Iowa Hawkeyes football
| Iowa Hawkeyes football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1889 | ||
| Athletic director | Gary Barta | ||
| Head coach |
Kirk Ferentz 18th season, 135–91 (.597) | ||
| Stadium |
Kinnick Stadium (Capacity: 70,585) | ||
| Field surface | Field Turf | ||
| Location | Iowa City, Iowa | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||
| Conference | Big Ten Conference | ||
| Division | West | ||
| Past conferences |
WIUFA (1892–1897) Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1907–1910) | ||
| All-time record | 633–548–39 (.535) | ||
| Bowl record | 14–15–1 (.483) | ||
| Claimed nat'l titles | 1 (1958) | ||
| Unclaimed nat'l titles | 4 (1921, 1922, 1956, 1960) | ||
| Conference titles | 13 (11 Big Ten, 1 MVIAA, 1 WIUFA) | ||
| Division titles | 1 (2015) | ||
| Rivalries |
Iowa State Cyclones (rivalry) Minnesota Golden Gophers (rivalry) Nebraska Cornhuskers (rivalry) Wisconsin Badgers (rivalry) | ||
| Heisman winners |
1 Nile Kinnick (1939) | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 25 | ||
| Current uniform | |||
 | |||
| Colors |
Black and Gold[1] | ||
| Fight song | Iowa Fight Song | ||
| Mascot | Herky the Hawk | ||
| Marching band | Hawkeye Marching Band | ||
| Outfitter | Nike | ||
| Website | hawkeyesports.com | ||
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team represents the University of Iowa in college football. The Hawkeyes compete in the West division of the Big Ten Conference. They have been a member of the Big Ten since 1899, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member of the NCAA. The Hawkeyes play their home games in Iowa City, Iowa at Kinnick Stadium, with a capacity of 70,585. The Hawkeyes are currently coached by Kirk Ferentz, who is in his 18th season as the head coach and is the longest current tenured coach in NCAA Division I FBS.
History
Founding and Early Years
Football was first played as a club sport at Iowa in 1872, with intramural games against other colleges played as early as 1882, but it was not until 1889 that the University of Iowa first officially recognized a varsity football team. In 1899, Iowa completed its first undefeated football season, which led to an invitation to join the Western Conference, now known as the Big Ten Conference. In 1900, the Hawkeyes secured another undefeated season and won a share of the Western Conference title in their first year of league play.
The Big 8 years and return to Big Ten
In 1907 Iowa helped form the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association. They participated in football in the new league for four seasons, while retaining their existing membership in the Western Conference. Iowa tied with Nebraska in 1907 for the league championship in its first season of competition. They would leave the conference after the 1910 football season and return to the Big Ten.[2]
Howard Jones era and 1930s
Iowa claimed consecutive Big Ten titles in 1921 and 1922. The Hawkeyes won 20 straight games in the early 1920s under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Howard Jones. Jones soon left Iowa and established a powerhouse at Southern California, and the Hawkeyes were abysmal for most of the 1930s.
1929 Big Ten suspension
Iowa was expelled from the Big Ten on May 25, 1929. The reasons were officially unstated and university president William Jessup professed not to know why the faculty committee voted to expel the university. Discussions of player compensation and Iowa's inaction on alleged ethics violation appear to have been a main cause.[3]
Following the 1929 season, the Big Ten faculty committee unanimously voted to reinstate Iowa to the conference on February 1, 1930. On December 11, 1929, Iowa had disqualified 27 players, presumably due to compensation issues, and was advised not to seek reinstatement of any of those players.[4]
Eddie Anderson era
As a result, little was expected of Iowa’s 1939 team, led by new coach Eddie Anderson. Nicknamed the “Ironmen”, the 1939 Hawkeyes scored several upset victories and vaulted into the national rankings. Though Iowa fell a game short of the Big Ten title, team MVP Nile Kinnick won almost every major national award, including the 1939 Heisman Trophy.
Forest Evashevski era
Forest Evashevski was hired as Iowa’s head coach in 1952. He lured Calvin Jones to Iowa, where Jones became the first Hawkeye – and the first African-American – to win the Outland Trophy in 1955. From 1956 to 1960, Evashevski led Iowa to four finishes in the top five of the national rankings, three Big Ten Conference titles, two Rose Bowl victories (in 1957 and 1959), and the 1958 FWAA national championship. After the 1960 season, Evashevski left coaching to become Iowa’s athletic director.
