The Iowa Hawkeyes have been a Big Ten mainstay for several seasons now, and it's mostly in part due to the longevity of their coach, Kirk Ferentz. Ferentz, who is weeks away from his 70th birthday, enters his 27th season in Iowa City, having maintained a bit of success in recent years.
In doing so, there appears to be uncertainty surrounding Ferentz's immediate Hawkeyes future, which is what CBS Sports' Cody Nagel tried to uncover in his latest overview of every Big Ten football coach, ranked No. 1-No. 18, entering this season.
Ferentz made a small leap compared to last year, sitting at No. 5 overall.
"Ferentz's tenure at Iowa -- the longest of any active FBS coach -- has delivered steady success, but the Hawkeyes have struggled to consistently compete with the Big Ten's elite," Nagel wrote.
The Hawkeyes finished last year 8-5, losing in the Music City Bowl to the SEC's Missouri Tigers.
"Although he's been to the Big Ten Championship Game three times in the past decade, the last conference crown for the Hawkeyes came way back in 2004," Nagel wrote. "Half the players on Iowa's 2025 roster weren't even born then. Ferentz remains one of the sport's most respected figures, with 204 wins -- the most among any active FBS coach. "
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Despite the Hawkeyes avoiding Illinois, Oregon and Ohio State this fall, it draws Penn State and Indiana as arguably their two toughest games this season.
Iowa added Mark Gronowski to more than likely take over at quarterback this fall, which Ferentz hinted at during Big Ten Media Days on Thursday.
"I can tell you after being around him for 7+ months, he's a tremendous young man..... All the things we thought were positives, we've seen firsthand," Ferentz told reporters. "Really looking forward to seeing him in the huddle and leading this team."
The Hawkeyes open the season Saturday, Aug. 30, against Albany.