Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz will not return next season: Who could fill the role?

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Much-maligned Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz will not return next season, interim athletics director Beth Goetz announced Monday.

“After conversations with head coach Kirk Ferentz, coach Brian Ferentz and President Wilson, I informed Brian that our intention is for him to be with us through the bowl game, but this is his last season with the program,” Goetz said in a statement. “Making this known today is in the best interest of the program and its loyal fans; it provides clarity during this pivotal time in the schedule.”

NEWS: Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz is out at the end of the season.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 30, 2023

Ferentz, 40, the son of longtime head coach Kirk Ferentz, has served as Iowa’s offensive coordinator since 2017. He was the offensive line coach from 2012 to 2016 and added run game coordinator responsibilities in 2015.

Ferentz’s contract was altered in February by former athletics director Gary Barta after posting near-bottom national statistics. His two-year rollover was halted, he did not receive a contracted raise, his salary was reduced by $50,000 to $850,000 and he received performance objectives for 2023 that included an average of 25 points per game and seven victories. Had Ferentz not reached those performance objectives, his contract would have expired.

This year, Iowa has averaged 19.5 points per game (120th) nationally, up slightly from last year’s 17.7 points per game (123rd). However, the Hawkeyes have scored just five touchdowns over five Big Ten games.

Iowa ranks last nationally in yards per game in total offense at 232.4 yards per game, which is 26.4 yards below the No. 132-ranked offense.

The Hawkeyes have lost starting quarterback Cade McNamara and NFL-caliber tight ends Luke Lachey and Erick All to season-ending injuries. In McNamara’s absence, quarterback Deacon Hill has completed 37-of-98 passes (37.8 percent) for 427 yards.

Because of university nepotism rules, Goetz supervises Brian Ferentz.

Why announce his resignation now?

The Hawkeyes (6-2 overall, 3-2 Big Ten) have four games remaining and are tied for first place in the Big Ten West. But they are six weeks from the transfer portal opening. Iowa’s wide receivers have caught just 31 passes for 330 yards in eight games this year. Announcing Ferentz’s departure could help keep several players from entering the transfer portal, at least through the first wave.

In addition, the Hawkeyes get ahead of the field to see which potential offensive coordinators might be available in December. It allows Kirk Ferentz to decide not only who he wants to hire as his son’s replacement, but also how he wants to alter his offense moving forward. — Scott Dochterman, Iowa beat writer

Why was this move made?

The numbers are the numbers. Iowa’s style of football doesn’t mean it needs to gain significant yardage or score massive amounts of points. But it needs to win at ground acquisition football and controlling time of possession. The Hawkeyes have struggled with running the football the last three years, have converted just 26.4 percent on third down (No. 132 nationally) and are No. 127 in time of possession (26:37). The offense simply isn’t giving its elite defense and special teams a chance to win games.

The scheme is outdated, and both the play calling and coordination are major factors in the offense’s failures. — Dochterman

Was this decision inevitable?

Everyone except members of the Ferentz family knew this day was coming. Former athletic director Gary Barta knew it had to be done, but he wasn’t willing to do it, instead putting into Brian’s contract that embarrassing points-per-game clause that made Iowa’s offense a national punchline. Now, the Hawkeyes can go out and hire a good offensive coordinator and be taken seriously again.

The timing is important, too. With the Big Ten expanded westward next year and adding four offenses far more prolific than Iowa’s, this program needed to make a change. It is no longer only comparing itself to the other sputtering offenses in the Big Ten West — it’s got to think bigger and better, especially as the conference gets rid of divisions and the College Football Playoff expands to a 12-team field. — Nicole Auerbach, senior writer

Who could fill the role?

Kirk Ferentz rarely strays outside his comfort zone for hiring assistants, so current senior offensive analyst Jon Budmayr is a likely candidate. Also, an on-staff sleeper is running backs coach Ladell Betts, who is considered a bright offensive mind.

Outside Hawkeyeland, the shoot-for-the-moon candidate is Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who grew up in Iowa and played college football at Division III Buena Vista in northwest Iowa. — Dochterman