The forgotten season
In 1960 the Hawkeyes held on to the #1 ranking for much of the season. The Hawkeyes defeated #8 Ohio State, #15 Michigan State, and #10 Purdue. Iowa lost to rival #3 Minnesota. The game was the only loss of the year for the 1960 Hawkeyes and they shared the Big Ten title with Minnesota. However, at that time, the Big Ten did not allow their teams to go to any bowl except for the Rose Bowl. As such, Minnesota was picked over Iowa to go to Pasadena and Iowa was left out, despite a #2 ranking in the Coaches' Poll and a #3 ranking in the AP. Minnesota went on to win the National Championship. This season is known as the "Forgotten Season", for despite ending the season with a #2/3 ranking and a share of the Big Ten title, the Hawks were left out of January play.[5]
1960s and 70s
Evashevski's departure from the sidelines began a two-decade downturn in Iowa's fortunes. Jerry Burns coached from 1961 though 1965. He had a 16–27–2 record. His first team finished 5-4, which would be Iowa's last winning record for 20 years. Ray Nagel followed from 1966–1970 with a 16–32–2 record. Consecutive 5-5 records in 1968 and 1969 would be the Hawks' only non-losing records from 1961 to 1980. Frank Lauterbur followed, coaching from 1971 -1973 with a 4–28–1 record, with a 0–11 record in 1973. Bob Commings coached the Hawkeyes from 1974–1978. His record was 18 wins and 37 losses.
Hayden Fry era
Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry was hired after the 1978 season to try to reverse Iowa’s fortunes. After decades of losing, Fry revived the Iowa program. In 20 years at Iowa, he led the Hawkeyes to 14 bowl games, including three Rose Bowl appearances (in 1982, 1986 and 1991), and won three Big Ten titles. Among the legends that Fry left behind is the iconic pink visitors locker room, as well as a statement he made the day he started as Iowa Head Coach that he would take the team to a bowl game within four years, or he would step down. He would not only succeed in his boast, by sending Iowa to the 1982 Rose Bowl, he would do it in three years, besting his ambitious prognostication by one year. Fry retired in 1998, turning the program over to his former assistant Kirk Ferentz.
Kirk Ferentz era
Ferentz led Iowa to three consecutive top ten finishes from 2002 to 2004 and two Big Ten titles. The Hawkeyes have played in 13 bowl games in the past 16 seasons, and in 27 bowl games over the last 36 seasons. Kirk Ferentz has been the head coach since Hayden Fry's retirement after the 1998 season, and has led the team to a number of Bowl appearances, including two Orange Bowls and the 2016 Rose Bowl. Iowa has cracked the top 25 at the end of the season six times during the Kirk Ferentz era – No. 8 in 2002, 2003, and 2004, No. 20 in 2008, No. 7 in 2009, and No. 9 in 2015. In 2017, Iowa will begin its 129th season of football, and its 118th season in the Big Ten.
Notable games and seasons
1953: #20 Iowa vs #1 Notre Dame
On Nov. 21, 1953, an undefeated #1 ranked Notre Dame team was set to face the Hawkeyes in South Bend. In the first quarter, Iowa defensive back Dusty Rice intercepted the Irish, which allowed the Hawkeyes to drive the ball 72-yards for an Iowa touchdown and a 7–0 lead. With only 2 seconds left in the first half, Irish tackle Frank Varrichione fell down with an injury which stopped the clock (Notre Dame had no time outs left). Varrichione went in that same play and the Irish scored on a touchdown pass to Dan Shannon, to tie the game 7–7 at the half. With the score still deadlocked late into the fourth quarter, Iowa intercepted a pass on their own 48-yard line. The Hawkeyes then scored on a touchdown pass to end Frank Gilliam to give the Hawkeyes a 14–7 lead with 2:06 left in the game, with Notre Dame having no time outs remaining. With only 6 seconds left and the clock ticking away Frank Varrichione came down with another injury which stopped the clock (again he went back in that very same play). Notre Dame then scored a touchdown to tie the game up and stay unbeaten. After the game, sportswriters such as Grantland Rice and others were infuriated calling it unfair, and the Irish earned the label: "The Fainting Irish of Notre Dame". Iowa head coach Forest Evashevski said after the game: "When the One Great Scorer comes to write against our name, He won't write whether we won or lost, but how come we got gypped at Notre Dame". The Hawkeyes, who were ranked #20 before the game, jumped teams with better records to gain the #9 ranking. Varrichione has since admitted that the injuries were fake, in Steve Delsohn’s book, TALKING IRISH. In addition, Notre Dame Heisman winner Johnny Lattner praised his team's tactics calling it "Pretty smart thinking, wasn't it?".[6] Because of this game, the NCAA changed the rules making players sit out at least one down before returning to the game.
