College Football: 25 greatest head coaches of the 21st century
By Dakota Cox
Best college football coaches of 21st century: 21. Kirk Ferentz
- Iowa Hawkeyes (1999-Present)
This might be a bit of a surprise for the list, but Kirk Ferentz has done a lot as the head coach of Iowa. Not only has he only been the head coach of one program his entire career, but he’s been there since 1999. It is very rare to get 20 years with the same team, and Ferentz is hoping to continue his time with the Hawkeyes. Being the longest tenured head coach in college football is an impressive feat.
Not only has Ferentz been at Iowa for a long time, but he has also been very successful. He has over 150 wins at Iowa. His win percentage isn’t exactly the best, however, when you think of the fact that he has coached so many games at Iowa, you have to cut him some slack.
It is incredibly hard to build programs like Iowa. Without recruiting ties in the bigger football states, you have to rely on the ability to turn lesser players into quality assets. Ferentz has done just that. Iowa always seems to have a strong offensive line, and they had the two best tight ends in college football in 2018 with Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson.
There are some things that will keep Ferentz from sliding up this ranking that are in his control. At the end of the day, you have to compare him to the other coaches, and he doesn’t have the major accomplishments.
His bowl game record is not great, and he’s only made it to one Rose Bowl. In that game, the Hawkeyes lost. His best bowl win was the Orange Bowl in 2009, but seasons that successful are the exception for Ferentz.
In 2020, there were harsh accusations regarding race relations in the locker room which resulted in a racial discrimination lawsuit. He still kept his job, but this has to be mentioned when referencing the Iowa head coach.
However, you have to credit Ferentz with keeping Iowa relevant. The Hawkeyes don’t always have the best record, but they are always a tough team. Ever since they got their first season with a winning record, he has only had two losing seasons. They are consistent, tough and have the ability to upset any team they play.