With Iowa’s (8-4, 6-3 Big Ten) Dec. 30 TransPerfect Music City Bowl clash vs. Missouri (9-3, 5-3 SEC) closing out the 26th season under the guidance of Kirk Ferentz, the nation’s longest-tenured coach was recently asked about his head coaching future.
The Hawkeyes‘ head coach has amassed a 204-123 record with the program since taking over from Iowa coaching legend Hayden Fry following the 1998 season.
With the 13-10 victory over Nebraska on Nov. 29, Ferentz’s 204 wins now sits one win shy of tying Ohio State‘s Woody Hayes for most overall wins by a head coach as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
In terms of Big Ten wins, Ferentz’s 128 conference victories ranks third all-time, trailing only Michigan‘s Bo Schembechler by 15 wins (143) and Ohio State’s Woody Hayes (152) by 24 victories.
When asked earlier this month whether he plans to continue as Iowa’s head coach for a 27th season in 2025, Ferentz confirmed his return by cracking a joke.
“Hope so. Do you know something I don’t know?” Ferentz responded. “That’s my plan, yeah. It seems like there’s always stuff going on. Have you noticed that? You’ve been covering us for a long time. Somehow, we just keep moving forward.”
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Though college football has evolved and changed, Ferentz still loves the foundational pieces of being a college football coach.
“There’s a lot of things that I won’t say frustrated, but a lot of things really make you step back and think, like, ‘That’s interesting.’ The more the game changes, the more the circumstances change, it’s still about being around good people. Our key is and I think what we enjoy — I think I speak for our whole staff, when you get the right guys on your team, it’s a lot of fun.
“We’re 100-plus population, so not everybody is going to be perfect, and we’re not all going to be best buddies, but I think there’s a mutual respect amongst our team and people in the program. To be part of that on a daily basis is pretty special. I’m enjoying that part of it.
“There are things that frustrate you obviously at times. Injuries frustrate you, and you can’t do a thing about them. It’s just part of the game. I wish it was 20 degrees warmer the other night, quite frankly, but a lot of things you can’t control. The good stuff is still the good stuff, and that hasn’t changed, and that’s the fun part about this thing,” Ferentz said.
While some Iowa fans have grown tired with the Hawkeyes’ offensive shortcomings or the program’s inability to capture its first conference title since 2004, Ferentz has turned Iowa football into a consistent winner and a premier destination for developing athletes into NFL-ready talent on an annual basis.
With his inclination of continuing his tenure in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes will surely have another talented group come next fall.
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