How adding Warren Ruggiero may bolster Iowa football’s in-season ‘preparation process’

IOWA CITY — The relatively smaller size of Iowa’s football staff — at least compared to some of its Big Ten counterparts — is not entirely by happenstance.

“I just prefer smaller instead of larger when it comes to staff,” said Kirk Ferentz, who will be in his 27th season as the head football coach at Iowa. “The game hasn't changed. It's still 11 guys, and 11 guys on every phase, special teams.”

That philosophy did not preclude Ferentz and Co. from seizing an opportunity in the offseason, though, with the addition of Warren Ruggiero as senior offensive analyst. Ruggiero joined the Hawkeyes after 11 seasons as the offensive coordinator at Wake Forest (and previous FBS coaching stops at Bowling Green and Kansas State).

“He’s really learning what we’re doing, what we do, and then obviously he has a lot of good ideas, too, which is really nice,” Ferentz said in his first news conference since hiring Ruggiero. “He has a wealth and depth of experience.”

Ferentz anticipates Ruggiero’s role will “improve our preparation process” during the regular season.

“When we finish up yesterday’s game on Sundays, Warren will already have a jump start on whoever it is we’re going into, whatever preparation,” Ferentz said. “And just have some ideas and some presentation stuff for Tim to help make his process a little quicker. And same thing for the whole offensive staff.”

Ruggiero’s expected duties could be especially helpful considering how the Hawkeyes have operated their in-season schedule for the last decade — and how it naturally creates a heavy workload for the staff on Sundays before the first practice of the week.

“Since we practice on Mondays — which is unusual, we go Monday mornings — Sundays are really tough, and they have been since 2015 when we switched it,” Ferentz said.

The idea of an ex-FBS coordinator taking an analyst job — either because of a head coaching change or their own firing — is far from revolutionary. Jon Budmayr was an offensive analyst at Iowa in 2022 after the Colorado State offensive coordinator was not retained by the new staff there. (He now is Iowa’s wide receivers coach.)

Ex-Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz found a landing spot at Maryland as an analyst in 2024 after his firing in 2023. (He now is the tight ends coach at Fresno State.)

It is an especially appealing concept since the NCAA relaxed some of its rules regarding coaching roles in 2024. Analysts now are allowed to provide on-field instruction to athletes — something previously reserved for a team’s head coach and assistant coaches.

Ruggiero, who will turn 59 next week, has overseen some impressive offenses. His Demon Deacons averaged at least 30 points per game for six consecutive seasons from 2017-22, and their 43 touchdown passes in 2022 broke a school record.

He was a finalist in 2021 for the Broyles Award, which goes to the top assistant coach in college football. That’s the same award that Iowa defensive coordinator Phil Parker won two years later.

“He's been great,” Ferentz said of Ruggiero. “He's a football guy all the way.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com

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