1959 Rose Bowl
With their win in the Rose Bowl in 1959, the Iowa Hawkeyes won their first, and only, National Championship. However, although Iowa won the Grantland Rice Trophy as awarded by the Football Writers Association of America following the Bowl games, LSU was voted #1 in both major polls, the AP and Coaches polls, which were tallied before the Bowl games were played.
This game was lopsided and by the end of the third quarter, with a 22–6 advantage over the California Golden Bears, Iowa could smell victory. The championship, however, is disputed. The AP, whose poll came out before the bowl games, had picked LSU as their National Champion. Many believe that the Iowa Hawkeyes rightfully hold the 1958 National Championship.[7]
1960: #1 Iowa at #3 Minnesota
The battle for Floyd of Rosedale between the Big Ten's two 6–0–0 teams, Iowa against Minnesota, took place in Minneapolis, The top-ranked Hawkeyes lost to #3 Minnesota, 27–10. With both the AP and UPI finishing their voting before the bowl games, the national championship ultimately was determined in December. The AP writers divided among Minnesota (8–1–0), Mississippi (9–0–1) and Iowa (8–1–0), and some voters split their choices. As such, the Minnesota Gophers received 17½ votes for #1, Mississippi got 16, and Iowa 12½. Minnesota had 433½ poll points, ahead of 411 for Ole Miss and 407½ for Iowa. Minnesota was also the #1 choice in the UPI coaches poll. Minnesota was awarded the berth in the 1961 Rose Bowl.
1981: #7 Nebraska at Iowa
Official recap—There weren't many among the 60,160 who jammed Iowa's Kinnick Stadium who thought they were watching a matchup of the eventual Midwest entries in the Rose and Orange Bowls. There probably weren't a whole lot more who thought Iowa would avenge a 57–0 slaughter the Hawkeyes had suffered in Lincoln the year before. However, Iowa took advantage of excellent field position to jump to a 10–0 first-half lead, then held on to win a 10–7 stunner over the seventh-ranked Huskers.
The Hawkeye defense held the Huskers to their lowest total offense output of the season—234 yards—and stopped the Nebraska offense three straight times in Iowa territory after Roger Craig's one-yard TD had pulled the Huskers within 10–7 early in the final period. NU was stymied in the fourth quarter by a missed 30-yard field goal, a fumble, and Lou King's diving interception, which secured Iowa's victory with 39 seconds remaining.
In the first half, the Hawkeyes capitalized on a short punt and an interception to set up a two-yard TD run by Eddie Phillips and a 35-yard field goal by Lon Olejniczak. Meanwhile, the Huskers were held scoreless through three quarters for the first time since 1973 and didn't get out of their own territory until late in the second period, partly because of Iowa punter Reggie Roby's 50-plus yard average. NU quarterbacks Mark Maurer and Nate Mason completed only 8-of-18 passes for 81 yards and rushed 12 times for minus-2 yards.
Iowa used its upset win as a launching pad to defeat such teams as UCLA, Michigan and Purdue and post its first winning season since 1961.[8]
“At this minute, this is the greatest victory of my life," Iowa coach Hayden Fry said. "I’m getting to be an old man and I don’t want to hurt any of my other teams that pulled off some upsets. But while I’ve been at Iowa, this is far and away the greatest victory.
