Notes from Wednesday

"I'm a fan."

In December, Kirk Ferentz urged patience for then-men's basketball coach Todd Lickliter. Wednesday, he said he hopes to remain friends Lickliter.

Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta fired Lickliter on March 15. Wednesday was Ferentz's first public appearance since the firing.

“I don't know if surprised is the right word,” Ferentz said. “I think there has been enough written about everything, and I'm sure more has been talked about, but I guess my only comment is I enjoyed our friendship and I hope it continues. I just think Todd's an excellent coach.

"Things didn't work out the way anybody wanted to, I think everyone would be in agreement on that. But I would also say that here's a guy who's coached in a couple Sweet Sixteens. I don't know how many people in the state of Iowa have been to a Sweet Sixteen twice in the last 10 years. I don't know how many coaches, I haven't looked that up, have coached in a couple Sweet Sixteens.

"My guess is the list of guys who've been to multiple ones is a list of pretty good coaches. I'm hopeful that he gets another opportunity. I just hope it works out great for him. I'm a fan.”

21-under sounds good to Ferentz

Iowa football's off-field legal issues have narrowed to a trickle in the last year or so, but the idea of 21-and-older bar law in Iowa City still sounds like a good idea to Ferentz. He's also realistic, though. He knows it won't be a cure-all.

"A) I'm in favor of it, but that being said no matter what we do, we can try to curtail, we can try to be proactive and educate, but drinking is going to be an issue on every college campus in America," Ferentz said.

He gave a point of reference when he and a daughter visited Penn State a few years ago. You need to be 21 to enter a bar in Pennsylvania.

"We went downtown and I looked out at an apartment building," he said. "The bar scene might've been a little slow, but the apartment I was looking at was rocking. So, it's hard to slow things down. . . . It's not going to be the ultimate cure."

Tuesday night, the Iowa City city council approved the first of three readings of an ordinance banning those younger than 21 from being in bars after 10 p.m.

"We can do better at that position."

Remember the last snapshot of kicker Daniel Murray? He limped badly off the field after a fake field goal in the Orange Bowl went awry.

Ferentz said Wednesday that Murray's health is OK, but that the job is wide open. Sophomore Trent Mossbrucker will resume his career after taking a redshirt in '09. As a true freshman, Mossbrucker made 13 of 15 field goals. Last season, Murray made 19 of 26.

"We can do better at that position," Ferentz said when asked about kicker.

"We have a unique situation. We have two guys that have played a lot at that position," Ferentz said. "It's going to be straight-up competition. It was last year, too. It just worked out that Daniel won the job and afforded us the opportunity to redshirt Trent. I think that's a straight-up competition right now."

Center of attention

No, spring practice depth charts don't mean a whole lot, but the bold "or" between center candidates Josh Koeppel and James Ferentz at least says the job is wide open.

Koeppel is a 6-2, 273-pound fifth-year senior who played football and wrestled at Iowa City High. Ferentz is a 6-2, 275-pound sophomore who also played football and wrestled at City High.

Their size is even, their backgrounds are pretty much the same. Koeppel is a fifth-year senior, so he has an edge in experience.

"The whole thing, it's just about even right now," coach Ferentz said. "It's about that even right now. Josh has an experience edge, but I thought they both did a nice job in December and we'll see what happens here in the next 15 days."

QUICK SLANTS

Linebacker Lance Tillison is back on the team officially. He left the team after the 2008 season, unhappy with playing time. He will have one year of eligibility remaining. The 6-2, 215-pounder is not on scholarship, Ferentz said.

Defensive end Adrian Clayborn faces minimal punishment after he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on March 4. He won't be suspended.

"Nothing major," Ferentz said. "Some, but nothing major. It ended up panning out like I thought it might based on what I knew."

Clayborn, 21, was charged with assault causing bodily injury after he allegedly punched a cabdriver who honked at him in January 2009. By pleading guilty to the lesser charge of disorderly conduct, which covers fighting or violent behavior, Clayborn faces a $100 fine.