Kirk Ferentz
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Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
coach. He is the current head football coach at the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...
, a position he has held since the 1999 season. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the
University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...
. He has also served as an assistant coach with the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
and
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). Ferentz played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
as a
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
at the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
from 1974 to 1976. Since 2017, he has been the longest tenured FBS coach with one program. Ferentz is the all-time wins leader at Iowa.


Playing career

Ferentz played high school football at
Upper St. Clair High School Upper St. Clair High School (USCHS) is a public secondary school in Upper St. Clair Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania and the sole high school within Upper St. Clair School District, the township's namesake ...
near
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
. He was a standout
linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
and fullback, playing under Joe Moore, eventual offensive line coach at Pitt and Notre Dame. Ferentz also played baseball as a standout left-handed
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. In 1973, Ferentz committed to play football at the
University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
. He was a football captain and an academic all-
Yankee Conference The Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. From 1947 to 1976, it sponsored competition in many sports, but was a football-only league from mid-1976 until its dissolution in 1996. It is essentially the an ...
linebacker at Connecticut. Ferentz was a team football captain and was named the ECAC Division II Defensive Player of the Week after 12 tackles and two fumble recoveries in a win against UMass. Ferentz' pregame speech against
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
helped inspire the Huskies to their only home win of his senior season. Ferentz was named academic all-conference and earned defensive MVP honors. He served as a student assistant at Connecticut in
1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democratic R ...
under head coach
Walt Nadzak Walter Nadzak Jr. (born July 14, 1936) is a former college football coach, college baseball coach, and athletic director. Nadzak's 35-year career took him to four schools, serving as head baseball coach and assistant football coach at Division III ...
.


Early coaching career


Worcester Academy

Ferentz spent the 1978 and 1979 seasons as
defensive coordinator A defensive coordinator is a coach responsible for a gridiron football (American football) team's defense. Generally, the defensive coordinator, the offensive coordinator and the special teams coordinator represent the second level of a team's c ...
and offensive line coach at
Worcester Academy Worcester Academy is a private school in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is the oldest educational institution founded in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, and one of the oldest day-boarding schools in the United States. A coeducational prepara ...
. Ferentz coached under Worcester head coach
Ken O'Keefe Ken O'Keefe (born August 18, 1953) is an American football coach and former player. He most recently served as the quarterbacks coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team, a position he held from January 2017 through February 2022. O'Keefe served ...
and alongside offensive coordinator
Mike Sherman Michael Francis Sherman (born December 19, 1954) is an American gridiron football coach and former player who most recently was the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the head coach of the Green B ...
, while coaching
Joe Philbin Joseph Anthony Philbin (born July 2, 1961) is an American football coach who, until recently, served as the offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, a position he h ...
, among others. At Worcester, Ferentz also taught English literature and coached the girls' basketball team.


Pittsburgh

After Worcester, Ferentz spent the 1980 season as a graduate assistant at the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
, assisting his high school coach Joe Moore with the offensive line. The
1980 Pittsburgh Panthers football team The 1980 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh as an independent during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. Despite losing one game, the Panthers were named national champion by NCAA-designated major ...
, coached by
Jackie Sherrill Jackie Wayne Sherrill (born November 28, 1943) is a former American football player and coach. He was the head football coach at Washington State University (1976), the University of Pittsburgh (1977–1981), Texas A&M University (1982–1988), a ...
, finished with an 11–1 record and a number two national ranking. That Panthers team included several future NFL Hall of Famers and All-Americans, including quarterback
Dan Marino Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. (born September 15, 1961) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. After a successful college career at Pittsburgh and be ...
and offensive linemen
Jim Covert James Paul "Jimbo" Covert (born March 22, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. Covert played college f ...
,
Mark May Mark Eric May (born November 2, 1959) is a former American college and professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. May played college football for the University ...
, and
Russ Grimm Russell Scott Grimm (born May 2, 1959) is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He has also served as an assistant coach for the Redskins, Pittsburgh St ...
.


Iowa

The next season, Ferentz joined
Hayden Fry John Hayden Fry (February 28, 1929 – December 17, 2019) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1962 to 1972, North Texas State University—now know ...
's staff at the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...
, coaching the Hawkeyes' offensive line from 1981 to 1989. Ferentz worked under Fry and offensive coordinator
Bill Snyder William D. Snyder (born October 7, 1939) is a retired college football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Kansas State University from 1989 to 2005 and again from 2009 to 2018. Snyder initially retired from the p ...
, and alongside assistant coaches
Barry Alvarez Barry Lee Alvarez (born December 30, 1946) is a former American football coach and athletic director at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons, from 1990 to 2005, compiling a caree ...
,
Dan McCarney Patrick Daniel McCarney (born July 28, 1953) is a former American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Iowa State University from 1995 to 2006 and the University of North Texas from 2011 to 2015, compiling a career college foo ...
, and Don Patterson. In
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...
, Ferentz's first season, the Hawkeyes achieved their first winning season since 1961 and their first Rose Bowl since 1958. In Ferentz's time as an assistant at Iowa, the Hawkeyes would win the Big Ten again in
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
, holding the No. 1 national ranking for five weeks. Iowa appeared in eight bowl games during the time Ferentz was an Iowa assistant, including two Rose Bowl appearances and two
Holiday Bowl The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played in San Diego since 1978. San Diego County Credit Union has been the game's title sponsor since 2017, and the bowl has b ...
appearances. Eleven Hawkeyes coached by Ferentz went on to play in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). Three of them were first round picks in the NFL draft, and five of his players were first team All-Big Ten Conference selections. Six of those players played over 100 games in the NFL: Offensive guards
Ron Hallstrom Ronald David Hallstrom (born June 11, 1959) is a former American football guard in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the University of Iowa and was drafted in th ...
,
Mark Bortz Mark Steven Bortz (born February 12, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL). He attended the University of Iowa and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1983. Professiona ...
, and
Bob Kratch Robert "Bob" Kratch (born January 6, 1966) is a former American football guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and New England Patriots. He played college football at the University of Iowa The University of ...
, tackles
Brett Miller Brett Kolste Miller (born October 2, 1958) is a former American football offensive tackle who played ten seasons in the National Football League. He was the weekend sports anchor for KTLA KTLA (channel 5) is a television station in Los A ...
and
John Alt John Michael Alt (born May 30, 1962) is a former professional American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. He played his entire NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs from 1984 to 1996. A graduate of Columbia Heights (MN) H ...
, and center
Joel Hilgenberg Joel Hilgenberg (born July 10, 1962 in Iowa City, Iowa) was an American football center in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints. Hilgenberg played college football at the University of Iowa and he is the brother of former cent ...
. Guard
Mike Haight Michael James Haight (born October 6, 1962) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Iowa. He played high sch ...
played in 63 games as well. Tackle Dave Croston won 1986 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, as would center Mike Devlin in 1992.


Maine

After nine seasons at Iowa, Ferentz returned to
New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
to become the head coach at the
University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...
in 1990, replacing Tom Lichtenberg. Ferentz took a $3,000 pay cut to become the head coach of the Black Bears, who had initially offered Tom O'Brien the job. In his first two seasons, Maine finished tied for seventh in the
Yankee Conference The Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. From 1947 to 1976, it sponsored competition in many sports, but was a football-only league from mid-1976 until its dissolution in 1996. It is essentially the an ...
( D1-AA), finishing 3–8 overall and 2–6 in conference play both years. Ferentz lost his first five games as head coach in
1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...
, but responded by winning three of his final six against
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
,
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
, and
Northeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
. In
1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...
, Maine defeated Ferentz's alma mater Connecticut 41–20. In
1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
, the Black Bears improved to 6–5 overall, 4–4 in conference play. The team won its first two games against New Hampshire and Kutztown; on November 14, the Bears upset No. 16 UMass at
McGuirk Stadium Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts, on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It has been the Massachusetts Minutemen football team's home stadium since 1965, with the e ...
in what would be Ferentz's final win at Maine. Maine finished tied for fifth in the Yankee Conference. Offensive tackle Dan Jones went unselected in the
1993 NFL Draft The 1993 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25–26, 1993, at the Marriot Ma ...
, but would go on to play 34 games for the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
. After three seasons in charge, Ferentz led the Black Bears to a combined 12–21 record. “The good news is in Maine, nobody noticed the mistakes I made,” Ferentz stated in 2018. “They were more interested in hunting season at that point. Or the hockey season, probably.” Ferentz was succeeded by offensive coordinator and Maine alumnus Jack Cosgrove, who would coach the Black Bears for 23 seasons, winning three conference championships and compiling a 137–153 record.


Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens

While on a recruiting trip in January 1993, Ferentz received a message from NFL's
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
inviting him to interview for their open offensive line position. Though Ferentz had never worked with
Bill Belichick William Stephen Belichick (; born April 16, 1952) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Additionally, he exercises extensive authority over the Patri ...
, Belichick wanted Ferentz for the job and hired him before the
1993 season File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
. Ferentz and Belichick worked together for three seasons in Cleveland, reaching the
playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
in
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
. Undrafted free agent Orlando Brown signed with the team in 1993 and quickly became a regular starter at tackle under Ferentz's direction.
Nick Saban Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
was the defensive coordinator on the staff; he, Belichick, and Ferentz would become friends.
Pat Hill Lawrence Patrick Hill (born December 17, 1951) is an American football coach, former player, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach at Fresno State from 1997 until his dismissal following the 2011 season. In 15 seasons as head coa ...
was the assistant offensive line coach in Cleveland. Belichick was fired after the 1995 season and a week after Browns owner
Art Modell Arthur Bertram Modell (June 23, 1925 – September 6, 2012) was an American businessman, entrepreneur and National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise for 35 years and established the Baltimore Ravens franchis ...
's decision to move the franchise to Baltimore was finalized. The Browns' players and some remaining staff, including Ferentz, moved to Baltimore before the 1996 season. Ferentz was named assistant head coach in addition to his offensive line responsibilities. New general manager
Ozzie Newsome Ozzie Newsome Jr. (born March 16, 1956) is an American former professional football player and executive who is the executive vice president of player personnel of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Newsome was a tight e ...
and Ferentz convinced Modell and head coach
Ted Marchibroda Theodore Joseph Marchibroda (March 15, 1931 – January 16, 2016) was an American football quarterback and head coach in the National Football League (NFL). He spent his four years as an active player with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1953, 1955&nd ...
to select UCLA offensive tackle
Jonathan Ogden Jonathan Phillip Ogden (born July 31, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle and spent his entire career with the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football ...
with its first round pick, fourth overall in the
1996 NFL Draft The 1996 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 20–21, 1996, at the Paramount ...
, instead of Nebraska running back
Lawrence Phillips Lawrence Lamond Phillips (May 12, 1975 – January 13, 2016) was an American gridiron football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. A highly touted collegiate prospect, Phillips' professional career wa ...
. Ogden started his first season at guard, nearly making the Pro Bowl. "When he got to camp as a rookie, he might have made a handful of mistakes," Ferentz later said in 2013, "but he pretty quickly got to the point where if you asked him anything, he had the answer and more." Ogden was first-team 1997 NFL All-Pro and second-team 1998 NFL All-Pro under Ferentz, on his way to an 11-time
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
,
Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
career.


Iowa head coaching career

On December 2, 1998, Ferentz was hired as
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
's 25th head football coach to replace the retiring
Hayden Fry John Hayden Fry (February 28, 1929 – December 17, 2019) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1962 to 1972, North Texas State University—now know ...
. Fry, a legendary coach at Iowa, had been privately battling cancer while his 1998 team had finished the season 3–8, with losses in each of their three rivalry games.
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
defensive coordinator and Iowa alumnus
Bob Stoops Robert Anthony Stoops (born September 9, 1960) is an American football coach. He was the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1999 through the 2016 season, and on an interim basis during the 2021 Alamo Bowl. He led the Oklahoma ...
was the candidate favored by the search committee, though Stoops would opt for the
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
job. Other candidates considered were assistant coaches
Chuck Long Charles Franklin Long Jr. (born February 18, 1963) is a former American football player and coach who is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Dallas Renegades of the XFL. He played quarterback in college at Iowa for Hayden Fry ...
and Don Patterson, and
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
head coach Terry Allen. From Fry's staff, Ferentz retained linebackers coach
Bret Bielema Bret Arnold Bielema (; born January 13, 1970) is currently the head American football coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Bielema served as the head football coach at of the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 2006 to 2012 ...
, a strong recruiter, and quarterbacks coach Long, who would leave after the season to join Stoops at Oklahoma. He hired Fordham head coach
Ken O'Keefe Ken O'Keefe (born August 18, 1953) is an American football coach and former player. He most recently served as the quarterbacks coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team, a position he held from January 2017 through February 2022. O'Keefe served ...
, who he had worked under at Worcester Academy, as his offensive coordinator and former
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
and Vanderbilt defensive coordinator Norm Parker in the same role. Both would serve as coordinators at Iowa until the 2011 season. Future NFL coaches
Joe Philbin Joseph Anthony Philbin (born July 2, 1961) is an American football coach who, until recently, served as the offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, a position he h ...
and Ron Aiken were added as offensive and defensive line coaches, respectively, on the recommendations of O'Keefe and Parker. Utah
strength and conditioning coach A strength and conditioning coach (also known as an S&C coach) is a physical performance professional who uses exercise prescription to improve the performance of competitive athletes or athletic teams. This is achieved through the combination of ...
Chris Doyle was hired in the same role.


First rebuild and early success (1999-2006)

