and had a lot of inside knowledge. so to add some points...
During the 1st year, Iowa boosters were constantly in Brand's ear. I was in the hallway at Tech, one day with a couple of other people, and heard him cussing on the phone, that he "didn't need Gable holding his f****** hand. He was staying put." So we felt good that he was staying.

Then, as you say, Iowa signed a lower ranked class and those Iowa boosters started screaming. Tech signed a monster class. That is when I think the wheels in Iowa started turning. We still felt he was staying regardless of what the scuttlebutt was saying. He had signed another huge class (with 3 Cburg kids). He redshirted the entire 1st class and we started wondering what was going on. He told us that it was so that the 2 combined recruiting classes would give us a National Championship the first year. Sounded good to us....

Then the word came that Iowa had fired Coach Z and Brands was leaving. That day, Brands walked into practice at Cburg and told "his" signees (at this point) that they could follow him to Iowa. I know this for fact, I was setting with some of the recruits' parents as it happened.

THAT is what pissed me off. That and the redshirt deal is what really pissed off the admin.

Now just to let all know, we thought a lot of those VT5 kids. they worked out with our kids in camps and club settings. We got to know them and they were great kids.

They were given a deal and chose to go on to Iowa anyway. That was their choice. I personally think that they thought the program would fold and they would be released anyway and that was why they didn't really consider the Tech offer. In the few days it took the Admin to hire Dresser, the 5 had drawn their line on the mat by that point.

No one that was involved in the entire episode is at either place but Brands, so he is the one that can call off this silly game of hide and go seek he is playing with us.