In a college football world driven by NIL, the transfer portal, and an ever-changing College Football Playoff landscape, constants and consistency are words that seem to have less to do with the sport ever year.
The exception is Kirk Ferentz and Iowa Football.
Ferentz will turn 70 years old in August and kick off his 27th season at the helm of Hawkeye football just a few weeks later. Both his age and longevity are rarities in today's game, and that longevity does not happen without a certain level of consistent success.
It's time for us as college football fans to collectively recognize and respect what Kirk Ferentz has done.
Ferentz took over Iowa football in 1999. Bill Clinton was still in office. If you're keeping score, we've had five different presidents and six different presidencies during Ferentz's tenure in Iowa City. That alone is a solid bar room conversation starter.
In terms of actual coaching accolades, Kirk Ferentz has three Big Ten division titles and two Big Ten conference championships to his name. He was the AP and Walter Camp National Coach of the Year in 2002 and won the Bobby Dodd, Eddie Robinson, and Woody Hayes National Coach of the Year awards in 2015.
He has also won the Big Ten Coach of the Year award four times.
Ferentz has only had three losing seasons during his 26 years as Iowa's head coach, and one of those was a result of losing a bowl game to finish with a 6-7 record. When you take out the shortened Covid season of 2020, Iowa averages just shy of 8 wins a season during his tenure. That would be an impressive run for an entire program over that span, let alone a single head coach.
Perhaps his most impressive accomplishment is turning Iowa football into an NFL factory despite its geographic recruiting advantages. Ferentz, his staff, and his system have mastered the art of player development. There are currently 38 former Iowa players on NFL rosters or in NFL camps. Of those 38 players, 20 of them were 3-star recruits according to 247 Sports. Four of them were 2-stars.
Iowa football rarely beats itself on Saturday. Instead, they sit back and wait for opponents to make a mistake. More often than not, the Hawkeyes jump all over that mistake in the form of one big play that turns the tide in their favor.
Kirk Ferentz has given Iowa football and its fans an identity. They are the model of consistency and toughness in college football. They know exactly who they are, and in a world of coaching carousels, you can't put a price tag on that.
There will be a lot of questions about coaches, teams, players, and playoffs when the 2025 college football season kicks off this August. Thanks to Kirk Ferentz, there will be few questions from anyone about what to expect from a football standpoint in Iowa City, IA.
For us college football purists and old souls, Kirk Ferentz is the last remaining relic from the game we fell in love with. It's time for the collective college football watching nation to acknowledge and respect what he has done before he leaves the sport.`