“If you stay with this game long enough, the worm is bound to turn. Don’t think we didn’t earn this one, either. We did it fair and square, plus we showed a lot of character.” [9]
1985: #2 Michigan at #1 Iowa
The Hawkeyes trailed 10–9 late in the fourth quarter, in what may be considered the greatest game ever played at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa got the ball, with 5:27 left, on their own 22-yard line. Led by their All-American Quarterback, Chuck Long, Iowa drove the ball to the Michigan 12-yard line. As the clock expired, kicker Rob Houghtlin sent one through the uprights, to give Iowa the win. The Hawkeyes would go on to accept an invitation to the 1986 Rose Bowl.[10]
2005 Capital One Bowl: Iowa vs. LSU ("The Catch")
The game has gone down in Hawkeye history known simply as "The Catch". Iowa was set to play the defending National Champion LSU Tigers. Despite leading the entire game, Iowa found itself down 24–25 and got the ball with only 46 seconds left on the clock. With only a few seconds left in the game, Iowa found itself on their own 44-yard line facing a 2nd and 6. Iowa Quarterback Drew Tate threw the ball 56 yards to Warren Holloway for an Iowa touchdown that gave the Hawkeyes a 30–25 victory over Nick Saban's defending champion Tigers. The touchdown was Holloway's first and only career touchdown.[11]
2008: #3 Penn State at Iowa
The undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions came into the game ranked #3 in the country with hopes of a BCS national championship. The Hawkeyes, on the other hand, were 5–4 and coming off a tough loss at Illinois. The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early lead following a Penn State fumble on their first drive, but the Nittany Lions would come back to take a 13–7 lead into halftime. With less than four minutes left in the game, and trailing 23–21, Iowa strong safety Tyler Sash intercepted Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark's pass inside Iowa territory. The Hawkeyes drove to within field goal range where kicker Daniel Murray made a 31-yard field goal with :01 left to play. Iowa would go on to win 24–23 and hand Penn State its only regular season loss of the year. The Hawkeyes would go on to beat South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. The win would be the first in a 13-game winning streak for Iowa stretching into the 2009 season.
2015 Big Ten Championship Game: #5 Michigan State vs. #4 Iowa
Positioned as a de facto play-in game for the College Football Playoff, the 2015 Big Ten Championship Game between #5 Michigan State (11–1) and #4 Iowa (12–0) was the first time the two teams had met in a conference championship. The Spartans won the East Division title with road victories at #15 Michigan (9-3) and #6 Ohio State (11-1) and their only loss coming on the road against Nebraska (5-7) while the Hawkeyes won the West Division, completing their first unbeaten regular season in 93 years.
Iowa turned the ball over twice in the first half – a fumble leading to the Spartans first points and an interception in the end zone – but led 6–3. Michigan State led the Hawkeyes in the third quarter in time of possession and yardage, and scored two field goals to lead 9–6. Trailing entering the 4th quarter for the first time all season, the Hawkeyes scored via an 85-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Beathard to Tevaun Smith that gave Iowa a 13–9 lead with 14:49 remaining. After exchanging punts, Michigan State marched 82 yards in a 22-play drive that took 9:04 off the clock. The game-winning score came on a 1-yard touchdown run with 27 seconds left. The Spartans converted five third downs and a fourth down on the drive to win 16–13.
Michigan State was selected as the #3 seed for the 2015 College Football Playoff, while Iowa was rewarded with its first Rose Bowl appearance in 25 years.
2016: #3 Michigan at Iowa
Iowa entered this matchup against the 9-0 Wolverines with a 5-4 record, a letdown given the high expectations entering the season. Michigan arrived in Iowa City with the #1 scoring defense and the #3 scoring offense in the country. A week after being humbled 41-14 at Penn State, in the midst of a 3-game home losing streak, and after trailing 10-0 in the second quarter of this game, the Hawkeyes put forth a gritty, spirited effort. Freshman Keith Duncan drilled a 33-yard field goal as time to expired to deliver Iowa a much needed win. Akrum Wadley was the offensive standout for the Hawkeyes with 115 yards rushing, and another 52 yards receiving that included a touchdown late in the first half. The Hawkeye defense did their part as well, allowing only 201 total yards and scoring a safety.
With Clemson and Washington both losing, this marked only the second time #2, #3, and #4 fell during the same day in the regular-season. The other time was October 19, 1985, and one of the games that day was #1 Iowa's 12-10 win over #2 Michigan.
