Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz spoke publicly Tuesday for the first time since it was announced earlier in the week that his son Brian Ferentz would not return as the Hawkeyes’ offensive coordinator in 2024. The decision to not retain Brian Ferentz was made by Iowa interim AD Beth Goetz, who cited the Hawkeyes’ continued struggles on offense and unusual contractual circumstance as the reasoning. Kirk Ferentz expressed definitively Tuesday during his weekly press conference that he did not agree with the timing of the decision.
“My policy has typically been to evaluate everything — players, coaches, all that — postseason because in season we have a lot on
” Kirk Ferentz said, via HawkeyeInsider. “That’s kind of been the nature of it, and it’s been that way probably since I got started full time in ’81. There’s not enough time in the day. That’s where our focus is. Everything you do is precious in terms of time relations. So to me, it’s a better time. It’s a less emotional time. I can give you a lot of reasons why I’ve done it that way, but it really doesn’t matter. It’s really not significant right now because we’re dealing with something that we have to deal with, and we will.”
Brian Ferentz is in his 12th season as an assistant coach under his father, including the seventh as offensive coordinator. While Brian Ferentz will remain on the Iowa staff for the remainder of the 2023 season, his departure looms with only five games — including a bowl game — remaining. Kirk Ferentz was asked Tuesday if he would definitively return to the Hawkeyes for his 26th season in 2024. His answer was unclear.
“Things are as they always are, to worry about this game and bigger scale, bigger picture for these four games,” Ferentz said. “That’s where my focus has been this entire season. Obviously there was more than four games a week ago, two weeks ago. That’s what I think about. Each and every year it’s been pretty consistent, just like the other things I referenced.”
Kirk Ferentz, 68, took over as head coach at Iowa in 1999. He has a 192-117 (.621) overall record with the Hawkeyes and has led the program to two Big Ten titles (2002, 2004). He is longest-tenured active head coach in the FBS by six years — Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Kyle Whittingham (Utah).
Iowa (6-2, 3-2) is in a four-way tie atop the Big Ten West division standings with rivals Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes managed to secure bowl eligibility for the 11th consecutive season despite having one of the worst offenses in the FBS for a third-straight year. With numerous injuries on the offensive side of the ball, including starting quarterback Cade McNamara, Iowa is on pace to average less than 25 points per game — a key number entering the 2023 season.
Ahead of this season, Brian Ferentz’s contract was revised. He took a $50,000 pay cut and it was mandated by Iowa’s administration that the Hawkeyes score at least 25 points per game (including a bowl game) — by any means, including defense and special teams — during the 2023 season. If that happened, Ferentz would return to his rollover two-year contract.
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