The buildup to Wednesday’s Iowa football news conference with Kirk Ferentz was filled with as much anticipation as any since January 2015, when after a disappointing season, the veteran head coach emerged with a clear change in direction for the program. .
Ferentz then switched the quarterbacks from Jake Rudock to CJ Beathard, a long-requested shakeup among Iowa’s fan base … and it worked. Behind Beathard and other changes to the program in 2015, Iowa enjoyed a 12-0 regular season and has largely experienced an eight-year streak of sustained success … except on offense the past two seasons.
And from there the expectation for Wednesday was born. Would Ferentz announce big changes, small changes, ANY changes in an offense led by the unpopular son of his who has become a national laughingstock? Wednesday also marked a second national signing day, and the Hawkeyes had a handful of new prospects come on board. But the real focus was on the future of Iowa’s offense and how bold Ferentz’s words and actions carried over.
At the end of the press conference, the number one takeaway was this: There are no changes to the coaching staff, and Brian Ferentz will return as offensive coordinator.
“I feel great about the whole recruiting class.”
Ferentz began by talking about the second national signing day, with the Hawkeyes announcing the signings of five scholarship players (including four from the NCAA transfer portal) and six companions in the Class of 2023. Portal Additions Rusty Feth (6-foot -5,304 pounds) of Miami of Ohio and Daijon Parker (6-5,300) of Saginaw Valley State highlighted Iowa’s immediate efforts to fix the offensive line.
Ferentz also noted that perhaps the Hawkeyes’ top three recruits since December are the retentions of sixth-year seniors Nico Ragaini at wide receiver and Joe Evans and Noah Shannon at defensive line.
Iowa recruiting director Tyler Barnes, Ferentz’s son-in-law, took the podium next to elaborate on Ferentz’s recruiting remarks. Barnes noted that Iowa will have 44 new players between the January and June arrival periods, which is a large number for the program. That’s a significant amount of revision to the list.
One of the more intriguing additions is productive wide receiver Seth Anderson from FCS Charleston Southern, who has been on campus for two weeks. Anderson has three years of eligibility remaining.
“As we look further into his background, he was a high school wrestler,” Barnes said. “He’s a great guy, a big smile, a great personality and the kind of guy we like to chase. He’s got a chip on his shoulder and he’s got something to prove.”
There will be another transfer portal window in May, in which Iowa can add some players in areas of need. Barnes said that Iowa still has some scholarships available to spend. (Ferentz later noted that kicker Drew Stevens and long snapper Luke Elkin were in the process of being promoted from scholarship status.)
Back to Kirk Ferentz, who puts his immediate focus on the offensive line.
The head coach said, “I think it’s significant” that Iowa has the third-most wins in the Big Ten Conference since 2015. But his comments quickly turned to the offense, which finished 130th of 131 on FBS and he had the worst show on the show. Average yards per game (251.6) since 1978.
“The 2022 performance, simply put, was not good enough,” Ferentz said. “We’re very aware of that. We’ve been very aware of that and we own it. The idea is to go ahead and fix it.”
Ferentz said the first priority this offseason is fixing the offensive line, adding that Iowa played too many linemen who weren’t ready to play. He applauded the players’ efforts and said they are well trained, but said the poor line play spilled over into other areas of the offense. “An excessive amount of medical issues” contributed to the poor development of the line, with only Connor Colby healthy through and through the past two seasons.
Ferentz later added that standout offensive linemen David Davidkov and Justin Britt have been medically retired and will not return to football, but remain on scholarships to finish their studies.
On quarterbacks: It was hard to gauge in 2022
Ferentz cited the late May transfer of Charlie Jones to Purdue and other unusual developments (Keagan Johnson’s injuries, Brody Brecht’s lost time with baseball, and then injuries) as reducing the help the quarterback received. Spencer Petras. Between receiver and offensive line, Ferentz indicated that his quarterbacks didn’t have enough to work with.
In that sense, he is excited about the transfer of Cade McNamara (Michigan) and Deacon Hill (Wisconsin) to the program. Both are on campus this spring. It seemed like Ferentz was setting the stage to justify minimal or no changes in the offensive personnel to the offense, and that’s exactly where his next words went.
No changes in the coaching staff. That’s the big headline.
As Ferentz finished his opening statement, 40 minutes after the press conference, he said: “I don’t anticipate any changes to our personnel in the future. I think we have a fantastic staff.”
That put an end (for now) to any curiosity about whether offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz would return.
Kirk Ferentz emphasized that he felt he knew the causes of what triggered the horrendous offensive statistics.
“It will help us be a more veteran line,” Ferentz began.
He pointed out that he is open to scheme changes but not radical ones. Bottom line: not much change is expected.
“I think we have the right guys, whether they’re players or coaches,” Ferentz said. “I’m looking forward to getting to work.”
Continuing, Ferentz came under pressure about evaluating his son in six years as offensive coordinator. His response pointed to the fact that Hayden Fry never fired a coordinator, and he hasn’t either. He referenced his last years as an Iowa assistant, in 1989, when the team went 5-6. The following year, Iowa went to the Rose Bowl. The following year, Iowa went 10-1-1.
“Usually we go back and fix it,” Ferentz said.
On Monday, Iowa will begin discussion of changes to the scheme
And it appears those conversations will include Jon Budmayr, the analyst who was formerly Wisconsin’s quarterbacks coach and had recruiting connections to McNamara and Hill.
“He’s been a great resource, certainly for Brian,” Ferentz said, but did not clarify whether Budmayr would be a permanent member of the staff. “I didn’t quite know what to expect (when he came on board last spring). Now that he’s been here a long time, he’s first class. A very good man, a very good coach”.
Ferentz said the entire staff will discuss adjustments to the offensive scheme, agreeing that what suits McNamara’s skill set — with a little more mobility than Petras had — will be among the considerations. Continually pressed on offense, Ferentz added: “We’re taking ownership. Nobody runs from this. The idea is to be a championship-level team.”
Why didn’t Iowa athletic director Gary Barta overrule Ferentz?
Brian Ferentz informs Barta, as part of the university’s nepotism policy. Barta had a lot of authority to fire Iowa’s offensive coordinator, even saying Tuesday that “offensively, the performance we had last year is not going to be enough, it’s not acceptable.”
But he also said Brian is “exceptionally qualified” for the offensive coordinator job as a former player on the program who understands his father’s approach.
“At the end of the day, I have the ability to overturn any decision in the department,” Barta said. “I’ve sat with Kirk and Brian, more than ever before, from the bowl to today. I have expressed my expectations of moving forward.”
Barta declined to say what those expectations are.
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