Logos and uniforms
Iowa's home jersey is black with white numerals, with gold and white stripes on the sleeves. The away jersey is white with black numerals, and gold stripes on the sleeves. Players' names are located above the numerals on the back of the jersey. Gold pants with a black stripe are worn with both the home and away jersey. Iowa's helmets are black with a black facemask. They also have a gold stripe and the gold Iowa Hawkeye logo included on both sides of the helmet.
In 1979, Hayden Fry helped to create the Tiger Hawk, the logo seen on Iowa's football helmets.[12] Since both teams shared the colors of black and yellow gold, Fry sought and gained permission from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the dominant National Football League (NFL) team of the 1970s, to overhaul Iowa’s uniforms in the Steelers’ image. Fry's idea was that if the team were going to act like winners, they first needed to dress like winners. Fry had originally asked Steelers defensive tackle "Mean" Joe Greene for a replica helmet and home jersey; Greene was able to send Fry to one of the team owners, and three days later, the owners sent Fry reproduction copies of the home and away uniform of Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, making Iowa one of only a few schools to use the uniform scheme of an NFL team; others include the Blue Devils of Duke University whose football uniforms resemble those of the Indianapolis Colts. Although the uniforms appear substantially the same, there are subtle differences, mainly in the font of the numerals, the scheme of the white away jerseys, and the width of the jersey stripe.
The Hawkeyes have removed the Tiger Hawk helmet logo and the single yellow gold stripe from their game helmets on several occasions as a symbolic gesture of mourning. The first instance was on November 2, 1991, in recognition of the six victims of a fatal campus shooting. The second occasion was for a December 29, 1996, appearance in the Alamo Bowl. It served to commemorate the family of linebacker Mark Mitchell, who were involved in a fatal vehicle accident while en route to the game. The accident resulted in the death of Mitchell's mother and severe injuries to his father and two brothers.[13] Third, being on Veterans' Day 2011 when they used a red, white, and blue tiger hawk on one side and left the other side blank in honor of our fallen heroes against Michigan. All three games resulted in Iowa victories. Fourth, and most recent September 12, 2015 when they honored #9 Tyler Sash, former Iowa Safety and NFL Veteran, who had died on September 8, 2015. During this last removal of the helmet logo, only one side was removed, while the other had a large #9 placed, honoring the jersey number Sash wore while he played at Iowa.
The Iowa Athletic Director has okayed only six stickers on the helmets over the last thirty years, the first, in 1985, when a gold disk appeared, with the black letters "ANF," Which stands for America Needs Farmers, this sticker has remained in place since it was first placed onto the helmet. The second was a small black sticker on the back of the helmet, with white letters that spelled out "EVY," the nickname of legendary Iowa head coach, and Athletic Director, Forest Evasheski, to commemorate his death in 2009. The third was in memory of Iowa high school football coaching legend Ed Thomas, who was killed in his team's weight room by a former player. A small gold sticker with the black letters "FFF" placed near the crown of the helmet represents Faith, Family, Football, a motto Coach Thomas preached to his players to represent what his players priorities should be not only through the season, but throughout life. The fourth being a small green sticker, with the number 30 on it to honor former Hawkeye Safety Brett Greenwood, who had recently fallen into a coma while working out at his old high school. A small black sticker with a gold "TS", worn on the back of the helmet to commemorate the death of former Hawkeye safety Tyler Sash. On October 9, 2016, former Polk County deputy sheriff Ron Stewart died at the age of 76. Stewart volunteered his time providing security for the Iowa Football team at home and road games from 1982-2014. For the remainder of the season, the Hawkeyes wore a decal on the back of their helmets bearing his initials "RS" within a sheriff's badge in his memory.
Kinnick Stadium
Kinnick Stadium, formerly known as Iowa Stadium, is the home stadium of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City, Iowa. It opened as Iowa Stadium in 1929; prior to that time, Iowa played its home games at Iowa Field. Iowa Stadium was renamed Kinnick Stadium in 1972 in honor of Nile Kinnick, the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner and the only Heisman winner in university history, who died in service during World War II. It currently holds up to 70,585 people, making it the 25th largest college football stadium in America and the 82nd largest sports stadium in the world.
