Thanks Dan

Coach,

After 12 hard-fought years, off you go. To start the next chapter of your coaching career. Who knows where or what that will be, yet I wish you the best of luck. But before you go, I must thank you for your dedication to Cyclone football.

Thanks for sticking it out in those early years when things were about as ugly as they could get – all the while remaining a positive individual. I can’t imagine how tough it must be to come back after 1-2 win seasons with a smile on your face and love in your heart for ISU. That alone helped this program far more than anyone realizes.

Thank you for 1998. Your team that year converted me from the evil darkness into the Cardinal & Gold that is the Cyclones. Growing up a Hawkeye fan, I made a wager with the people on my dorm floor – if ISU somehow defeated Iowa, I’d convert immediately after the game. If Iowa won, I would remain a Hawkeye fan and would never again be harassed by my neighbors. As fate would have it, your team not only defeated Iowa – you beat them soundly. I’ll never forget that end-around to J.J. Moses. Nor the mayhem that ensued in Ames after that win. The renewed rivalry between Iowa and Iowa State couldn’t get any better.

Thanks for Iowa State’s first bowl appearance in forever and their first bowl win – ever. Another win over Iowa, a close win at Colorado and then the glorious win over Pitt. Couple this major accomplishment with what ISU basketball accomplished in 2000 - ISU fans couldn’t ask for more.

Thank you for winning your first game over the much-hated Huskers. 2002 was bittersweet, with a heartbreaking loss to FSU, an amazing comeback win over a very good Iowa team, “The Run” vs. Texas Tech, a #9 ranking and then the debacle that was Oklahoma and beyond. We’ll never forget that win over the Huskers though – by 22 points! ABC was there and so was Jack Arute (sp). Images of him getting mobbed on the field by fans as more fans piled on the goal posts – these we’ll have for a lifetime.

Thank you for getting up, dusting yourself off and trying again after falling short. It can’t be easy to be the Cyclone football coach. I imagine it’s one of the tougher jobs out there from a recruiting standpoint and competing against the bigger schools week in and week out. However, never did you hang your head, not once did you give up on your other coaches or players. You never called out the fans for leaving games early or not showing up for big ones. You always, always maintained your character, composure and positive attitude.

Thank you for being such an important part of the coach’s clinics and helping other young coaches to learn and grow in this wonderful game of football. The ISU clinic is one of the best around – you and your staff do a fantastic job putting it on. I learned more than I know what to do with this past April.

Thank you for being the classy guy we know you are and stepping up to the podium instead of Pollard needing to fire the guy everyone loves. You thanked Mr. Pollard in front of everyone on the day you and he deiced it was best to part ways. You bought everyone at the Applebee’s drinks and desert on your last call-in show. Through all the pain and tears in the last week, you’ve done your best to maintain the focus on your players – especially the seniors. You understand you’ll get to coach again while most of them will play their last football game ever on Saturday.

Coach, some of us are going to cry because it’s over. But I can guarantee you most of us are damn glad and will smile big because you happened to ISU.

Thanks for the memories,

A humble Cyclone fan.

Beautiful.

Too bad football is a big business. Not too many coaches like Dan left in the game. Interesdting that Barney, Mike Grant, and one other coach had Nebraska ties from the nineties. Now we will have a New Generation Coaching system tied into the pro system. Different, more wins, but will it be better in the end? I am not sure Bill Callahan approach to football was as satisfying as Tom Osborne approach IMO.

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Originally Posted by Angie

Beautiful.

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Couldn't have said it any better.

Great post!

ISUFan22
You became a Cyclone via a bet with the dorm floor?
Could you have ever thought how great it is to be a Cyclone?
God Bless You.

I've always thought you posted a ridiculous amount of times on this forum, but now I realize it is your penance for your 18 or so years of Hawkeye fanhood...

It's hard to believe the ending of the MAC era is upon us. From his own words; We can't be sad because Coach's reign as a Cyclone is ending, we have to be glad because it happened & we were all able to participate in the ride.

We owe MAC for so many things & there's so little time to thank him. I will never forget: 5 wins over Iowa(undefeated during my college years & restoring the best in-state rivalry in the country), 1st Bowl game victory against Pitt in the desert-how awesome that trip was!, 5 trips to bowl games in 6 years, Talking with MAC at local Cyclone club outings & chatting one on one afterwards at a local watering hole, the list goes on & on.

You will be hard pressed to know another individual as classy as MAC as evidenced by the last week's events; what a gentleman. All of us are teary eyed about the change and MAC is embracing it & using it as a celebration of his time at ISU. We should all follow in his footsteps by meeting the team buses 2 hrs prior to kick-off, attending ALL of tomorrow's game, observing the Senior day activities, saluting him with the longest standing ovation JTS has ever seen & cheering on the Clones like no other. It's the least we can do to recognize all he has done for us as Alumni, Students, Fans, Residents of the state of Iowa & most importantly CYCLONES!!

Thanks again Coach!! We've had one hell of a ride with stops in Phoenix, Manhattan, Shreveport(Twice), Lawrence, Boise, Lincoln, Houston, Boulder & Iowa City(6 times).

We'll be cheering you on wherever you go as I know you will always be a Cyclone!!

This is a lovely tribute to a fine man. Thanks for sharing!

Thats a good qoute on your sig amyk.

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Originally Posted by guitarchitect7

Thats a good qoute on your sig amyk.

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thanks...it's from the interview mac did last night on woi w/ john walters.

yeah i missed that. Maybe there will be a replay.

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Originally Posted by guitarchitect7

yeah i missed that. Maybe there will be a replay.

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check out this thread for a link...

http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/...ead.php?t=3456

It's tough to quantify the work you've done for Iowa State, because not all of it is measured in numbers... as you brought the fan base and it's spirit to never before seen levels. Thanks Dan!

P.S. Thanks for letting me into the Jacobson Building when I was locked out that one time too, even though it was in the middle of your workout, and really late at night.

THANKS AMYK