While it doesn’t get as much credit it deserves, Iowa football has a rich history. Who stands out as the best coach in program history?
While it is not one of the most prolific programs in college football, the Iowa football program has been one of the most consistent in recent decades. The beginnings of Iowa football can be traced all the way back to 1872, but did not become an official varsity sport until 1888.
In the program’s 130-year history, the Hawkeyes have compiled an overall record of 642-553-39, which equates to a winning percentage of .536. In all, Iowa has won 13 Big Ten Championships and a national championship in 1958.
Iowa has produced some remarkable talent over the program’s long history. Early stars include Gordie Locke, Aubrey Devine, Duke Slater and Nile Kinnick, who won the 1939 Heisman Trophy and is the namesake of the stadium the Hawkeyes play in. In the past four decades, Iowa has produced talent such as Andre Tippett, Chuck Long, Ronnie Harmon, Dallas Clark, Marshall Yanda, Chad Greenway, and Bob Sanders, all of which went on to have substantial NFL careers.
These great players have been complimented by great coaches. Since 1979, the Hawkeye program has seen only two head coaches: Hayden Fry and Kirk Ferentz. Other famous names to coach the black and gold include Forest Evashevski, Howard Jones and Dr. Eddie Anderson. These names all made the list, but the question is where do they rank on the list.