Working with a depleted roster, the team struggled during Ferentz's first two seasons with a combined 4–19 record. In
1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...
, the team won one game, a home game against
Northern Illinois Northern Illinois is a region generally covering the northern third of the U.S. state of Illinois. The region is by far the most populous of Illinois with nearly 9.7 million residents as of 2010. Economics Northern Illinois is dominated by th ...
, behind 174 rushing yards from sophomore running back
Ladell Betts Ladell Betts (born August 27, 1979) is an American football coach and former running back who is currently the running backs coach at the University of Iowa. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He ...
and an 87-yard return by LeVar Woods on a blocked NIU field goal attempt. Betts, running behind a young offensive line, would finish the season as team co-MVP and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. Defensive back Matt Bowen also won second-team all conference honors, was team co-MVP, and would be selected in the
2000 NFL Draft The 2000 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur U.S. college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 15– 16, 2000, at the Thea ...
with tight end Austin Wheatley. In
2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, Ferentz's Hawkeyes lost their first five games, including at #1
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
, home against in-state rival
Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
, and against #8
Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
, coached by Ferentz's former boss
Bill Snyder William D. Snyder (born October 7, 1939) is a retired college football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at Kansas State University from 1989 to 2005 and again from 2009 to 2018. Snyder initially retired from the p ...
. The Hawkeyes snapped a 13-game losing streak in Ferentz's first Big Ten conference victory against Michigan State, finishing 21–16 behind a rushing touchdown by Betts, a receiving touchdown by
Kevin Kasper Kevin Joseph Kasper (born December 23, 1977) is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Iowa. K ...
, and a 90-yard kick return by
Kahlil Hill Kahlil Hill (born March 18, 1979) is a professional American and Canadian football wide receiver. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He has played for the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bill ...
. After three more losses, Iowa would win a double overtime game at
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
, with a Betts rushing touchdown and
Nate Kaeding Nathaniel James Kaeding (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers and retired after the ...
field goal sealing the win. In the final home game, Iowa upset #12 Northwestern at
Kinnick Stadium Nile Kinnick Stadium is a stadium located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team. First opened in 1929 as Iowa Stadium to replace Iowa Field, it currently holds up to 69,250 peo ...
, never trailing in the 27–17 victory. Ferentz's Hawkeyes finished 3–9 (3–5 in conference play), with Kasper and Woods winning team MVP awards. After two seasons of rebuilding, the Hawkeyes earned their first bowl bid of the Ferentz era in the 2001 season, finishing the season 7–5 (4–4 in Big Ten play). Betts rushed for 1,060 yards and 10 touchdowns behind the offensive line whose young players had struggled the prior seasons but now were experienced in Ferentz's
zone blocking In American football, blocking or interference (or running interference) involves legal movements in which one player uses his body to obstruct another player's path. The purpose of blocking is to prevent defensive players from tackling the ball c ...
scheme. The team defeated
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
for Ferentz's first Floyd of Rosedale Trophy, 42–24. The Hawkeyes beat
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
in the
Alamo Bowl The Alamo Bowl is an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas. Since 2010 it matches the second choice team from the Pac-12 Conference and ...
, 19–16, in Ferentz's first bowl game appearance. Several players earned first or second-team Big Ten honors, including Betts, offensive linemen
Eric Steinbach Eric Steinbach (born April 4, 1980) is a former American football Guard (American football), guard who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa, and earned consensus All-A ...
and David Porter, defensive end
Aaron Kampman Aaron Allan Kampman (; born November 30, 1979) is a former American football defensive end who played ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa. He was drafted by Green Bay Packer ...
, and sophomore
Bob Sanders Demond "Bob" Sanders (born February 24, 1981) is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was drafted by the ...
, a lightly recruited but hard-hitting
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
recommended to Ferentz out of high school by his mentor Joe Moore. Betts and Sanders won team MVP honors. The 2002 season would prove to be memorable for Ferentz and the Hawkeyes. The team finished the regular season with an 11–1 record, finishing as co-conference champions with national champion
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. Both teams finished 8–0 in conference play. The Hawkeye offensive line, featuring first-team all-Big Ten members Steinbach,
Robert Gallery Robert J. Gallery (born July 26, 1980) is a former American football offensive guard who played for eight seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Iowa, and received unanimous All-American recogn ...
, and Bruce Nelson and second-team all-conference tackle Porter, paved the way for running back
Fred Russell Fred Russell (August 27, 1906 – January 26, 2003) was an American sportswriter from Tennessee who served as sports editor for the ''Nashville Banner'' for 68 years (1930–1998). Beginning in the 1960s he served for nearly three decades as ...
and the Iowa rushing attack. Playmaking skill position players, many of whom were recruited by Bielema, included senior
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Brad Banks Brad Banks (born April 22, 1980) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Iowa where he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Early years Banks attended Glades Central High School where he was a First-team ...
, receivers Maurice Brown and
C.J. Jones Clinton "C. J." Jones (born September 20, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football at Iowa Hawkeyes football, Iowa. Jones has also be ...
, and converted linebacker
Dallas Clark Dallas Dean Clark (born June 12, 1979) is a former American football tight end who played 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Iowa, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was reco ...
at
tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
. On defense, the front seven was effective against the Big Ten rushing attacks and consistently pressured opposing passers, protecting the young
secondary Secondary may refer to: Science and nature * Secondary emission, of particles ** Secondary electrons, electrons generated as ionization products * The secondary winding, or the electrical or electronic circuit connected to the secondary winding i ...
. Sanders' big hits and playmaking from the safety position keyed the defense. The lone regular season loss came against in-state rival
Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
, in which
Seneca Wallace Seneca Sinclair Wallace (born August 6, 1980) is a former American football quarterback and current assistant coach for John Paul II High School. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college ...
and the Cyclones came back from a 24–7 halftime deficit to defeat the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes won the rest of their regular season games, including an overtime victory at #12
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
and a thrilling back-and-forth victory against Purdue, in which the dual-threat Banks and nimble tight end Clark connected twice for crucial touchdowns at Kinnick. Two convincing conference wins followed, including a 44–16 rout of
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
, in which the Hawkeye defense stopped star Spartan receiver Charles Rogers' 14-game touchdown streak. The Hawkeyes achieved a thorough 34–9 road victory at #8
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, with Sanders' hit and forced fumble on a Wolverine punt return sparking 24 unanswered points by the Hawkeyes in the second half. That game was followed by Ferentz's first win against
rival A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, with the ninth-ranked Hawkeyes holding Wisconsin's rushing attack to 78 yards in a 20–3 victory at home. In the regular season finale at
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, Iowa clinched at least a partial Big Ten title by forcing six Minnesota turnovers and rushing for 365 rushing yards en route to a 45–21 victory. The win was Iowa's tenth straight Big Ten win, the longest such streak since a 13-game streak in the 1920s. The game was also played in front of the largest crowd to ever see a
Minnesota Golden Gophers football The Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represents the University of Minnesota in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Founded in 1882, Minnesota has been a member of the Big Ten Conference since its ince ...
game at the
Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (commonly called the Metrodome) was a domed sports stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1982 as a replacement for Metropolitan Stadium, the former home of the National Football League' ...
. Quarterback
Banks A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...
won the
Davey O'Brien Award The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Co ...
for best quarterback and finished second in the
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
balloting to
Carson Palmer Carson Hilton Palmer (born December 27, 1979) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at ...
of
USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...
.
Tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
Clark Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...
was that season's
John Mackey Award The John Mackey Award is presented annually to college football's most outstanding tight end. Established in 2000 by the Nassau County Sports Commission, the award is given annually to the tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, ac ...
winner, and
placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...
Nate Kaeding Nathaniel James Kaeding (born March 26, 1982) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He played the majority of his career with the San Diego Chargers and retired after the ...
was the
Lou Groza Award The Lou Groza Award is presented annually to the top college football placekicker in the United States by the Palm Beach County Sports Commission. The award is named after former Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns player Lou Groza. It has be ...
winner. Ferentz was named
Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...
by the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
for his efforts. Iowa received its first-ever BCS invitation, losing to
USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...
in the
2003 Orange Bowl The 2003 FedEx Orange Bowl was the 69th edition of the college football bowl game, played at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Thursday, January 1. It matched the third-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten Conference and t ...
, 38–17. Despite losing several seniors to graduation, the Hawkeyes compiled a 9–3 regular season record in 2003. They finished 5–3 in Big Ten play, losing three road games at #8
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
,
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
, and #16
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
. Iowa defeated Iowa State for Ferentz's first Cy-Hawk victory. The Hawkeyes defeated #9
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
30–27 at home on October 4. They defeated
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
37–17 in the
Outback Bowl The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event has been formerly called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to ...
on January 1, 2004, for their first January win since 1959. This earned the Hawkeyes a #8 national ranking in both the
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...
and
Coaches Poll The Coaches Poll is a weekly ranking of the top 25 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football, Division I college basketball, and Division I college baseball teams. The football version of the poll has been known officially ...
at the end of the season. Offensive tackle
Robert Gallery Robert J. Gallery (born July 26, 1980) is a former American football offensive guard who played for eight seasons in the National Football League. He played college football for the University of Iowa, and received unanimous All-American recogn ...
was that season's
Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Ame ...
winner; after the season, the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
chose him with the second overall pick in the
2004 NFL Draft The 2004 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 2004 at the Theater at ...
. Norm Parker's defense finished 7th-best in the country allowing 16.2 points per game. Ferentz had to deal with multiple injuries to the Hawkeyes'
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
s and the death of his father, John, during the 2004 season. Nevertheless, the Hawkeyes compiled a 9–2 regular season record, sharing the Big Ten Conference championship with
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
after a 30–7 victory over
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
on November 20. Shortly after his father's death, Ferentz and the Hawkeyes defeated
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
6–4, Iowa's first win without a touchdown since 1985. For the second time in three seasons, Ferentz was named the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year. On January 1, 2005, they defeated
LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
and his former coaching mate
Nick Saban Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. (; born October 31, 1951) is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at the University of Alabama since 2007. Saban previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins ...
30–25, after a thrilling 56-yard touchdown pass from true sophomore
Drew Tate Drew Tate (born October 8, 1984) is an American gridiron football coach and former player. He is the tight ends coach at the University of Northern Iowa, a position he had held since 2022. He played college football as a quarterback at the Univer ...
to Warren Holloway as time expired in the
Capital One Bowl The Citrus Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group that also organizes the Cheez-It Bowl and Florida Classic. The gam ...
. This gave Ferentz his third straight ten-win season with the Hawkeyes and another #8 national ranking. Defenders Matt Roth,
Abdul Hodge Abdul Raheeda Hodge The Third Jr. (born September 9, 1983) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the tight ends coach at Iowa, where he played as a 3-time all Big-Ten linebacker. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers i ...
, and
Sanders Sanders may refer to: People Surname * Sanders (surname) * Bernie Sanders, US presidential candidate and senator * Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former White House press secretary and daughter of Mike Huckabee * Colonel Sanders, founder of KFC (Kentuc ...
finished first-team all-Big Ten, while
Jovon Johnson Jovon Johnson (born November 2, 1983) is a former professional Canadian football defensive back. He was the winner of the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award in 2011 while with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, becoming the first defensive bac ...
,
Chad Greenway Chad Greenway (born January 12, 1983) is a former American football linebacker who spent his entire 11-year career with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa Hawkeyes Football, Iowa, and ...
, and Howard Hodges earned second-team honors. The Hawkeyes went 7–4 during the 2005 regular season. After early-season losses to Iowa State and Ohio State and close losses to Michigan and Northwestern, they finished the season with wins over Wisconsin and
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
to earn a second trip to the
Outback Bowl The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event has been formerly called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to ...
to face Florida on January 2, 2006. This time, however, the Gators got a measure of revenge for their loss two years earlier, as the Hawkeyes lost to Florida, 31–24. Much was said about the officiating in this game, as there were 13 missed or bad calls made against the Hawkeyes that directly influenced the outcome. Officials later admitted their error in the game-deciding
onside kick In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team intends to give the ball to the o ...
call, and that several other calls were under review. Linebacker
Chad Greenway Chad Greenway (born January 12, 1983) is a former American football linebacker who spent his entire 11-year career with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa Hawkeyes Football, Iowa, and ...
was selected by the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
in the first round of the
2006 NFL Draft The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
. Iowa started the 2006 season strong, winning their first four games before losing to top-ranked
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
. After a 5–1 start, however, the Hawkeyes collapsed down the stretch, losing five of their last six games. Iowa suffered shocking losses to Northwestern and
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
and lost rivalry games with
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
and
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
. The Hawkeyes finished the regular season with a 6–6 record and accepted an invitation to the
2006 Alamo Bowl The 2006 Alamo Bowl was a college football bowl game, one of the 2006–07 NCAA football bowl games that concluded the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The game was played in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on December 30 ...
, Iowa's sixth straight bowl game. Playing as nine-point underdogs to defending national champions
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, Iowa lost the Alamo Bowl by a score of 26–24.


