Overnight the news broke that Kirk Ferentz, head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes, is reportedly set to serve a one-game suspension. This suspension is reported to stem from recruiting violations committed when going after quarterback Cade McNamara.
The Hawkeyes open the season up on August 31 against the Illinois State Redbirds at home inside Kinnick Stadium. While an FCS program, the Redbirds are ranked in the FCS Coaches Poll at No. 20.
They are not going to roll over for Iowa. Although, the Hawkeyes may have a newfound fire to go play harder for Kirk Ferentz.
While the announcement of the suspension came rather close to Week 1 games, the Hawkeyes still have over a week to prepare for life without Kirk Ferentz. This could mean some intriguing things for the Iowa Hawkeyes now and the future.
The most intriguing aspect of this suspension is who assumes the managerial duties of being a head coach. Those include fourth-down decisions, clock management, timeout decisions, and how aggressive a team wants to be late in the half or at the end of games.
Phil Parker is Iowa’s defensive coordinator. He is set in stone there and has been for years. Assuming the entirety of the operation isn’t his thing. This is where the eyes turn to two potential future head coaches of Iowa and other FBS programs.
Those two are Seth Wallace, the assistant head coach who is also the assistant defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, and LeVar Woods, the special teams coordinator.
These two are much more likely to assume the duties of a head coach that extend outside of just playcalling and Xs and Os.
Seth Wallace was named the assistant head coach in 2024 and could be the most logical one in line to assume these duties. With Phil Parker more than capable of handling the defense, this could free up Wallace to lead the Hawkeyes in a head coaching manner.
LeVar Woods, arguably the best special teams coordinator in the country, has been a sneaky name among those set to become head coaches. He has the intangibles and commands his special teams unit at the highest level. He has the rapport and understanding of the game to take on these duties.
In reality, the decision-making likely lies somewhere in a collective agreement over the headphone communication that only the Hawkeyes’ staff knows. There is hope that most decisions do not have the game hanging in the balance and that Iowa can handle its business as expected against an FCS opponent.
But, should Iowa have crucial decisions to make in their season opener, Seth Wallace and LeVar Woods are two names to keep an eye on as things progress. This could be a small peak into what the potential future of Iowa Hawkeyes football looks like.
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