Iowa football adds former Wake Forest offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero as analyst

IOWA CITY — Iowa football has added former Wake Forest offensive coordinator Warren Ruggiero as a senior offensive analyst, as first reported by 247 Sports and confirmed by The Gazette.

Ruggiero spent the previous 11 seasons as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Wake Forest. He did not remain on staff as head coach Dave Clawson resigned and Jake Dickert took over following the 2024 season.

His Wake Forest offenses often thrived, as the Demon Deacons were the only ACC offense to average 30-plus points per game each year from 2017-22. That included Wake Forest’s 41 points per game in 2021, which ranked fourth in the country. The 2023 and 2024 results — 20.3 and 25.7 points per game, respectively — ranked in the bottom half of the FBS, however.

Ruggiero was a 2021 finalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to the top assistant coach in college football. (Iowa’s Phil Parker won the award in 2023.) Quarterbacks under his tutelage who received NFL opportunities include Sam Hartman, Phil Haynes, John Wolford, Tyler Sheehan and Josh Freeman.

Ruggiero and Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester had some overlap in the ACC, as Lester was on Syracuse’s staff from 2013-15. Lester’s Orange won all three matchups.

The Hawkeyes still have more work to do from a staffing standpoint after running backs coach Ladell Betts departed to take the same position with the New York Giants. They have roughly another three weeks before spring practices begin.

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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