Coach Ferentz extends contract to 2025

After a stellar 2015 season, Kirk Ferentz’s contract set to expire after the 2019 season has been extended through the 2025 season. Ferentz will rake in 4.5 million dollars a year not including performance bonuses set to be negotiated in the near future. Ferentz, who is in his 18th year as the head coach for the Hawkeyes, will likely finish out his career here once his contract expires.

The contract extension comes approximately a year after many people were calling for Ferentz to be let go. After several average seasons in a row, fans were growing tired of Ferentz’s conservative play style and “ground and pound” offensive approach. He took notice. 2015 ushered in a so called “new Kirk”. The 2015 season, while one of the most successful in Iowa history, saw a change in the way the game was played. Ferentz took more risks and incorporated a much more balanced offensive attack. And it certainly paid off. Additionally, a change has been seen in the recruiting classes. The incoming recruiting class boasts several four or five star recruits, a shift from the usual classes filled with two and three star recruits.

Iowa has enjoyed nearly four decades of coaching stability. The legendary Hayden Fry was at the helm for 19 years before Ferentz took the reins in 1999. Such stability in today’s college football climate, where coaches are often fired after a year or two, is essential to creating a top caliber program. I think most Hawkeye fans can agree that as long as we see results like we did last year, Kirk can stick around.