Traditions
Songs
Iowa's official fight song is the Iowa Fight Song which is sung by the marching band and the fans. Iowa's school song is On Iowa. Iowa also plays a third fight song, entitled Roll Along Iowa. After victories the band plays the Im Himmel gibt's kein Bier Polka, which translates to "In Heaven There is No Beer". Before the game (since 2005) the team has exited the tunnel together to Back in Black by AC/DC before joining hands and running onto the field in unison to Enter Sandman by Metallica.[14]
Mascot
Iowa's mascot is Herky the Hawk, a black and gold caricature of a Hawk. Herky was created as a cartoon in 1948, and first appeared at a sporting event in 1959. Herky was actually named after the Greek God Hercules. The term "Hawkeye" originally appeared in the book The Last of the Mohicans and was later used in its plural form to describe the people of Iowa. The University of Iowa adopted this as the nickname for its athletic teams.
Hawkeye Marching Band
Founded in 1881, the Hawkeye Marching Band now performs at all Iowa Hawkeye home football games. The band also travels with the team to usually one away game per year and any post-season bowl games.
Rivalries
Iowa State
Iowa plays Iowa State annually for the Cy-Hawk Trophy, which began in 1977. The teams first meeting was in 1894. The teams quit meeting after the 1934 season until they renewed their rivalry in 1977. It was in 1977 when the tradition of the Cy-Hawk Trophy began, when the Des Moines Athletic Club donated a trophy dedicated to the rivlary. It was quickly dubbed the "Cy-Hawk Trophy". Iowa leads the overall series 42–22, and Iowa also leads the trophy series 26–14.
Minnesota
Iowa plays Minnesota annually for the Floyd of Rosedale, which is Iowa's oldest trophy that began in 1935. The teams first meeting was in 1891. Minnesota leads the overall series 62–46–2, and also leads the trophy series 42–37–2. Floyd of Rosedale was created in 1935 after Minnesota Governor Floyd Olson bet a prize pig that the Gophers would win the game, a goal which the Gophers would accomplish that year. After the death of the pig, its image was cast in bronze, and the Floyd of Rosedale trophy was created.
Nebraska
Iowa plays Nebraska annually for the Heroes Trophy, which began when Nebraska joined the Big Ten Conference in 2011. Nebraska leads the overall series 29–15–3, but the trophy series is tied at 3–3. Since the inauguration of the series as a conference game, the game has been played on the Friday following Thanksgiving.
Wisconsin
Iowa has played Wisconsin for the Heartland Trophy since 2004. The teams' first meeting was in 1894. Wisconsin leads the overall series 45-43–2, and the trophy series is tied at 5–5.
Coaches
Current coaching staff
| Name | Position | First Year Position | First Year Iowa | Alma Mater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Ferentz | Head Coach | 1999 | 1999* | Connecticut |
| Phil Parker | Defensive Coordinator/Secondary | 2013 | 1999 | Michigan State |
| Kelvin Bell | Recruiting Coordinator/ Assistant Defensive Line | 2016 | 2012 | Iowa |
| Brian Ferentz | Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs | 2017 | 2012 | Iowa |
| Ken O'Keefe | Quarterbacks | 2017 | 1999*** | John Carroll University |
| Reese Morgan | Defensive Line | 2012 | 2000 | Wartburg College |
| LeVar Woods | Tight Ends | 2015 | 2008 | Iowa |
| Seth Wallace | Linebackers | 2016 | 2014** | Coe College |
| Tim Polasek | Offensive Line | 2017 | 2017 | Concordia |
| Kelton Copeland | Wide Receivers | 2017 | 2017 | Northern Illinois |
| Chris Doyle | Strength & Conditioning | 1999 | 1999 | Boston University |
| Raimond Braithwaite | Assistant, Strength & Conditioning | 2008 | 2008 | West Florida |
| Justin Lima | Assistant, Strength & Conditioning | 2013 | 2013 | Bridgewater State |
| Cody Myers | Assistant, Strength & Conditioning | 2014 | 2014 | Coe College |
| Paul Federici | Director, Football Operations | 2009 | 2004 | Penn State |
| Ben Hansen | Assistant Director, Football Operations | 2012 | 2009 | Iowa |
| Broderick Binns | Director, Player Development | 2016 | 2014 | Iowa |
| Scott Southmayd | Director, Player Personnel | 2014 | 2002 | Central College |
| Max Allen | Director, Football New Media | 2014 | 2014 | Colorado |
| Tyler Barnes | Director, Player Recruiting | 2016 | 2009 | Iowa |
| Tyler Anderson | Graduate Assistant | 2015 | 2015 | Iowa |
| Martin Hopkins | Graduate Assistant | 2016 | 2013 | Iowa |
| Joe Pawlak | Graduate Assistant | 2016 | 2016 | Northern Illinois |
| Don Shumpert | Graduate Assistant | 2016 | 2016 | Iowa |
| Tyler Parker | Football Analyst | |||
| Austin Showalter | Football Analyst/Administrative Assistant | 2015 | 2011 | Iowa |
| Bob Rahfeldt | Video Coordinator | 2013 | 1999 | Iowa |
| Chris Ruth | Assistant Video Coordinator |
*Kirk Ferentz was the offensive line coach at Iowa from 1981-1989.
