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10 most overrated head coaches in college football ahead of 2022 season

By Connor Muldowney

Nov 20, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin walks off the field following the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Rutgers 28-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 20, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin walks off the field following the game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Rutgers 28-0. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports /
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 04: Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes watches his team from the sidelines during the Big Ten Football Championship against the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 04, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 04: Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes watches his team from the sidelines during the Big Ten Football Championship against the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 04, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

Kirk Ferentz is the longest-tenured head coach in the Big Ten and yet he’s never really broken through outside of a couple of seasons.

When Big Ten fans talk about average programs or limited-ceiling schools, they compare those teams to Iowa.

“Do you want to be the next Iowa?” is both a compliment and an insult. Is it all Ferentz’s fault? Not really, the Hawkeyes are limited by geography but more on-field success would probably improve recruiting but they seem to always be in the bottom half of the league in that regard. The Hawkeyes are usually somewhere in the Nos. 7-9 range in the conference.

That’s not great for a head coach who has been around for two decades. It makes it seem like the ceiling is a borderline top-25 recruiting class which might have something to do with his archaic offensive schemes and the fact that he doesn’t connect to recruits as much as say a Ryan Day, Mel Tucker, Jim Harbaugh, PJ Fleck, or James Franklin.

Since 1999, Iowa has won 10 or more games seven times, has two conference titles (none since 2004), and two division titles. The Hawkeyes are also 9-9 in bowl games in that time and have just one New Year’s Six bowl victory.

Ferentz is a decent eight-win coach, but the ceiling seems limited, especially when you look at the last two times the Hawkeyes made the Big Ten title game (both losses followed by bowl losses).

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