Can Kirk Ferentz Regain Trust & Success While Defying Father Time at Iowa?

More of the Same?

Tim Lester’s resume is a mixed bag of success and failure. But the bigger question is how much influence will Lester have? Kirk Ferentz made it clear that Iowa will continue its philosophy of complementary football. And it is a formula that has worked more than not.

Ferentz needs Lester to jumpstart the offense out of its current state of being a liability. If Lester can merely make the offense mediocre, that might be enough for Iowa to be a Big Ten threat.

One clue that Iowa’s offense may continue to be stalled is that former Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst interviewed for the position but turned down an offer. Chryst is no Air Raid guy and prefers the complementary football that Ferentz demands. Yet his decision indicates that not much is likely to change in Iowa City under Kirk Ferentz's heavy hand and watchful eye. 

One advantage that Lester is likely to have is a serious QB. Grad transfer Cade McNamara, formerly of Michigan, is expected to run the offense after missing nearly all of 2023 because of injury.

McNamara offers the opportunity to improve the offense from being worthless into something that could complement the defense and kicking teams and yet stay within the Kirk Ferentz system. Certainly, that is the vision. 

Ferentz Attempts to Defy the Times and Father Time  

When Nick Saban retired at age 72, he did so not only as the GOAT of college football coaches but as one of the few who defied the magic number of 60.

Age 60 is the Mendoza Line of college football coaches. Few coaches succeed at or close to the age of 60. The further coaches advance to age 70, the worse things tend to go. Kirk Ferentz will be 69 when the season kicks off. He is not about to change his ways, especially as the all-time winningest coach in Iowa history.

But Ferentz is confronting an era where offense is king and trying to do so in a Big Ten Conference that will be more difficult than ever. The conference has abolished its divisional format for a single 18-team conference in 2024. Iowa can no longer hide in the weaker West Division. 

The Ultimate Irony and The Only Path Forward  

Iowa has never been a top recruiter and will likely never become one. Instead, Iowa ranks with programs such as Wisconsin, Kansas State, and Minnesota as a top developmental program. Thus, Ferentz’s formula makes the most sense to sustain Iowa’s future.

The only chance Iowa has to contend for the Big Ten championship is to add a competent offense to its elite defense and kicking teams. Tim Lester and Cade McNamara could partner to produce what is needed.

But the damage of Kirk Ferentz’s nepotism wasted several potentially big years at Iowa. It damaged his reputation and that of the university. And it alienated fans into anger and cynicism. 

Beth Goetz potentially saved Kirk Ferentz from himself and his blind, embarrassing misdeeds.

But Ferentz remains defiant of his age and the new factors of college football. Iowa has a decent NIL program but is not an elite recruiting or portal participant. Ferentz will rely on the development of solid players with strong work ethics. In 2024, it is the ultimate contrarian bet, which is what makes it so intriguing.

It is Ferentz’s consistent philosophy that has brought Iowa so much success. But there are times when Ferentz appears so stubborn as to prefer failure to change.

In 2024, college football will get an interesting revelation on the future of Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes.