The verdict is in: Iowa's Kirk Ferentz and assistant receive 1-game bans

It's official, the longest tenured head coach in the FBS is out... for one game.

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant coach Jon Budmayr received one-game suspensions in relation to recruiting violations.

Quarterback Cade McNamara was added to the Hawkeyes' roster in December, rather quickly after he had entered the transfer portal from Michigan in 2022.

The biggest reason that McNamara's departure from the Wolverines program was that he had been Jim Harbaugh's starting QB, and led the team to a 12-2 season, including a College Football Playoff berth before entering the portal.

McNamara was replaced by eventual-National Championship quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Rumors immediately started circulating that Ferentz and his staff had been in contact with McNamara outside the allowed windows for recruiting.

Currently, it is unclear whether the suspensions on Ferentz and Budmayr were handed down by the NCAA or if they were school-sanctioned punishments.

247Sports reports that the program as a whole is under investigation, beyond just its head coach and wide receivers coach (Budmayr).

The one-game suspensions will be served at the beginning of the season, when Iowa is set to face non-conference opponent Illinois State on Aug. 31.

Ferentz has been the Hawkeyes head coach since 1999 and Budmayr joined his staff in 2022 as an offensive assistant, becoming the wide receivers coach ahead of the 2024 season.

Both the Hawkeyes head coach and receivers coach are expected to return to the field on Sept. 7 for Iowa's game against in-state rival Iowa State.

Last season, McNamara was named as the starting quarterback for Iowa but was sidelined after five games due to a knee injury.

The quarterback is projected to once again be the Hawkeyes' QB1 in the upcoming season, even if his head coach isn't calling the plays.

So far, Ferentz has yet to comment but is scheduled to meet with the media later Thursday.

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