Second rebuild (2007-2011)

In
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, Ferentz' Hawkeyes started 2–4 and lost their first three conference games. Highly-ranked quarterback Jake Christensen struggled replacing the graduated Tate. An upset victory over #18
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
ended a nine-game conference losing streak for Iowa, and the Hawkeyes closed out the Big Ten season by winning their last three conference games. However, a disappointing loss in the season finale to Western Michigan dropped the Hawkeyes' season record to 6–6. Though Iowa was bowl-eligible, the Hawkeyes did not receive a bowl bid, snapping Iowa's streak of six consecutive bowl appearances. During the summer, several key Hawkeye players were arrested and dismissed from the program for theft and misdemeanor drug charges. A high-profile sexual case involving two Hawkeye players, accused by a female swimmer, began in November. In
2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, Ferentz and the Hawkeyes started out strong with victories over his old team, Maine, Florida International, and rival
Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
, but close losses to Pitt, Northwestern, and
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
left Iowa with a 3–3 record. Ferentz toggled between Christensen and sophomore
Ricky Stanzi Richard Joseph Stanzi (born September 3, 1987) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Iowa. Early years Born a ...
at quarterback, before deciding in favor of Stanzi mid-season. Iowa went on to win five of their next six games, including a 24–23 upset of #3 ranked and undefeated
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
on a last-second field goal. After finishing the regular season at 8–4, Iowa accepted an invitation to the
Outback Bowl The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event has been formerly called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to ...
where they defeated the
South Carolina Gamecocks The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I. The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fighti ...
, 31–10. Running back Shonn Greene won the
Doak Walker Award Since 1990 the Doak Walker Award honors the top running back in college football in the United States. It is named in honor of Doak Walker, a former running back who played for the SMU Mustangs from 1945 to 1949 and in the National Football League ...
behind a vastly improved offensive line that featured All-American guard
Seth Olsen Seth Olsen (born December 17, 1985) is a former American football guard who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. Early y ...
, senior center Rob Bruggeman, and young tackle Bryan Bulaga. The 2009 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2009 Hawkeye football team got off to the best start in school history up to that point. Narrow home victories over Northern Iowa Panthers football, Northern Iowa and Arkansas State Red Wolves football, Arkansas State coupled with double digit road wins over Penn State Nittany Lions football, #5 Penn State and Wisconsin Badgers football, Wisconsin fueled a 7–0 start. Ferentz' 2009 Hawks became the first Iowa team to win eight games to start a season by winning at
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
, 15–13, with a touchdown pass on the final play of the game from Stanzi to Marvin McNutt. After defeating Indiana Hoosiers football, Indiana to run their record to 9–0, the Hawks lost quarterback Ricky Stanzi, Stanzi to injury in an upset loss to Northwestern Wildcats football, Northwestern. Iowa then lost the de facto Big Ten conference, Big Ten championship game at Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio State, 27–24, in overtime. The Hawkeyes shut out Minnesota Golden Gophers football, Minnesota, 12–0, to finish the regular season with a 10–2 record and were selected for their second BCS bowl game under Ferentz by being invited to the 2010 Orange Bowl. Stanzi returned, and Iowa defeated Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football, Georgia Tech, 24–14, to earn the school's first BCS bowl win and their first victory in a BCS-level bowl since the 1959 Rose Bowl. Iowa finished with an 11–2 record that tied the school record for victories in a season and the Hawkeyes earned #7 rankings in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll, their highest finish since the 1960 season. Tackle Bulaga was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. In 2010, pre-season expectations ran high before a disappointing 2010 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 8–5 season. The Hawkeyes began the season ranked 9 in the AP poll, returning key players Stanzi, McNutt, Adrian Clayborn, Tyler Sash, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, and Karl Klug. winning twice before losing at #24 2010 Arizona Wildcats football team, Arizona. The Hawkeyes defeated two ranked conference foes at home, #22 2010 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Penn State and #5 2010 Michigan State Spartans football team, Michigan State, before losing their final three regular season games. Ferentz and the Hawkeyes defeated the 14th-ranked 2010 Missouri Tigers football team, Missouri Tigers in the 2010 Insight Bowl. Six Hawkeyes were selected in the 2011 NFL Draft, including the All-American Clayborn in the first round. The inconsistent 2011 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2011 Hawkeyes finished 7–6 (4–4 Big Ten), defeating ranked 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team, Michigan 24–16 but losing to unranked rivals 2011 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team, Minnesota and 2011 Iowa State Cyclones football team, Iowa State. Against 2011 Pittsburgh Panthers football team, Pitt, the Hawkeyes overcame a 17-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Another offensive tackle, Riley Reiff, was selected in the first round, this time by the Detroit Lions in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Hawkeyes lost to Oklahoma, coached by Hawkeye alum
Bob Stoops Robert Anthony Stoops (born September 9, 1960) is an American football coach. He was the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1999 through the 2016 season, and on an interim basis during the 2021 Alamo Bowl. He led the Oklahoma ...
in the 2011 Insight Bowl. In the 2011 offseason, thirteen football players ended up in University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, University Hospital with extreme cases of rhabdomyolysis following a workout administered by strength coach Chris Doyle (American football), Chris Doyle. Athletic director Gary Barta and Iowa tried to keep it under wraps, issuing a press release and state that no further comment would be forthcoming. After a later press conference was convened after national scrutiny, Barta, head coach Ferentz, and Doyle were not in attendance, instead letting a parent of an injured player and UI doctor answer questions. Ferentz gave Doyle the "Assistant Coach of the Year" award, an award that had never been given before or in the 10 years after. One of the injured players eventually sued and settled for around $15,000.


