FAYETTEVILLE — Paul Rhoads knows as well as any coach how talent, or lack thereof, can affect a football program.
The lack of talent was Rhoads' biggest problem as the head coach at Iowa State. In seven seasons leading the Cyclones, Rhoads went 26-48.
In his first year, he guided ISU to a 7-5 finish, just the program’s eighth winning season in three decades. After winning fans over with his fiery postgame speeches and an 18-20 record with three bowl appearances the first four years, the wheels fell off the next three years with just eight wins.