Iowa Targeting January for New OC

Kirk Ferentz Says He'll Name Offensive Coordinator Next Month

Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz (left) and head coach Kirk Ferentz on the sideline during a game against Rutgers on Nov. 11, 2023 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Rob Howe/HN)

Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz said on Monday he expects a new offensive coordinator to be in place some time in January.

There is one philosophy, Ferentz said, that he wants his new coordinator to have.

The Hawkeyes play complementary football, he said, and the new coordinator has to understand that.

“There is a “team” concept here that is really important to me,” Ferentz said.
“That’s the only way you win, in my opinion.”

Iowa won 10 games this season and is playing in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Tennessee on January 1, ranking fifth in total defense and 130th in total offense. It’s why interim athletics director Beth Goetz announced in late October that offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, Kirk’s son, would be out of a job at the end of the season.

The offensive coordinator position was officially posted by the athletic department last week, and Kirk Ferentz said he had already made three phone calls with prospective candidates and would be making a fourth this week.

“Based on what I know, as I stand here right now, I have total confidence that we’ll have a really good person here,” he said. “There’s some strong interest from people that would make sense, that would really fit, and I think will fit what we need.”

For now, Ferentz said, his focus is on the bowl game.

“For me not to be focused on that, first and foremost, would be negligent of my duties,” he said. “We’ll really turn our attention to it more when we get back, because you have to have face-to-face meetings, those kinds of things.”

Asked if the new offensive coordinator would have to have a philosophy that would mesh with Ferentz’s philosophy, Ferentz brought up the process when Norm Parker was hired as defensive coordinator in 1999.

“I wasn’t hung up on a three-man front, a four-man front. I’m not locked into that, fixed onto that,” he said. “We have won a few games, I know sometimes we all forget about that. We’ve won a few games here. Complimentary football is the best way to win here, in my opinion. You have to play complimentary football and you’ve got to respect the ball — ball security is critical.”

Ferentz said he also isn’t hung up on statistics when selecting a coordinator.

“If you want to evaluate a coordinator, check the wins per game column,” he said.

“I think the objective is still to win,” he later added. “The objective to win is first and foremost. You do what’s best to win. Every week’s a different situation, every game’s a different situation. Certainly every team presents different (challenges).

“That’s why you don’t hear our defensive guys bitch. They know what’s going on. They know what is real, what isn’t real. It’s genuine.”

Ferentz said the plan is for his son to coach in the bowl game.

“I think he’s intending on it,” Ferentz said. “We’ll know for certainty next week. He’s got to worry about himself, too. That’s probably first and foremost in his mind.

I’m not sure how he did coach the last five games, but I give him a lot of credit for that. I have a deep appreciation. I think he’ll do all he can to help the program. But he has to look out for himself, too, right now. I tell you this — if he gets a job tomorrow, I don’t expect him to be here. If he is, I may have to visit with him about that.”

The decision on Brian’s replacement will come soon enough.

“We’ll figure it out,” Ferentz said.