Kirk Ferentz's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Kirk Ferentz.

Kirk Ferentz is the head football coach at the University of Iowa since 1999, making him the longest-tenured FBS coach with one program since 2017. Prior to Iowa, he was the head coach at the University of Maine (1990-1992), and an assistant coach in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. Ferentz played college football as a linebacker at the University of Connecticut. He holds the record for all-time wins as a coach at Iowa.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1958: Hawkeyes First Rose Bowl Since

In 1981, Kirk Ferentz's first season at the University of Iowa, the Hawkeyes had their first Rose Bowl since 1958.

1959: First Victory in a Major Bowl Since 1959 Rose Bowl

In 2010, Iowa defeated Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl, marking their first victory in a major bowl since the 1959 Rose Bowl.

1959: Historical Reference to Rose Bowl Victory

In 2015, the text references the last Rose Bowl victory in 1959, highlighting the team's struggles since then, with a combined score of 164-78 in their four losses since 1959.

1959: First January Win Since 1959

On January 1, 2004 the Hawkeyes defeated Florida 37-17 in the Outback Bowl, for their first January Win since 1959.

1961: Hawkeyes First Winning Season

In 1981, Kirk Ferentz's first season at the University of Iowa, the Hawkeyes achieved their first winning season since 1961.

1981: Joins Hayden Fry's Staff at Iowa

In 1981, Kirk Ferentz joined Hayden Fry's staff at the University of Iowa, coaching the Hawkeyes' offensive line. The team achieved its first winning season since 1961 and its first Rose Bowl appearance since 1958.

1985: Hawkeyes Win Big Ten

In 1985, during Ferentz's tenure as an assistant at Iowa, the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten and held the No. 1 national ranking for five weeks.

1985: First Win Without a Touchdown since 1985

In 2004, shortly after his father's death, Ferentz and the Hawkeyes defeated Penn State 6–4, Iowa's first win without a touchdown since 1985.

1986: Dave Croston wins Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year

In 1986, Tackle Dave Croston won Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.

1991: Reference to Top 25 Ranking Feat

In 2019, the team accomplished a distinction not done since 1991: both starting and finishing the season in the top 25 national rankings without dropping out.

1992: Mike Devlin wins Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year

In 1992, Center Mike Devlin won Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year.

1994: Playoffs with Cleveland Browns

In 1994, Kirk Ferentz and Bill Belichick led the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs.

1996: Reference to Last Bowl Shutout

The 21-0 victory over Kentucky in the 2022 Music City Bowl marked the first bowl shutout produced by the Hawkeyes in school history since 1996.

1997: Ogden Named NFL All-Pro

In 1997, Jonathan Ogden was named first-team NFL All-Pro under Kirk Ferentz.

1998: Ogden Named NFL All-Pro

In 1998, Jonathan Ogden was named second-team NFL All-Pro under Kirk Ferentz.

2000: First Big Ten Victory

In 2000, Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes snapped a 13-game losing streak with their first Big Ten conference victory against Michigan State, finishing 3-9 overall.

2001: First Bowl Bid of Ferentz Era

In 2001, Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes earned their first bowl bid of his era, finishing the season 7–5 after rebuilding, defeating Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl, 19–16.

2002: Memorable 2002 Season

In 2002, Kirk Ferentz led the Iowa Hawkeyes to a memorable season, finishing with an 11–1 record and as co-conference champions alongside Ohio State. The Hawkeyes' only loss came against Iowa State. They had key victories against Penn State and Purdue. The team clinched a partial Big Ten title with a win over Minnesota.

2003: Hawkeyes Compile 9-3 Record

Despite losing several seniors, the Iowa Hawkeyes compiled a 9–3 regular season record in 2003. Iowa defeated Iowa State for Ferentz's first Cy-Hawk victory and also defeated Michigan. Offensive tackle Robert Gallery was the Outland Trophy winner that season.

2003: Banks Wins Davey O'Brien Award

In 2003, quarterback Brad Banks of Iowa won the Davey O'Brien Award for best quarterback and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting. Tight end Dallas Clark won the John Mackey Award. Kicker Nate Kaeding won the Lou Groza Award. Kirk Ferentz was named Coach of the Year by the Associated Press. The team lost to USC in the 2003 Orange Bowl.

January 1, 2004: Hawkeyes Defeat Florida in Outback Bowl

On January 1, 2004, the Hawkeyes defeated Florida 37–17 in the Outback Bowl. This earned the Hawkeyes a No. 8 national ranking in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll at the end of the season.

January 1, 2005: Hawkeyes Defeat LSU in Capital One Bowl

On January 1, 2005, Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes defeated LSU 30–25 in the Capital One Bowl with a last second touchdown pass. This was Ferentz's third straight ten-win season.

June 2, 2006: Highest Paid Coach in the Big Ten

On June 2, 2006, Kirk Ferentz became the highest-paid coach in the Big Ten and third-highest in college football with a restructured contract that boosted his annual salary to $2.7 million.

