Big Ten

Iowa OC Brian Ferentz not Returning in 2024

Published

October 30, 2023

IOWA CITY, IA - SEPTEMBER 03: Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz watches his team run through drills before a college football game between the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and the Iowa Hawkeyes, September 03, 2022, at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, IA. Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire),

Update: It’s official.

NEWS: Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz is out at the end of the season. pic.twitter.com/slxse1gfPS

— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 30, 2023

Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz isn’t expected to return next season.

David Eickholt of 247Sports reported Monday afternoon that the much-maligned son of longtime Iowa HC Kirk Ferentz is likely down to his last several games as Iowa’s OC.

Sources: Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz 'not expected' to return in 2024.https://t.co/lG0nOXs28z

— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) October 30, 2023

Although Iowa’s currently 6-2 overall, 3-2 in the Big Ten West and tied for first in the division, the offense has become a national punchline under Ferentz’s watch.

That was evident when Iowa played at Penn State Sept. 23 and lost, 30-0. The rest of the season hasn’t been much better offensively for Iowa. The team’s averaging a conference-worst 19.5 points per game.

To be fair, the team’s been playing without starting QB Cade McNamara since the last day of September, when he suffered a season-ending injury against Michigan State.

In February, Iowa made amendments to the contract of OC/QB coach Brian Ferentz.

The amendments were.. interesting.

An 850,000 salary that’s been effective since Feb. 1.
Financial incentives based on designated performance objectives.

Those objectives include:

Average at least 25 points per game
Win at least seven games, including a bowl game

Last season, Iowa averaged 17.7 points per game, which ranked 12th out of 14 Big Ten schools, ahead of only Rutgers (4-8, 1-8 Big Ten) and Northwestern (1-11, 1-8 Big Ten). Nationally, Iowa finished 123rd of 131 teams in scoring average. If Iowa averaged 25 points per game last season, it would have been one of 86 teams to accomplish that feat. Iowa won eight games this past season, including a 21-0 win over Kentucky in the Outback Bowl.

Eickholt reported that Ferentez is expected to remain OC through the end of the season, and Iowa’s expected to provide more details later Monday.