Kirk Ferentz’s Journey From 1-19 to Big Ten Coaching Legend

The sport of college football has never been more restless. Players transfer at the first sign of frustration. Coaches leap from one lucrative offer to the next. Donors pull strings behind the scenes, always chasing the next “better job.”

And yet, Kirk Ferentz remains.

The Iowa head coach, who started his tenure losing 18 of his first 20 games, now sits on the doorstep of history. One more win, and he’ll pass Woody Hayes to become the winningest coach in Big Ten history.

That moment could arrive as soon as Saturday against Iowa State, or a week later at Kinnick Stadium against UMass.

From Hayden Fry to Head Coach

What makes Ferentz’s rise remarkable isn’t just the victories—it’s how he got there. The longtime Hawkeye leader never set out to be a head coach.

In fact, by his own admission, he would have been perfectly content living out his career as an NFL assistant. His entry into the head coaching ranks wasn’t destiny. It was almost accidental.

Yet when the opportunities came, Ferentz stayed rooted in Iowa City. The NFL came calling with “generational money.”

Blue blood programs came knocking with offers to jump ship. But Ferentz waved them all away. He valued stability, family, and authenticity over power and dollar signs.