Review of "Evy and the Hawkeyes," by Brian Chapman and Mike Chapman

 Review of

Evy and the Hawkeyes, by Brian Chapman and Mike Chapman ISBN 0880111860

Five out of five stars

Story of Iowa powerhouse football teams

 The University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team has been one that has periods of greatness in between periods of futility. They once went 20 seasons without posting a winning record. Yet, right before the start of this streak of futility, there was a five year period when the team was consistently a national powerhouse. Including one year where they were considered the national champion. These were the last years of coach Forest (Evy) Evashevski and this book is a history of his time as coach.

Before he arrived, the Hawkeye football team was in an era of relative mediocrity and his first years were a time of rebuilding. The book is also a biography of Evy, including his years as a quarterback for the University of Michigan and the Iowa Pre-flight Seahawks during World War II. My favorite story was when the opposing coach ran on the field screaming about a play and Evy quickly called the next play and ran it to where the coach was standing so that he would be run over and called for interference.

 The Iowa football history is one that demonstrates the reality that some coaches just have what it takes while others do not. Evy clearly did and this is a history of a glorious era of University of Iowa football.