Brian Ferentz named Iowa's offensive coordinator

IOWA CITY — There are niceties that need to be said.

Brian Ferentz is an Iowa City kid, more so than anywhere else. He's a Hawkeye, from three years as a starting O-lineman and now five seasons as offensive line coach, a position his father, Kirk, held for nine seasons before a stint with the NFL and now going into 19 years as Iowa's head football coach.

As a player, there were two Big Ten titles and, in 2004, a routine knee operation that turned into a staph infection. It set into the bone and soft tissue around the right knee. At one point, amputation was more of a possibility than a return to football.

He missed four games in 2004, but returned to play guard. The Hawkeyes didn't lose another game, including a miracle win in the Capital One Bowl.

Today, just a few months ahead of his 34th birthday, Brian Ferentz moves up a level in the Hawkeye realm.

Ferentz was named offensive coordinator, replacing Greg Davis, who held the job for five seasons before retiring late last week, just four days after a disastrous offensive showing in the Outback Bowl.

It's easy to see the 'future' future. So, sure, maybe Brian takes over for his Kirk, whose contract runs through the 2025 season (that's just nine more years, a blink of an eye in Iowa offensive coordinatorships — seriously, Brian Ferentz is now just Kirk's third in 18 seasons and sixth in 39 years).

But this is about the now. This all has to work or forget 'future' future.

On this level, win or lose, Brian Ferentz will find haters. Kirk has often referred to the offensive coordinator position as a 'lightning rod.' So now that's Brian on top of a hill during a thunderstorm waving a 9 iron toward the heavens (or Ohio State, whichever one is mightier at the time).

The assignment is this: Make Iowa's offense interesting within the 'zone blocking' framework endorsed by Kirk Ferentz. Find a passing scheme that makes sense, that can work with unheralded receivers (although, remember, Iowa is getting senior Matt VandeBerg back for 2017) and that can work in the wonderful weather of the Big Ten West.

And, really, maybe stem the tide of jokes and vitriol launched at the Iowa offense. Someone Iowa has to hear that and get sick of it, right?

Read More

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