Two more subpar seasons put Burns on the hot seat entering 1965, but the 1965 team was predicted to do well. Instead, Iowa finished the year 1–9, and Burns was fired by his former mentor Evashevski. Evy now had to find a new head coach, and he resisted cries to fill the post himself. Instead, he tabbed Ray Nagel of Utah for the spot. Nagel seemed like an odd choice, since his record at Utah was unspectacular. His hiring was questioned even more after he had a 3–16–1 record in 1966 and 1967 at Iowa. However, the Hawkeyes set several school and conference offensive records in 1968 and finished with a 5–5 record. Many Iowa fans felt that the program had turned a corner and that 1969 would be the year that the Hawks broke through with a winning record and possibly a Rose Bowl bid.