Abdul Hodge joins Iowa football staff as tight ends coach, Brian Ferentz to coach quarterbacks

IOWA CITY — Iowa is adding Abdul Hodge to its football staff as the tight ends coach, as first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel Tuesday and confirmed by Iowa Wednesday.

“Abdul exemplifies all that is good in college football,” Kirk Ferentz said in a news release. “The competitive drive he used to become an All-Big Ten player continues to fuel him to this day. I am confident he will do an outstanding job in this position.”

Offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, who has coached tight ends since 2018, will switch to working with the quarterbacks.

Hodge, an Iowa alum, has been the outside linebackers coach and NFL liaison at South Dakota since 2019. He previously worked as a football consultant at Iowa, according to his online bio.

Hodge played at Iowa from 2002-05 — a stretch that included four bowl trips, including the 2002 Orange Bowl — and was a three-time all-Big Ten honoree. The former linebacker played in the NFL from 2006-10.

“When I decided to get into coaching after my NFL career, the first person I called was Coach Ferentz,” Hodge said in the news release. “Coach Ferentz has always been a great leader, and I am excited to be able to continue my coaching career where I had so many great memories as a player and student.”

Brian Ferentz completed his fifth season as the Hawkeyes’ offensive coordinator in 2021. He previously coached Iowa’s offensive line from 2012-16 and was the run game coordinator in 2015 and 2016. He coached running backs in 2017 in his first year as offensive coordinator.

This marks the first time Brian Ferentz specifically coached quarterbacks at the college or professional level.

“We believe this is the logical move for our football program,” Kirk Ferentz said. “The person in charge of calling the plays should work most closely with the players who are in control of the offense.”

The addition of Hodge gives Iowa a full staff again. Ken O’Keefe stepped away from quarterbacks coach to move into a new off-the-field role, creating the vacancy on Kirk Ferentz’s staff.

Iowa’s coaching staff now has five Black on-field assistant coaches and is one of the program’s most racially diverse coaching staffs in the Kirk Ferentz era.

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