2008: Hawkeyes Finish Strong in 2008

In 2008, Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes started strong but had close losses early in the season. Iowa went on to win five of their next six games, including an upset of Penn State. They defeated South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

2009: Best Start in School History

In 2009, the Iowa Hawkeye football team had the best start in school history. They started 7-0. After defeating Indiana to run their record to 9-0, the Hawks lost quarterback Stanzi to injury in an upset loss to Northwestern. Iowa finished the regular season with a 10–2 record and were selected for the 2010 Orange Bowl.

2010: Iowa Defeats Georgia Tech in Orange Bowl

In 2010, Iowa defeated Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl to earn their first BCS bowl win and their first victory in a major bowl since the 1959 Rose Bowl.

2010: Historical Reference to Last Bowl Win

In 2017, Iowa's Pinstripe Bowl victory marked their first bowl win since 2010, ending a losing streak.

October 13, 2012: 100th Career Win at Iowa

On October 13, 2012, Kirk Ferentz achieved his 100th career win at Iowa with a double-overtime victory over Michigan State.

2013: Improvement in Rushing Attack and Defense

In 2013, the rushing attack and defense improved, as did the Hawkeyes' record to 8–5. On defense, senior linebackers Christian Kirksey, Anthony Hitchens, and James Morris led the unit to 6th-best in the nation in total defense.

2014: Disappointing Season and Bowl Loss

In 2014, Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes had a disappointing season, finishing 7-6 overall and 4-4 in Big Ten play, losing all four rivalry games. The Hawkeyes also lost to Tennessee in the Taxslayer Bowl. Tackle Brandon Scherff won the Outland Trophy.

2015: Undefeated Regular Season and Big Ten West Championship

The 2015 season was one of the best in Iowa history, with the Hawkeyes going undefeated in the regular season and winning the Big Ten Conference West championship. Kirk Ferentz was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, and Desmond King won the Jim Thorpe Award. The team, however, lost in the 2015 Big Ten Football Championship Game against Michigan State.

2016: Upset Victory Over Michigan and Outback Bowl Loss

In 2016, Iowa upset No. 3 Michigan with a last-second field goal. They also defeated No. 17 Nebraska. Iowa finished the regular season with an 8-4 record and the offensive line was awarded the Joe Moore Award. Iowa played in the Outback Bowl, losing to the Florida Gators 30-3.

June 2017: Longest-Tenured Coach

In June 2017, Kirk Ferentz became the longest-tenured coach in FBS with the sudden retirement of Bob Stoops.

2017: Upset Victory Over Ohio State and Pinstripe Bowl Win

In 2017, Iowa upset No. 3 Ohio State with a 55-24 victory and finished with eight wins. They won the Pinstripe Bowl, marking their first bowl game win since 2010. Josh Jackson and Josey Jewell earned All-American honors and won defensive awards.

2017: Longest-Tenured FBS Coach

Since 2017, Kirk Ferentz has been the longest-tenured FBS coach with one program.

September 1, 2018: All-Time Wins Leader in School History

On September 1, 2018, Kirk Ferentz became the all-time wins leader in Iowa school history with a victory over Northern Illinois, reaching 144 wins.

November 17, 2018: 150th Iowa Career Win

On November 17, 2018, Kirk Ferentz recorded his 150th Iowa career win with a victory over Illinois.

2018: 9-4 Season and Outback Bowl Victory

In the 2018 season, Iowa had a 9-4 record with close Big Ten losses. They won the Outback Bowl against Mississippi State. T.J. Hockenson won the Mackey Award, and Amani Hooker won the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year award.

2019: 10-Win Season and Holiday Bowl Victory

In 2019, Iowa had another successful season, starting 4-0 and winning the Holiday Bowl against USC. The team achieved ten wins for the sixth time under Ferentz and both started and finished the season in the top 25 rankings. Tackle Tristan Wirfs was drafted 13th overall in the 2020 NFL draft.

2021: Big Ten West Division Title and Citrus Bowl Appearance

The 2021 season saw Iowa rise to a No. 2 ranking after a 6-0 start, winning the Big Ten West Division Title. However, they lost to Michigan in the Big Ten Championship game and fell to Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl.

2022: Inconsistent Season and Music City Bowl Victory

In 2022, Iowa's offense struggled significantly, leading to a 3-4 start. Despite the challenges, they had a chance to play in the Big Ten Championship but missed it after a loss to Nebraska. Iowa won the Music City Bowl against Kentucky. The 21-0 victory marked the second bowl shutout produced by the Hawkeyes in school history.

2023: Big Ten West Title and Citrus Bowl Loss

The 2023 season was similar to 2021, with Iowa starting 6-1. Dominant defense and special teams led to Ferentz's third Big Ten West title, but they lost to Michigan in the championship game and suffered a 35-0 loss in the Citrus Bowl to Tennessee.

October 12, 2024: 200th Career Win and Second Place in Big Ten Wins

On October 12, 2024, Kirk Ferentz recorded his 200th win at Iowa with a victory over Washington and moved into second place in victories as a Big Ten coach.

2024: Close Losses and Milestone Win for Ferentz

The 2024 campaign was marked by close losses, with three of the five defeats decided by a field goal. Despite the setbacks, Iowa won three trophy contests. Kirk Ferentz moved into second all-time for wins as a Big Ten coach with a victory over Washington.