Honestly, I think we all forget to give Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz his flowers.
Unfortunately, fickleness is the nature of the college football beast. It is an extreme “what have you done for me lately” system, where your last move is really the only thing in memory. Because of the struggles on offense, and the entire situation with his son and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, opinions have unfortunately somewhat soured on Kirk Ferentz. There have been recent opinions that he maybe should step down, and overall, it doesn’t feel like the talk surrounding a legendary coach.
That’s exactly what he is too, a legendary coach. He literally is the third-winningest active Power 5 coach heading into the 2023 college football season with 186 wins. He only trails North Carolina‘s Mack Brown and, of course, Alabama‘s Nick Saban, two of the greatest college football coaches of all time.
Right below him are some elite coaches in their own right, including fourth-ranked Brian Kelly. Currently LSU‘s head coach, Brian Kelly is another coach who honestly does not get nearly the recognition he deserves.
Raymond Lucas Jr. of 247Sports gives a pretty fantastic synopsis on why Ferentz’s sustained success at the University of Iowa is especially special.
There is something to be said for staying power. In an era where a high volume of coaches are fired each and every year, Kirk Ferentz has managed to remain employed at a high-profile Big Ten program for 24 seasons. About to begin his 25th year leading the Iowa Hawkeyes, Ferentz has been the FBS’ longest-tenured head coach since 2017, and there are no signs he plans on stopping in the near future. – Lucas Jr., 247Sports.
Besides a select few programs, turnover is pretty normal in the college football world. There are 24 new head coaches heading into this season alone. Paul Chryst won the Big Ten Coach of the Year twice during his tenure with Wisconsin. Before he was fired five games into last season, he never experienced a losing season in Madison, going 13-1 with their only loss in the Big Ten Championship game in 2017.
Chryst is now out the door for exciting hire Luke Fickell, a coach leaving a Cincinnati program he brought to the College Football Playoff in 2021. This transition of coaches shows just how fickle (no pun intended) the world of college football can be. One misstep can cost you your job and modern coaches always have their sights set on a new, bigger target.
Despite all the changes around him in the sport he loves over the past 25 years, Kirk Ferentz leading his Iowa Hawkeyes to another successful season in the Big Ten has remained the one constant. Ferentz will be seeking to join the 200-win club this year, currently holding 198 head coaching victories all-time when combining his 12 victories leading Maine from 1990-92 in the FCS ranks.
Here’s a look at the full top 11 active winningest Power 5 coaches.