For the Iowa Hawkeyes after 2023, it will be an intriguing summer and NCAA Transfer Portal cycle. Indeed, the team’s primary goal remains winning the Big Ten West Title, which they are now vying for. Iowa revealed this week that Brian Ferentz, their offensive coordinator, will not be returning for the 2024 campaign.
Iowa has faced national ridicule and a set of challenges on the offensive side of the ball. They have been handed a plethora of injuries, a potentially outdated scheme and numerous other obstacles throughout the course of the season. Despite having four weeks remaining this regular season, Iowa interim Athletic Director Beth Goetz wanted the public to know about the future of the offensive coordinator.
“Anyone who loves Iowa football recognizes both the success and challenges that have brought attention to our program this season,” Iowa interim athletic director Beth Goetz said in a statement. “Our struggles on offense coupled with the offensive coordinator’s contract make this a unique situation. After conversations with head coach Kirk Ferentz, coach Brian Ferentz and President (Barbara) Wilson, I informed Brian that our intention is for him to be with us through the bowl game, but this is his last season with the program. Making this known today is in the best interest of the program and its loyal fans; it provides clarity during this pivotal time in the schedule.”
Kirk Ferentz would have preferred to evaluate his team at the end of the season, but with the modern day college calendar, that’s nearly-impossible to do anymore. The Hawkeyes are focused on retaining as much talent as possible, but also will want to make themselves as attractive as possible for immediate impact players. Because in modern day college football, it’s possible to turn around a side of the ball in one offseason.
“The answer is what’s changed in our world,” Kirk Ferentz said in the summer about why he’s using the transfer portal more. “We’re living in a very different world as college football coaches than we were three years ago, five years ago, ten years ago. Now, the way we’re operating is just going to be part of the terrain moving forward unless we see change. We’re just going to try to incorporate our same process, if you will, with it, and there’s also some benefit to it. There’s some advantages to getting guys that have played and competed already at a high level.”
“I think the big thing like all of us, whether it was in recruiting or now looking at the portal, we’re trying to get players to fit with what your program deems to be important. So that was our process and really feel good about it.”
On Thursday, 247Sports’ David Eickholt joined Grace Remington and Blair Angelo to talk about all things Hawkeyes, including how Iowa plans to attack the transfer portal this cycle.
There is a football game this weekend.
The talk all week surrounding the Iowa football program over the last couple of days has been the situation surrounding Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz. On Monday, Iowa interim athletic director Beth Goetz released a statement that said Ferentz would not be returning to Iowa following the 2023 season as offensive coordinator.
It feels like a long time coming, given Iowa’s poor offensive output over the last couple of seasons, but it puts Kirk Ferentz and the rest of the team in an interesting position as there are still four games left in the season, and Iowa still has a chance to win the Big Ten West.
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