Iowa's Kirk Ferentz takes a pay cut to make room for staffer

The University of Iowa released an amendment to head football coach Kirk Ferentz's contract on Tuesday.

Ferentz will take a pay cut for the 2017-18 season. His base salary will go from $2,470,000 to $2,420,000, a $50,000 decrease.

Ferentz volunteered the money so Iowa football could make a hire, he said during Tuesday's news conference. There are a few new jobs on the football staff this season, including Kevin Spencer who was hired as quality control assistant for special teams in July.

'It's to help our program,' Ferentz said. 'It was something we agreed on (Ferentz and athletics director Gary Barta) and thought it would be good for the program.'

Ferentz's salary beyond this season remains unchanged. All other terms and conditions on Ferentz's contract, signed in February 2016, remain in full force and effect. This was a one-year adjustment that Ferentz requested to accommodate meeting the overall salary budget for the entire football staff in 2017-18.

In a statement Tuesday afternoon, Ferentz clarified further.

'In my contract extension, I made the decision to forgo $50,000 of a raise so that money could be used to fund another football assistant position,' Ferentz said. 'I believe the additional football assistant is important to the success of our program.'

Spencer comes to Iowa City after two Super Bowls and 25 years in the NFL coaching the Browns, Colts, Steelers, Cardinals and Chargers. Spencer was hired in June. This is a new position for this season.

Ferentz and Spencer coached together on the Cleveland Browns staff in the early 1990s.

LeVar Woods was named special teams coordinator during the offseason. Spencer will help with that transition. The Hawkeyes will have a new punter, field goal kicker, kick returner, punt returner and kickoff specialist this season.

Last season, Spencer worked with St. Augustine High School in San Diego, Calif., where his son, Jack, was a student-athlete.

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