Staff changes and Rose Bowl (2012-2016)

Longtime coordinators Norm Parker and
Ken O'Keefe Ken O'Keefe (born August 18, 1953) is an American football coach and former player. He most recently served as the quarterbacks coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team, a position he held from January 2017 through February 2022. O'Keefe served ...
departed their roles after the 2011 season. Parker retired, and O'Keefe joined former Ferentz assistant
Joe Philbin Joseph Anthony Philbin (born July 2, 1961) is an American football coach who, until recently, served as the offensive line coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, a position he h ...
's Miami Dolphins staff. Ferentz hired former Texas Longhorns football, Texas offensive coordinator Greg Davis (American football coach), Greg Davis to run the offense and promoted longtime defensive backs coach Phil Parker to coordinate the defense. Kirk Ferentz's son Brian Ferentz, Brian was hired as offensive line coach, while longtime offensive line coach Reese Morgan began coaching the defensive line. Former player LeVar Woods, who had been Ferentz's Secretary, administrative assistant since 2008, was promoted to linebackers coach. The 2012 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2012 Iowa season saw struggles on both sides of the ball. In Davis' first year, the team struggled to mesh his Spread offense, spread concepts with Ferentz's Pro-style offense, pro-style approach. Quarterback James Vandenberg's production fell from 25 touchdowns the previous system to only 7 in 2012, with 8 interceptions. Iowa finished 4–8, 2–6 in conference play. The Hawkeyes lost their final 6 games after starting tackles Brandon Scherff and Andrew Donnal both suffered season-ending injuries against Penn State. The 4–8 record stands as the worst Iowa under Ferentz since his second season in 2000. In 2013 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2013, the rushing attack and defense improved, as did the Hawkeyes' record to 8–5. Tackles Scherff and Brett van Sloten, guard Donnal, center Austin Blythe, and tight end C. J. Fiedorowicz, C.J. Fiedorowicz paved the way for converted fullback Mark Weisman. On defense, senior linebackers Christian Kirksey, Anthony Hitchens, and James Morris (American football), James Morris under new position coach Jim Reid (American football), Jim Reid led the unit to 6th-best in the nation in total defense. 2014 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2014 saw disappointing results, with Ferentz's Hawkeyes finishing 7–6, 4–4 in Big Ten play but losing all four rivalry games. Two quarterbacks, C. J. Beathard, C.J. Beathard and Jake Rudock, started games for the Hawkeyes. A humbling defeat to Tennessee in the Taxslayer Bowl resulted in Ferentz naming Beathard the starter for 2015 and Rudock transferring to Michigan under new coach Jim Harbaugh. Tackle Brandon Scherff won the
Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Ame ...
, the second Iowa winner under Ferentz, and was selected in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. The 2015 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2015 season proved to be one of the best in university history. Iowa went undefeated in the regular season and recorded 12 wins, the most in school history. Additionally, a team that went 0–4 in List of NCAA college football rivalry games, trophy games the year before, went 4–0 and won the Big Ten Conference West championship, the first in school history. Ferentz was also named Big Ten coach of the year for the fourth time while at Iowa. Defensive back Desmond King (American football), Desmond King won first-team All-American honors and won the Jim Thorpe Award. The Hawkeyes fell 16–13 in the 2015 Big Ten Football Championship Game against Michigan State. Despite the loss, the Hawkeyes accepted an invitation to the 2016 Rose Bowl, Ferentz's third Rose Bowl with Iowa, first as head coach, and it marks the first trip to Pasadena for the Hawkeyes in 1991 Rose Bowl, 25 years. In the Rose Bowl, the Hawkeyes were throttled, 45–16, by a Christian McCaffrey led Stanford team. With their latest Rose Bowl defeat, the Hawkeyes fell to 0–4, with a combined score of 164–78, since their last victory in 1959. In 2016 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2016, Iowa began the season ranked #17, though lost in their third game to Football Championship Subdivision, FCS 2016 North Dakota State Bison football team, North Dakota State. Other losses were followed by an upset of #3 2016 Michigan Wolverines football team, Michigan on a last-second field goal by Keith Duncan. The Hawkeyes closed their Big Ten season by defeating rival #17 2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team, Nebraska 40–10. Iowa finishing with an 8–4 regular season record. The Iowa offensive line was awarded the Joe Moore Award. This award was especially significant because Moore was a lifelong mentor to Ferentz since their days at Upper St. Clair High School, Upper St. Clair. Iowa was selected to play in the
Outback Bowl The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event has been formerly called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to ...
for the fifth time under Ferentz, where they lost to the Florida Gators 30–3. Following the loss to the Gators the Hawkeyes fell to 0–5 in their last five bowl games, getting outscored 172–75 in those contests.


Scandal and on-field success (2017-present)

