Goetz Moves on from Brian Ferentz

Interim AD swings a big stick for someone who is not the full time AD

The Iowa Hawkeyes will be down at least one Ferentz on the 2024 coaching staff, as Interim Athletics Director Beth Goetz has informed him, and Kirk Ferentz, that Brian will no longer be a part of the program moving forward, after Iowa’s bowl game. Here is the release from Iowa, from Monday:

"Anyone who loves Iowa football recognizes both the success and challenges that have brought attention to our program this season. Our struggles on offense coupled with the offensive coordinator’s contract make this a unique situation.

After conversations with head coach Kirk Ferentz, coach Brian Ferentz and President Wilson, I informed Brian that our intention is for him to be with us through the bowl game, but this is his last season with the program. Making this known today is in the best interest of the program and its loyal fans; it provides clarity during this pivotal time in the schedule.

It is not my practice to be involved in assistant coaching decisions and certainly not to make public such a change during a season. Our priority is to put all our student-athletes in the best position to have both short-term and long-term success, on and off the field. Our football team has a group of outstanding young men and talented athletes, who at 6-2, have a lot to play for. As a former athlete, I know every opportunity to put on the jersey is a cherished one.

As Hawkeyes, let’s continue to support all our coaches, staff and student-athletes in their pursuit of a Big Ten Championship and bowl game victory."

The emphasized texts are mine…but I think they speak volumes.

First, Goetz makes mention of the ‘unique’ contract that Brian was working under for the 2023 season, the one that former AD Gary Barta saddled the program with, a contract Brian did not want to sign but did.

So it was highly unique for its performance metrics. It’s also unique because Iowa has laws against nepotism, and Brian reporting to Barta was their attempt at circumventing such laws.

Second, she says she spoke with Kirk and Brian, which you would assume. She also spoke with President Wilson. Then, Goetz says this is Brian’s last season ‘in the program’, not just as its Offensive Coordinator. That’s noteworthy, as some folks were hypothesizing that Brian could be reassigned to another role on staff, such as the Offensive Line coach. But Goetz nipped that notion in the bud.

She also says making it known today is in the best interests of the program. Another very key thing to marinate in for a few minutes.

I think it’s safe to assume that Kirk Ferentz was not for this move, or at the least, not at this time. He’s never punted an assistant coach in season, and he has spoken out against this growing trend in college football that is a very recent trend, and one that, say, ten years ago, was incredibly rare. Kirk has always been a vocal proponent of assistant coaches and the lives they lead, with a very keen awareness of the stresses on the family that comes with the job. So no, this is not what Kirk would have chosen for any of his assistants, much less his oldest child.

That also leads to another safe assumption; Beth Goetz is a baller. No, I am not reveling in the fact that someone lost their job. Brian Ferentz has always been good to me. He’s someone I had a good relationship with when he was a player.

When I used to have the Jon Miller Show on KXNO back in 2006-2009, I once received an email from someone that said, ‘Great show. You never know who is listening.’ That email was from Brian Ferentz, who at the time had a chair out in a hallway and was a glorified coffee fetcher for Bill Belichick. Brian was also a huge fan of the late Wolfgang (Gant Miller) who was a regular guest on my show.

But Goetz is clearly swinging a stick that is much larger than one would imagine an interim AD to swing…which leads me to think that she is the AD in waiting, not just interim, and while Iowa may go through some dog and pony show with posting a job opening, Goetz is going to be your new AD. President Wilson would not want to strap anyone other than Goetz with the role of hiring a new head coach come January if Kirk Ferentz decides to move on…

And I believe this move, one that I do not believe Kirk liked, will lead to his resignation. I wrote about that before, back in June when I made my first Hawkeye post to this blog.

“I believe this will be Kirk Ferentz’s last season, regardless of what happens…He has a team capable of winning the Big Ten West and returning to Indianapolis. If that happens, that’s a good note to go out on. If it doesn’t happen, and say the offense sputters again, he’s not going to stick around if his son gets the axe, and Iowa will be hiring a new AD in 2024.”

The offense has sputtered again, but Iowa can still return to Indianapolis as the Big Ten West representatives…and his son has received the axe, and I just don’t think Kirk is going to want to report to the AD that fired his son, likely against his wishes.

I feel compassion for Kirk but not sympathy; he brought this on himself with his unwillingness to adapt offensively while the rest of the sport was evolving. I feel compassion for Brian but not sympathy. He knew what he was getting into, it was a great gig, but these past few years could not have been good for his mental health.

I thought Brian would be the only person who could get Kirk to make some schematic changes on offense because only a prince can tell the emperor he has no clothes and live to tell about it. My guess is Brian and Kirk had a few rows over the past few years…Kirk clearly won those.

So who takes the job if Kirk is still the head coach? Someone who needs a huge break, or someone who is looking for another last payday (see Greg Davis). Ultimately, I don’t think Iowa’s offense will ever change all that much so long as Kirk Ferentz remains its head coach.

An innovator isn’t taking this job. A hot-shot proven coordinator isn’t taking this job. Once you have learned how to ride a bike, you aren’t going back to put the training wheels on years later.

So this is where things stand for the Iowa football program:

-A lame duck OC

-A likely bitter head coach who sees an interim AD meddling in the kingdom he built

-A job that probably isn’t going to attract the best and brightest should Kirk choose to remain Iowa’s head coach

This leads me to double down on what I wrote in June; I think this will be Kirk’s last season as Iowa’s head coach. I don’t see a healthy way forward, beyond this season, for the program at large. It will be in everyone’s best interests for Kirk to move on and Iowa begin a new era, with a new (and perhaps visionary?) AD who isn’t afraid to disrupt the status quo, which is a breath of really fresh air for some fans of a program that has been so much status quo that the smell can no longer be hidden, at least on offense.

When you spray Febreeze on a pile of dog poo on your living room floor, you still have a pile of poo on your living room floor that is flower-smelling poo. Ain’t nobody got time for that.