Iowa Football in Strange Place

Talk About Hawkeyes' Future Can Be Uncomfortable

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz (center) and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz watch the Hawkeyes warming up before a game against Illinois on Oct 8, 2022 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. (Rob Howe/HawkeyeNation.com)

IOWA CITY, Iowa - We’re in a strange place with Iowa Football. Some characteristics of the current season look familiar, but it feels different.

The unrest among Hawkeye fans is elevated for a team that's 6-2 heading into Saturday's game against Northwestern. There normally wouldn't be this much negativity around here for a squad in a four-way tie for first place in its division. It was predictable considering the circumstances, though. 

Iowa needed improvement on offense. It couldn't be worse than last year, which nobody thought could be worse than '21. It has been worse, keeping it in the spotlight as a national punchline. 

It got ugly at times last season, but the black and gold faithful's loyalty to their all-time winningest coach is being tested like never before. A nepotism narrative is straining their relationship. 

It could hit a fever pitch during the next two months. How the '23 campaign ultimately plays out will shape the program's path forward.

There’s a lot to unpack when analyzing the current state of the Hawkeye union. It starts with head coach Kirk Ferentz, in his 25th year at the helm, and his first-born child, Brian Ferentz, the offensive coordinator.

It's not recency bias saying that Brian Ferentz is the fan base's most disliked coaching staff member during his father's quarter-century long tenure. He's clearly ahead of his predecessor, Greg Davis, and his predecessor, Ken O'Keefe. 

"Fire Brian" can be seen on shirts and on paper bags worn over fans' heads in Kinnick Stadium. It's chanted during home games. 

It's the worst-case scenario for a father-son coaching dynamic. This is not the Ferentz Family vision for how this would go down. Sugar plums are no longer dancing. 

If the racial bias found in the program three years ago didn't kill the succession plan, Brian's punchless offense the last 35 games removed him as heir to the throne. Fellow Iowa coordinators Phil Parker and LeVar Woods are better positioned to replace his father. 

Kirk doesn't seem ready to retire, but who knows. And it's probably a good time to remind people, again, that the Hawkeyes are 6-2 overall and are tied with Penn State for the third most Big Ten wins (15) since the start of '21. His seat isn't hot, nor should it be. 

It is what it is for '23. You can't trade for help on offense. Iowa must lean heavily into defense and special teams, which will be better than their four remaining opponents. It will be favored to win the next three games and could be in the finale at Nebraska as well. 

Again, how this campaign ends will impact post-season decisions. It can change leverage for the folks involved. 

For instance, if Iowa finishes 10-2 with seven Big Ten wins and its second West title in three years, that increases Kirk's influence, which already is great. If the Hawkeyes lose out and end up in a low-level bowl game, his sway decreases. 

The outcome probably ends up in the middle, making a wonky situation more complicated. Having an interim athletics director in Beth Goetz adds to that. What appears to be a hands-off university president in Barbara Wilson does, too. 

If push came to shove, would Goetz or Wilson force Kirk's hand? Could they turn their backs on big-money donors if they're on the coach's side? 

Perhaps they'll be let off the hook. Maybe Brian walks, Kirk's PR firm weaving a positive spin. This can't be fun for the 40-year-old and his family, no matter how much money he makes. 

It gets interesting if Kirk and Brian want to keep going, pinning most of this year's offensive struggles on significant injuries. With Michigan transfer quarterback Cade McNamara returning in '24, more additions and better execution of the system, the Hawkeyes can fly again, they tell fans. 

Portal pickups led by McNamara worked in generating excitement early this year. Iowa sold out Kinnick for this fall like it had in '21. 

Apart from adding Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. this winter, selling hope now will be difficult without change in staff and/or scheme. Apathy is possible even for the ultra-popular Hawkeyes. 

We'll see if a power struggle arises between Kirk Ferentz and his "bosses." You can bet he believes what he's doing works. Why else would he keep doing it? 

It's a delicate situation for the next AD and Wilson. They risk alienating Ferentz and straining the school's relationship with its wins leader. Let him run it back, and they turn off fans. 

The state of affairs at Iowa come while the college football landscape undergoes make changes. Conferences and the playoffs are expanding. The Hawkeyes won't compete at a high level with this offense. 

It feels like an important time for the future of Iowa Football. It will be shaped by important choices during the next several months. Buckle up.