**Seth Wallace was graduate assistant from 2006-2008. [15]
***Ken O'Keefe was the offensive coordinator at Iowa from 1999-2011. He left to become the wide receivers coach for the Miami Dolphins. [16]
Head coaching records
| Coach | Seasons | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred E. Bull (1896) | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | .833 |
| John Chalmers (1903–1905) | 3 | 32 | 24 | 8 | 0 | .750 |
| Howard Jones (1916-1923) | 8 | 60 | 42 | 17 | 1 | .708 |
| Alden Knipe (1899-1902) | 5 | 44 | 29 | 11 | 4 | .705 |
| Forest Evashevski (1952-1960) | 9 | 83 | 52 | 27 | 4 | .651 |
| Hayden Fry (1979-1998) | 20 | 238 | 143 | 89 | 6 | .613 |
| Kirk Ferentz (1999–Present) | 18 | 227 | 135 | 92 | 0 | .595 |
| Edward A. Dalton (1892) | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .583 |
| Jesse Hawley (1910-1915) | 6 | 42 | 24 | 18 | 0 | .571 |
| Burt Ingwersen (1924-1931) | 8 | 64 | 33 | 27 | 4 | .547 |
| Eddie Anderson1 (1939-1949) | 8 | 70 | 35 | 33 | 2 | .514 |
| Roger Sherman (1894) | 1 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | .500 |
| Otto Wagonhurst (1897) | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | .500 |
| Ben "Sport" Donnelly (1893) | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | .429 |
| Oscar "Ossie" Solem (1932-1936) | 5 | 40 | 15 | 21 | 4 | .425 |
| Mark Catlin (1906-1908) | 3 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 |
| Jerry Burns (1961-1965) | 5 | 45 | 16 | 27 | 2 | .378 |
| Leonard Raffensperger (1950-1951) | 2 | 18 | 5 | 10 | 3 | .361 |
| John Griffith (1909) | 1 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | .357 |
| Ray Nagel (1966-1970) | 5 | 49 | 16 | 32 | 1 | .337 |
| Bob Commings (1974-1978) | 5 | 55 | 18 | 37 | 0 | .327 |
| Clem Crowe (1945) | 1 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | .222 |
| Irl Tubbs (1937-1938) | 2 | 16 | 2 | 13 | 1 | .156 |
| Edward "Slip" Madigan (1943-1944) | 2 | 16 | 2 | 13 | 1 | .156 |
| Frank Lauterbur (1971-1973) | 3 | 33 | 4 | 28 | 1 | .136 |
- Eddie Anderson did not coach during the 1943-1945 seasons to serve in World War II.
–Iowa did not hire their first head coach until 1892, even though their football program began in 1889.