Offensive coordinator Greg Davis retired after the 2016 season, and was replaced by offensive line coach Brian Ferentz, Kirk's son. Other staff changes saw North Dakota State offensive coordinator Tim Polasek hired as offensive line coach and Kelvin Bell hired as assistant defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator.
Ken O'Keefe Ken O'Keefe (born August 18, 1953) is an American football coach and former player. He most recently served as the quarterbacks coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team, a position he held from January 2017 through February 2022. O'Keefe served ...
returned to act as quarterbacks coach. The 2017 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2017 season saw similar results to 2016. Iowa got off to a great start but was again plagued with several injuries. The team went undefeated in non-conference play and all but two of their Big Ten losses were by just one score (38-14 vs. Wisconsin, 24-15 vs. Purdue). Like the prior season, Iowa went 3–1 in trophy games, and finished with eight wins. On November 4, they upset #3 Ohio State, exploding for 55 points in a 55–24 victory. Iowa played in the Pinstripe Bowl, the 15th bowl under Ferentz. After trailing early, the Hawkeyes dominated the second half and won their first bowl game since 2010. The victory tied
Hayden Fry John Hayden Fry (February 28, 1929 – December 17, 2019) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1962 to 1972, North Texas State University—now know ...
in Iowa career wins (143), and surpassed his number of bowl wins at the university. Cornerback Josh Jackson (cornerback), Josh Jackson finished first-team All-American and won the Touchdown Club of Columbus, Jack Tatum Award and Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year award. Linebacker Josey Jewell also finished first-team All-American, won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the Jack Lambert Award. The 2018 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2018 season saw a 9–4 record, but several close Big Ten Conference losses that cost the Hawkeyes another trip to Indianapolis. Iowa started strong, winning its three non-conference games, and once again was able to keep three of the four rivalry trophies in Iowa City. However, losses to 2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Penn State, 2018 Purdue Boilermakers football team, Purdue and 2018 Northwestern Wildcats football team, Northwestern in consecutive weeks defined the season. Iowa played in the
Outback Bowl The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event has been formerly called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to ...
for the sixth time, holding on to defeat Mississippi State 2019 Outback Bowl, 27-22 for Ferentz's fifth January bowl win and eighth overall bowl victory. T. J. Hockenson, T.J. Hockenson won the John Mackey Award, Mackey Award for the nation's best tight end, and safety Amani Hooker won the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year award. Ferentz's 2019 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2019 was another successful season at Iowa. The Hawkeyes started 4–0, and went undefeated against non-conference opponents. After back-to-back losses against Big Ten powerhouses 2019 Michigan Wolverines football team, Michigan and 2019 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Penn State it looked like it could be a lost season for the team. Iowa rallied, winning five of their last six games but yet another loss to archrival 2019 Wisconsin Badgers football team, Wisconsin meant that a Big Ten West division title eluded the program. The Hawkeyes played in the 2020 Holiday Bowl, 2019 Holiday Bowl against USC. In the first match-up between the Trojans and Hawkeyes since the 2003 Orange Bowl Iowa outplayed USC in a shootout 49–24. The victory gave the program ten wins for the sixth time under Ferentz. The team was also able to accomplish a distinction that hadn't been done since 1991, they both started and finished the season in the top 25 national rankings without dropping out. Tackle Tristan Wirfs went 13th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. On June 6, 2020, Ferentz placed strength coach Chris Doyle on paid administrative leave after a number of former players identified Doyle and Brian Ferentz as contributing to a program culture that was hostile toward black student-athletes. On June 15, Doyle was released from the program after a 21-year stint. On July 27, 2020, ESPN published an article citing instances of racial inequities levied against black players throughout Ferentz's tenure as a head coach. "I did ask multiple players if they feel like I’m part of the problem or if they feel like we can’t move forward with me here,” Ferentz said in a news conference in early June. “That’s not what I’ve heard thus far. But my commitment is to us having a good program and having a healthy team and improving the environment.” Brian Ferentz was retained on staff. In the COVID-19-shorted 2020 season, they won six games, and went 3–0 in trophy contests, defeating 2020 Wisconsin Badgers football team, Wisconsin for the first time since 2015. Ferentz tested positive for COVID-19 on December 18, 2020. The Hawkeyes were scheduled to play in the Music City Bowl, which would have been the first time Iowa had played Missouri since 10 years prior in the 2010 Insight Bowl. However, the game was cancelled three days prior to the match-up over virus concerns. The 2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2021 season was a mostly memorable year for Iowa. The team rose to a #2 ranking after jumping out to a 6–0 start and defeating #3 2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football team, Penn State in
Kinnick Stadium Nile Kinnick Stadium is a stadium located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football team. First opened in 1929 as Iowa Stadium to replace Iowa Field, it currently holds up to 69,250 peo ...
. Two lopsided losses followed however. The Hawkeyes won their last four games and with a Minnesota upset over Wisconsin earned their second Big Ten West Division Title. Iowa lost to 2021 Michigan Wolverines football team, Michigan in the 2021 Big Ten Football Championship Game, Big Ten Championship game, putting their record at 10-3 entering the 2022 Citrus Bowl, Citrus Bowl against Kentucky, the 18th bowl under Ferentz. The 2022 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2022 season was a roller-coaster ride for Iowa. Poor offensive execution, player development, and playcalling led the offense to rank among the worst in the nation. The team only started out 3-4, one of the worst openings under Ferentz. Despite all of the shortcomings, the team won their next four games and even had a chance to play in the Big Ten Championship in back-to-back years. However, Iowa's first loss to Nebraska since 2014 kept them out of a rematch with eventual conference champion Michigan. The team was selected in a rematch with 2022 Kentucky Wildcats football team, Kentucky in the Music City Bowl, the 19th bowl under Ferentz.


Records

Ferentz notched his 100th career win at Iowa with a double-overtime victory over the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing on October 13, 2012. He became the all-time wins leader in school history, (144) with a victory over Northern Illinois on September 1, 2018, and has led Iowa to 17 bowl games, more bowls than any other Iowa coach. Later that season Ferentz recorded his 150th Iowa career win with a blowout triumph over Big Ten foe Illinois on November 17, 2018. When Joe Paterno was fired from Penn State Nittany Lions football, Penn State in 2011 Ferentz became the dean of Big Ten football coaches, as the longest tenured coach in the respective sport. With the retirement of Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer after the 2015 season, Ferentz became tied with
Bob Stoops Robert Anthony Stoops (born September 9, 1960) is an American football coach. He was the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1999 through the 2016 season, and on an interim basis during the 2021 Alamo Bowl. He led the Oklahoma ...
for the longest tenured head coach at the FBS level. In June 2017, Ferentz became the longest tenured coach with the sudden retirement of
Bob Stoops Robert Anthony Stoops (born September 9, 1960) is an American football coach. He was the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1999 through the 2016 season, and on an interim basis during the 2021 Alamo Bowl. He led the Oklahoma ...
.


Contract extensions and NFL opportunities

Several major college and NFL teams have considered Ferentz as a candidate for their head coaching jobs. However, Ferentz has publicly declined any interest in other coaching positions, opting to stay at Iowa. On February 12, 2009, Ferentz and Iowa athletics director Gary Barta agreed to a new contract extension that keeps Ferentz at Iowa until 2020. On January 2, 2006 the head coaches of five NFL teams, Green Bay Packers, Green Bay, St. Louis Rams, St. Louis, Houston Texans, Houston, New Orleans Saints, New Orleans, and Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota, were fired. There was renewed speculation that Ferentz would be offered a head coaching job with one of those professional franchises. But such speculation was soon put to rest when Ferentz stated that he was still happy with his job at Iowa, and that he had no plans to leave. On June 2, 2006, Ferentz became the highest paid coach in the Big Ten and third highest in college football when he was given a restructured contract that boosted his annual salary to United States Dollar, $2.7 million. Following the 2006 NFL season, rumors circulated that Ferentz may have been in consideration for the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coaching job after Bill Cowher stepped down. However, before Cowher's departure, Ferentz was asked about his possible interest in the position, and stated: "I know that staff pretty well and they've got some good guys in that building. My guess is that's where they would go. But I'm not interested, and I doubt they are, either. I've got a great job right here." The Steelers job eventually went to Mike Tomlin. In 2008, Ferentz was again rumored to be a candidate for an NFL head coaching job, particularly as successor to Romeo Crennel for the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
. In January 2009, rumors surfaced citing Ferentz as a potential candidate to be hired as head coach in place of Herman Edwards soon after the hiring of former New England Patriots VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli as the new GM of the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the Chiefs eventually hired Todd Haley, and Ferentz received a contract extension to remain at Iowa through 2020. In December 2011, rumors again surfaced citing Ferentz as a potential candidate to replace Haley. Similar rumors surfaced a year later in December 2012. Ferentz has said that there was no reason to leave Iowa as Iowa has everything he needed. In 2016 he signed an extension through the 2026 season. He is currently the 18th highest-paid coach in college football.


