wasn't a very exciting game until the final two minutes. We look back at the coaching decisions that were made by both teams and how it worked out for the Hawkeyes. We also dive back into the plays that we called in those sequences and what we saw from both teams.  We talk a little bit about what you do with a struggling kicker as a coach and what you might do this week in that sitaution and how the kickoff issue is very important.  Then we dive into a preview of Michigan. Why is the early portion of the game the most important part and how it's expected that Michigan will come out strong. What's the path for Iowa to pull the upset on Saturday night? Can they do it? We also have a look at the opening of the transfer portal and trying to keep your own players while looking to enhance your own roster and continue to recruit towards signing day in a few weeks. Finally we pi

This week on the Hawkeye Report Podcast, Tom Kakert and Matt Randazzo take one final look back at the win over Illinois. What we saw on Saturday with Brian Ferentz and a salute to Joe Evans for his leadership with this Iowa team. We also talk about how Deacon Hill has continued to develop as a quarterback.  Then we discuss Friday's game against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are looking to become bowl eligible with a win, but they are a team that has turned the ball over a lot this season. They are also a very strong defensive team that plays a lot like Iowa State in terms of their base formation.  We discuss whether Iowa fans should be rooting for Ohio State or Michigan on Saturday and we give our predictions on several important games in college football this weekend. Plus we dive into the bowl outlook for the Iowa as things stand right now.  Finally we wrap up talking Iowa basketball as the Hawkeyes face Oklahoma on Thanksgiving Day and then play either USC or Seton Hall on Friday in San Diego.