Hayden Fry passes away at 90

#2      
We would have loved Hayden coaching our team. Class guy, and a great coach.
 
#4      

Deleted member 645583

D
Guest
I always wondered why Ioway's unis looked so similar to Steelers'. Same colors, yeah, but the design? According to BTN report, Coach Fry was responsible for that. I respect Coach for his support of farmers during the 80s' crisis, too.

He's a BIG legend.

RIP
 
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Look at Iowa's record the 15 years before Fry. The program was a train wreck including 1 winless season.

Want a good read? Read the story of Forrest Evashevski, ( the Wikipedia account is pretty accurate) Michigan All American who became Iowa's head coach and quickly built them into a national power. Not being allowed to be both head coach and AD, he destroyed the program on his way out of town.
 
#9      

BZuppke

Plainfield
I think back to those years and note that Mike White (now 83!) also played a role in breaking the Big Two’s lock on the conference:

“In 1983, Illinois won its first Big Ten title in 20 years with an overall record of 10–1, including a 9–0 conference record, and played in the 1984 Rose Bowl. It also marked the first time since 1967 that neither Michigan nor Ohio State won at least a share of the conference title.
 
#10      

Illiniaaron

Geneseo, IL
I always wondered why Ioway's unis looked so similar to Steelers'. Same colors, yeah, but the design? According to BTN report, Coach Fry was responsible for that. I respect Coach for his support of farmers during the 80s' crisis, too.

He's a BIG legend.

RIP
As a farmer myself, I always have appreciated the "America Needs Farmers" message that Fry started at Iowa, and I think they still wear the emblem on their helmets. Doesn't change my hatred for the Hawkeyes in general. As irritating as Fry was at times we would have loved to have him at Illinois I suspect. I believe I read somewhere that he also played an important role in integrating the Southwest Conference when he coached at Rice? I think it was.
 
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October 1, 1983 ....33-0... the day we beat Iowa. Remember it like it was yesterday
#wefryharder

RIP Hayden
 
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#12      
Look at Iowa's record the 15 years before Fry. The program was a train wreck including 1 winless season.

Want a good read? Read the story of Forrest Evashevski, ( the Wikipedia account is pretty accurate) Michigan All American who became Iowa's head coach and quickly built them into a national power. Not being allowed to be both head coach and AD, he destroyed the program on his way out of town.
Evashevski was a pile of horse hockey. Started a near riot against us in '52 with Iowa thugs throwing anything that wasn't nailed down at our boys from the stands. Caused the conference to suspend the series for 15 years. Evashevski never did beat Illinois.
 
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Evashevski was a pile of horse hockey. Started a near riot against us in '52 with Iowa thugs throwing anything that wasn't nailed down at our boys from the stands. Caused the conference to suspend the series for 15 years. Evashevski never did beat Illinois.

Most all of the fan base that remembers Evashevski has died off but 40 years ago fully 50% of the fan base wanted a 30 foot statue of him erected and the other 50% wanted him hung from it.
For you youngsters under 60, Evashevski wanted his successors to fail so he hamstrung recruiting. Coaches could only take recruits to one restaurant in town, needless to say not 5 star. Recruit Chicago only X number of weeks per year because it was too exspensive.

They had the Iowa state police do an investigation and it confirmed Evashevski's game playing with recruiting, et al. He retired, moved to rural northern Michigan and literally never worked the last 40 years of his life.

During a Big 10 coaches/AD meeting in the mid 60s, he got up from his chair, walked over to Woody Hayes and challenged him to step outside.

The Big 10 is so much more boring now.
 
#14      

BZuppke

Plainfield
As a farmer myself, I always have appreciated the "America Needs Farmers" message that Fry started at Iowa, and I think they still wear the emblem on their helmets. Doesn't change my hatred for the Hawkeyes in general. As irritating as Fry was at times we would have loved to have him at Illinois I suspect. I believe I read somewhere that he also played an important role in integrating the Southwest Conference when he coached at Rice? I think it was.
SMU
 
#16      
Were you a footballer or wrestler or both? Just interested.
Football. Hayden had Gable come because he thought it would help. I was very impressed with Gable. Great guy. I was eating at a Benihana in the Quad Cities 5 or 6 years later and I noticed Gable there eating. He kept glancing at me and finally walked over to say hi. Pretty impressive to remember someone who didn't commit to Iowa and only met once.