Coaching style

''See also'': Hayden Fry#Legacy and honors, Hayden Fry coaching tree As both offensive line coach and head coach, Ferentz has exclusively used a Zone Blocking, zone-blocking scheme on offense. The scheme originated with Alex Gibbs and Mike Shanahan on the Denver Broncos teams of the late 1990s, and is used by current NFL coaches Kyle Shanahan, Kevin Stefanski, Klint Kubiak, and Sean McVay. The scheme involves quicker, more mobile offensive lineman than the gap (power) blocking schemes used by programs such as
Barry Alvarez Barry Lee Alvarez (born December 30, 1946) is a former American football coach and athletic director at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 seasons, from 1990 to 2005, compiling a caree ...
's Wisconsin Badgers football, Wisconsin. Ferentz's offenses often use Fullback (gridiron football), fullbacks and Tight end, tight ends as supplemental blockers. The inside and especially outside zone plays are the hallmark of Ferentz's Iowa teams, identifiable by the entire offensive line slanting in one direction. Play-action pass, Play-action passes and bootlegs based off those runs add downfield danger. When Ferentz took over at Iowa, the zone scheme was rare in the Big Ten Conference, Big Ten, whose Defensive Line, defensive lines and Linebacker, linebackers typically were bulkier in order to withstand the power running schemes, giving the Hawkeyes an advantage. However, more teams in the conference started using zone after Rich Rodriguez brought a Spread option offense, zone read look to
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, which was replicated by several teams in the conference. Rule changes surrounding Cut blocking, cut-blocking have also limited the effectiveness of the Ferentz's scheme, which has remained mostly static since his hire in 1998. Kirk and his son Brian are adherents to 'complementary football,' a theory that believes a poor offense assists an excellent defense and finds advantage in field position rather than points. "We’ve got to know what kind of game we’re going to be in," Brian Ferentz said to a reporter in the summer of 2022. "Look at the worst defenses in the league. How often does it correlate with one of the better offenses in the league? More than you think. You just have to know who you are. You have to play complementary football." Ferentz had previously described his father's philosophy, saying the offense "needs to protect our defense and keep them out of bad positions. That means we need to protect the football. We need to change field position," adding "we need to score as many points as we can with the opportunities we have."


Scandals and off-field issues


Iowa Football Racial Bias

During the 2020-2022 United States racial unrest, 2020 racial unrest in the United States after the murder of George Floyd by police, Black former Iowa football players called for changes within the program. Former Iowa offensive lineman James Daniels Twitter, tweeted "If the Iowa Hawkeyes football, team collectively decides to U.S. national anthem kneeling protests, kneel, this will bring about a cultural change for both Iowa football and the state of Iowa which I believe is long overdue!!!" Two days later, Daniels followed up with a second tweet asserting “there are too many racial disparities in the Iowa football program. Black players have been treated unfairly for far too long.” Several other Iowa players added to Daniels' claims, citing Strength and conditioning coach, Strength and Conditioning coach Chris Doyle and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz as two of the leading causes of racial disparities in Iowa football. Former Iowa defensive lineman Jaleel Johnson wrote on Twitter "Coach Doyle is the problem in that building. And so is Brian Ferentz.... things won't progress until those two fix themselves. They know they're a problem." An external review from the law firm Husch Blackwell corroborated the players' complaints of Racism, racial bias in the Iowa football program. "In sum, the program’s rules perpetuated racial or cultural biases and diminished the value of cultural diversity," the report read. "The program over-monitored players to the point that they experienced heightened anxiety and maintained a culture that allowed a small group of coaches to demean players." The report stated that several current and former players believed that some coaches used the program’s foundation of discipline and accountability “to perpetuate an environment that bullies and demeans athletes, especially Black athletes." Ferentz responded to the report, stating "this review brings us face to face with allegations of uneven treatment, where our culture that mandated uniformity caused many Black players to feel they were unable to show up as their authentic selves,’’ Ferentz said. “I want to apologize for the pain and frustration they felt at a time when I was trusted to help each of them become a better player and a better person.’’ Chris Doyle was placed on administrative leave and later terminated, receiving 15 months' salary (approximately $556,000). After a review with athletic director Gary Barta, Kirk's son Brian Ferentz continued his role for Iowa football without suspension, leave, or fine. In the summer of 2020, Ferentz created a diversity committee, made up of former players. During the 2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team, 2021 season, chair of the committee David Porter recommended Ferentz retire and Iowa hire a new football coach. Ferentz dissolved the committee in January 2022 with plans to restructure, stating he was considering what a new committee might look like. When asked about Porter's recommendation, Ferentz stated "I read it and that's his opinion. There's not much to react to other than I have a different opinion. My intention is like long-term and big picture, not short-term. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion." Ferentz ended up permanently dissolving the committee, instead working with University Diversity, equity, and inclusion, DEI staff. In October of 2020, eight Black former Iowa football players filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the University, seeking $20 million in compensation and for athletics director Gary Barta, Barta, head coach Kirk Ferentz, and assistant coach Brian Ferentz to be fired over what they allege was intentional racial discrimination during their time at Iowa. Players included running back Akrum Wadley. A trial date is set for 2023.


2007 off-field legal troubles

Between April 2007 and August 2008, 18 Iowa football players were arrested for various offenses, ranging from alcohol-related issues to two players that were accused of sexual assault. Nine players ended up being dismissed or leaving from program in that time period. On August 20, 2007, days before the start of football season, two wide receivers, including Iowa's top returning receiver Dominique Douglas, were charged with stealing credit cards and ordering thousands of dollars worth of hats and other merchandise. A warrant was issued the next day for another player, Arvell Nelson, for failing to appear for a traffic ticket. Douglas was arrested weeks later for shoplifting DVDs, and suspended by the team. Nelson and wide receiver James Cleveland (American football), James Cleveland were later dismissed for drug charges. Ferentz issued a curfew for his players after long snapper Clint Huntrods was arrested for public urination; the curfew was extended after safety Lance Tillison was arrested for drunk driving after the Iowa State Cyclones football, Iowa State game.Nelson, Jim. "Hawkeyes on Lockdown After Latest Misstep." ''McClatchy - Tribune Business News,'' Sep 19, 2007. Accessed via ProQuest "My high school son would be upset about this curfew, to put in that perspective," said Ferentz in September. "Enough is enough. You hate to treat anybody like a grade-school kid, but that is the way it goes." Ferentz would also state the "bottom line is it just leads me to believe I've probably done a poor job of communicating. It's very disappointing. So, we'll handle that and move on." After the season, Ferentz defended how his program handled player conduct. He stated said those incidents forced him to re-examine the his and the coaching staff's approach to keeping players out of legal trouble. He mentioned monitoring players, educating players, and relying on player leadership as areas that needed improvement. "Basically everything that's come to my desk or I've passed on to Gary Barta, Gary, I think has been handled the right way," Ferentz said in January 2008. "If it's discipline, we try to do the right thing. Are we perfect? No, but we've been pretty upfront." Iowa would hire a director of player development before the 2008 season to help keep players out of trouble. In May 2008, warrants were issued for the arrest of two Iowa players in connection with a sexual assault on campus that occurred on October 14, 2007. The alleged incident involved the players assaulting a UI swimmer while she was unconscious. The university investigation began in November 2007, lasting nearly two semesters and causing severe public scrutiny over the apparent bungling and lack of transparency. The victim's mother sent two letters sent to school president Sally Mason, accusing university officials of encouraging her daughter, an Iowa student-athlete, to pursue resolution "informally" and within the athletic department. She said her family was told that it would be faster than the "arduous" process of involving police. Ferentz, athletic director Gary Barta, and other university officials met with the victim, according to the mother's letter. The first letter, sent in November 2007, was not released by the university, and the victim's mother released it to the ''Iowa City Press-Citizen'' herself. The letters caused the Iowa Board of Regents to meet, and the victim eventually filed criminal complaints. Both players were removed from the team within days of the incident. Ferentz was asked about the scandal several times at Big Ten media days, responding "there was suggestion made of a cover-up, and I know that's the media's job, that's the world we live in right now," He added that "I take great exception to that, and I think if a logical person looked at this, for anybody involved to be in a cover-up here, basically you'd have to be morally bankrupt, and secondly you'd have to be fairly ignorant." A later University of Iowa probe concluded that the university mishandled, but did not cover-up, the assault. The two players, defensive backs Cedric Everson and Abe Satterfield, were accused of second-degree sexual abuse, with Satterfield also being accused of third-degree sexual abuse. In 2010, Satterfield signed a plea deal, pleading guilty to assault with intent to inflict serious injury and was fined $625, with a suspended prison sentence due to his testimony against Everson and his lack of previous criminal record. Everson was found guilty of assault in January 2011 by a jury. This was the lowest level of offense he faced, with a maximum of 30 days in jail and no registry as a sex offender. Everson would eventually see one week of prison time.


