Uncertainty surrounding future of Iowa football lingers following decision to part ways with Brian Ferentz

Editor’s note: A day after this story was published, Kirk Ferentz clarified on his weekly radio show that he intends to continue coaching beyond the 2023 season.

IOWA CITY — Perhaps the most telling part of Kirk Ferentz and Beth Goetz’s comments to reporters Tuesday — their first in-person comments since news broke of offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz’s upcoming dismissal — was what was not said.

Most notably, Kirk Ferentz’s coaching future at Iowa remains uncertain. Asked whether he would continue to coach at Iowa after 2023, the 25th-year head football coach did not give a firm answer.

“My plans are like they always are — to worry about this game,” Kirk Ferentz said. “Bigger scale, bigger picture, these four games. That’s where my focus has been this entire season.”

When the topic came up again later in the news conference, Kirk Ferentz interrupted to say he “could get hit by a truck tomorrow.”

“That’s the reality,” Kirk Ferentz said.

Goetz, speaking with reporters after Kirk Ferentz’s news conference, said she wants to keep Ferentz, along with the other high-level head coaches on campus, “here as long as you can so they can continue to lead our great programs.”

“The concern any time you would have to replace a Hall of Fame coach in any sport is real,” Goetz said. “Obviously we got more than our fair share at Iowa.”

Goetz, Iowa’s interim athletics director, declined to say who was in the meeting when she decided to dismiss Brian Ferentz.

“I’m not going to share any private information,” Goetz said.

She also declined to comment what impact the loss to Minnesota or the well-documented performance objectives had on Brian Ferentz’s situation.

“Looking back about what contributed to anything at this point is just not something I really want to get into,” Goetz said.

Kirk Ferentz did not comment on how Goetz’s decision — the one not to retain his oldest son — will affect their working relationship.

“There's a chain of command to everything, and I respect that, and we move forward,” Kirk Ferentz said.

Goetz did say the decision on who will replace Brian Ferentz as offensive coordinator is one “we'll leave up to the head coach.”

“Just like with any of our sports and any of our coaches, we empower our head coaches to make decisions that they think are best in the hiring process,” Goetz said.

But any discussion about what Iowa will be looking for in its next offensive coordinator or even the hiring timeline is “getting way ahead,” Kirk Ferentz said.

“What I'm really worried about right now are the next four weeks,” Kirk Ferentz said. “That would be an injustice to our football team to be thinking about any of those things that you mentioned.”

While Goetz’s door “is always open for any student-athlete,” she did not directly address the football team following the news of Brian Ferentz’s dismissal.

“Coach (Kirk Ferentz) knows how to best handle the team and those conversations with his players,” said Goetz, a former collegiate athlete and coach herself.

Brian Ferentz has been on the Iowa football staff since 2012, including as offensive coordinator since 2017.

Goetz’s decision to dismiss Brian Ferentz this season came amid another season of lackluster offensive results. Iowa has the worst offense nationally in yards per game this year after ranking second-worst the year before and 10th-worst two years ago.

Kirk Ferentz described the midseason staffing decision as a “departure” from how the program has operated in the previous 24 seasons.

“Basically, my philosophy and my practice has been pretty consistent,” Kirk Ferentz said. “Typically we go through the season and then run an evaluation of the program top to bottom afterward.”

Goetz said in her statement Monday it is usually “not my practice to be involved in assistant coaching decisions,” but the circumstances surrounding Brian Ferentz’s employment in the first place are certainly not typical.

Iowa’s interim athletics director is Brian Ferentz’s direct supervisor in an unusual setup created by predecessor Gary Barta that usurped the university’s nepotism policy.

“It is a conflict of interest for a faculty member, staff member, or student to participate in employment decisions affecting anyone related to him or her by blood or marriage,” the university’s nepotism policy states.

In this case, that means Kirk Ferentz cannot “participate in employment decisions” affecting Brian Ferentz.

“The decision has been made,” Kirk Ferentz said. “It's the university's position, and we're moving forward. We have four games.”

Comments: john.steppe@thegazette.com