Iowa Football: Top 10 head coaches in program history

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IOWA CITY, IOWA- OCTOBER 07: Tight end Noah Fant #87 of the Iowa Hawkeyes is tripped up during the fourth quarter by defensive back Stanley Green #7 of the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 7, 2017 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

10. Ray Nagel: 1966-1970

Career Record: 16-32-2

While the first coach on the list did have a losing record, Ray Nagel undoubtedly coached some very talented teams for the Hawkeyes during his stint in Iowa City. Nagel played his college football at UCLA and was an all-Pacific Coast Conference halfback his senior season. He spent a few years as an assistant for UCLA before a one-year stint playing for the NFL’s Chicago Cardinals and returned to coaching following 1953.

Nagel spent a year as an assistant at Oklahoma under Bud Wilkinson and then returned to his alma mater to be running backs coach for three years under his head coach, Red Sanders. Following the 1957 season, Nagel was hired as head coach of the Utah Utes, who were then in the Skyline Conference and compiled a 42-39-1 record in his eight seasons in Salt Lake City. He was hired by the Hawkeyes prior to the 1966 season, replacing Jerry Burns.

Throughout his short tenure at Iowa, Nagel’s teams were plagued by off-field issues. Issues included the infamous “Black Boycott” that took place before the start of the 1969 season and Nagel’s feud with Iowa athletic director and former coach, Forest Evashevski. Regardless, he coached many talented players such as Ed Podolak, Dennis Green and quarterback Larry Lawrence, however the Hawkeyes never had a winning season under Nagel and he resigned following the 1970 season.

Nagel never coached another down of football following his tenure at Iowa and became a successful athletic director at Washington State and the University of Hawaii. He was also an executive for the Hula Bowl for six years before retiring for good in 1995.

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