Rhabdomyolysis

In 2011, thirteen football players ended up in University Hospital with extreme cases of rhabdomyolysis, a serious muscle condition, following an offseason workout administered by strength coach Chris Doyle. Athletic director Gary Barta and Iowa tried to keep it under wraps, issuing a press release and state that no further comment would be forthcoming. National scrutiny rose, and later another press conference was convened. Barta, head coach Kirk Ferentz, and Doyle were not in attendance, instead letting a UI doctor and Biff Poggi, parent of injured player Jim Poggi, answer questions. Ferentz later relented and faced the media, admitting his error in a February press conference. Ferentz defended Doyle, stating he was "probably the most sought-after coach that I've ever been around," adding that "you couldn't ask for a better person to head that [strength and conditioning] up." Ferentz later gave Doyle the "Assistant Coach of the Year" award, an award that had never been given before or in the 10 years after. A university conducted an internal investigation, finding that the preparation and response by the coaching staff was lacking. One of the injured players eventually sued and settled for around $15,000.


Hiring of relatives

Ferentz has employed both children and children-in-law during his tenure at Iowa. Kirk’s son, Brian Ferentz, was hired as offensive line coach in 2012 after serving as the tight ends coach for the New England Patriots in the National Football League, NFL. The hire breached UI rules and guidelines surrounding nepotism, a conflict of interest arising from the hiring of relatives. In response, athletic director Gary Barta claimed that he had made the decision to hire Brian for the job. This was contradicted by Brian Ferentz at his introductory news conference, where he stated that his father had "reached out" to him about the job: "Once he had an idea of what he wanted to do, he reached out to me... It was a no-brainer. You can't say no to your father." Barta then instituted a management plan wherein he would act as the younger Ferentz's boss, rather than the head coach Kirk Ferentz, skirting the nepotism laws. In 2017, Brian was promoted to offensive coordinator. Prior to the 2022 season, Brian Ferentz was asked about the concerns of nepotism, answering “when you have my last name, when you are the head coach’s son, I understand what comes with that. I get it. I’ve never run from that. I don’t know that I embrace it… When things are good, it’s nepotism. When things are bad, it’s nepotism. I understand that my identity will forever be tied to being his son. I get all that.” He continued, stating “I don’t want to be the person that’s causing a distraction for him. ‘If it wasn’t your son, you’d fire him.’ … I don’t want to be the one that he’s being asked about.” During the 2022 season, during which the Iowa offense again ranked among the worst in FBS in points, offensive efficiency, and offensive yardage, the issue of nepotism became a local and national concern. Local reporters called for an "overhaul" of Iowa's "broken" offense and questioned Ferentz if staff changes would be made after a 6–9 loss to Illinois. National outlets such as The Athletic, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports, and Slate (magazine), Slate covered the issue of offensive futility, with Slate publishing an article titled "The Iowa Football Team Is the Best Case Against Nepotism That Humankind Has Ever Seen." After a 54–10 loss at 2022 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, Ohio State, which saw Iowa turn the ball over six times, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland.com reporter Doug Lesmerises asked Ferentz if he put the Iowa program in a bad spot given the offense's historic poor performances and the familial relations of its coordinator. Lesmerises would write a column that night calling for Brian Ferentz to be fired, stating "head coach is not a king, and he doesn’t get to hand out jobs by blood. The Ferentz family can leave Iowa whenever they want, but Iowa fans are locked in for life. A football program at a Public university, state university is a public trust. Loyal Hawkeyes aren’t going to abandon their program, so at the moment, they’re held hostage by a head coach treating the program like a Nepotism, family business." Kirk Ferentz would later call the line of questioning an "interrogation" and later stated about the press conference "it could have been worse, because I could have been that guy. I could have been that guy, had his job and had to act like he did." Ferentz would later issue an apology for this statement. Iowa Football’s Director of College recruiting, Recruiting and NFL Liaison, Tyler Barnes, is Ferentz’s son-in-law. Barnes attended Iowa and is married to Ferentz’s daughter Joanne. From 2009–2012, Barnes served as a student assistant, graduate assistant, and administrative assistant. Barnes left Iowa in 2013 shortly after it was revealed that Ferentz had pushed to extend Barnes’ contract for another year, without informing athletic director Gary Barta that Barnes was engaged to his daughter. Barnes returned to Iowa football in 2016. In a similar arrangement to Brian Ferentz’s, athletic director Gary Barta, not Ferentz, wrote his employment letter, and is his direct-report. This arrangement skirts University nepotism policies. “What we do is really competitive. It would really be counterintuitive to hire people who aren’t going to try to benefit and enhance our program,” Ferentz responded to questions about nepotism. “Any time we hire a coach, support personnel, we’re trying to get the guys best qualified to work at our place.” Barnes avoided questions about nepotism in his press conferences, stating he did not think it had an effect on his hiring “at all.”


Public Housing

While coaching at Iowa, Ferentz's son Brian Ferentz, Brian, a scholarship football player, lived Section 8 (housing), Section 8 housing—the only such housing in Iowa City, Iowa, Iowa City designated for low income Iowans. As reported in 2005 by the ''The Des Moines Register, Des Moines Register'' and ESPN's Outside the Lines, Brian and several other Iowa players paid "little to no rent" in publicly-subsidized housing set aside for poor families, elderly people, and those with disabilities. Kirk was making approximately $2 million at the time and was the state's highest-paid public employee. As part of his scholarship, Brian Ferentz received $700 per month for housing and other expenses. Politicians including US senator Tom Harkin and John Weicher, head of the Section 8 (housing), Section 8 program for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Housing and Urban Development, called for investigations and an end to the loophole. "I consider it to be an abuse of (the Section 8 housing program) if people who do not really need help are displacing the many who truly do need it," Harkin said in a statement. "It's a huge loophole that absolutely has to be fixed," said Linda Couch, deputy director for the National Low-Income Housing Association. "Hundreds of thousands of people have been on waiting lists for this kind of housing across the country, some of them for years." Kirk Ferentz deferred on the issue of housing his players, stating "to me, that's somebody else's job. That's not mine." Ferentz said he wanted to treat his son the same as any other player, though he expected some scrutiny. "When Brian made the decision to go to Iowa, he was fully aware that he may not just be treated like Joe Smith," Ferentz said. "But there are some advantages, too. And those outweigh the disadvantages." Ferentz also said Brian wasn't given much financial aid. "His income is not very significant, I can assure you that," Ferentz said. "Maybe people get a heck of an allowance from home. I can tell you he doesn't."


Personal life

Ferentz and his wife, Mary, have five children; eldest son Brian Ferentz, Brian from 2008 to 2011 was a coach for the New England Patriots. Son James Ferentz, James was a second team All-Big Ten Conference, Big Ten center in 2012. Additionally, James became a Super Bowl Champion with the Denver Broncos following the 2015 season and again following the 2018 season with the New England Patriots.


Head coaching record


Notes


References


External links


Iowa profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferentz, Kirk 1955 births Living people American football linebackers Baltimore Ravens coaches Cleveland Browns coaches Iowa Hawkeyes football coaches Maine Black Bears football coaches National Football League offensive coordinators Pittsburgh Panthers football coaches UConn Huskies football coaches UConn Huskies football players High school football coaches in Massachusetts Sportspeople from Royal Oak, Michigan Sportspeople from Pittsburgh Players of American football from Pittsburgh Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania American people of Hungarian descent