Championships
National championships
Iowa finished the 1958 regular season ranked #2 in the AP and Coaches Polls, behind 11–0 LSU, although both votes were taken before the bowl games. Iowa convincingly won the 1959 Rose Bowl, 38–12, setting or tying six Rose Bowl records. The Football Writers Association of America gave their national championship trophy, the Grantland Rice Trophy, to Iowa.
| Year | Coach | Selector | Record | Bowl Game |
| 1958 | Forest Evashevski | Football Writers Association of America | 8–1–1 | Rose Bowl |
Conference championships
Iowa has won 13 major conference championships in school history. 11 with the Big Ten, 1 with the WIUFA and 1 with the MVIAA.
| Year | Coach | Conference Record | Overall Record | Outright/Shared | Bowl Game |
| 1896 | Alfred E. Bull1 | 3–0–1 | 7–1–1 | Outright | |
| 1900 | Alden Knipe | 2–0–1 | 7–0–1 | Shared | |
| 1907 | Mark Catlin, Sr.2 | 1–0–0 | 3–2–0 | Shared | |
| 1921 | Howard Jones | 5–0–0 | 7–0–0 | Outright | |
| 1922 | Howard Jones | 5–0–0 | 7–0–0 | Shared | |
| 1956 | Forest Evashevski | 5–1–0 | 9–1–0 | Outright | Won Rose Bowl |
| 1958 | Forest Evashevski | 5–1–0 | 8–1–1 | Outright | Won Rose Bowl |
| 1960 | Forest Evashevski | 5–1–0 | 8–1–0 | Shared | |
| 1981 | Hayden Fry | 6–2–0 | 8–4–0 | Shared | Lost Rose Bowl |
| 1985 | Hayden Fry | 7–1–0 | 10–2–0 | Outright | Lost Rose Bowl |
| 1990 | Hayden Fry | 6–2–0 | 8–4–0 | Shared | Lost Rose Bowl |
| 2002 | Kirk Ferentz | 8–0–0 | 11–2–0 | Shared | Lost Orange Bowl |
| 2004 | Kirk Ferentz | 7–1–0 | 10–2–0 | Shared | Won Capital One Bowl |
| 11-time Big Ten Champions | |||||
1 Iowa was a member of the Western Interstate University Football Association.
2 Iowa was a member of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association.[17]
Divisional championships
| Year | Division | Big Ten CG Result | Opponent | PF | PA |
| 2015 | Big Ten West | L | MIchigan State | 13 | 16 |
| 1 Big Ten West Championships | |||||
Bowl games and rankings
Bowl games
Iowa has appeared in 30 bowl games, including 28 bowl games since 1982. In bowl games, Iowa has a 14–15–1 record:
| Date | Bowl | W/L | Opponent | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 1957 | Rose Bowl | W | Oregon State | 35 | 19 |
| January 1, 1959 | Rose Bowl | W | California | 38 | 12 |
| January 1, 1982 | Rose Bowl | L | Washington | 0 | 28 |
| December 31, 1982 | Peach Bowl | W | Tennessee | 28 | 22 |
| December 30, 1983 | Gator Bowl | L | Florida | 6 | 14 |
| December 16, 1984 | Freedom Bowl | W | Texas | 55 | 17 |
| January 1, 1986 | Rose Bowl | L | UCLA | 28 | 45 |
| December 30, 1986 | Holiday Bowl | W | San Diego State | 39 | 38 |
| December 30, 1987 | Holiday Bowl | W | Wyoming | 20 | 19 |
| December 31, 1988 | Peach Bowl | L | North Carolina State | 23 | 28 |
| January 1, 1991 | Rose Bowl | L | Washington | 34 | 46 |
| December 30, 1991 | Holiday Bowl | T | BYU | 13 | 13 |
| December 31, 1993 | Alamo Bowl | L | California | 3 | 37 |
| December 29, 1995 | Sun Bowl | W | Washington | 38 | 18 |
| December 29, 1996 | Alamo Bowl | W | Texas Tech | 27 | 0 |
| December 31, 1997 | Sun Bowl | L | Arizona State | 7 | 17 |
| December 29, 2001 | Alamo Bowl | W | Texas Tech | 19 | 16 |
| January 2, 2003 | Orange Bowl | L | USC | 17 | 38 |
| January 1, 2004 | Outback Bowl | W | Florida | 37 | 17 |
| January 1, 2005 | Capital One Bowl | W | LSU | 30 | 25 |
| January 2, 2006 | Outback Bowl | L | Florida | 24 | 31 |
| December 29, 2006 | Alamo Bowl | L | Texas | 24 | 26 |
| January 1, 2009 | Outback Bowl | W | South Carolina | 31 | 10 |
| January 5, 2010 | Orange Bowl | W | Georgia Tech | 24 | 14 |
| December 28, 2010 | Insight Bowl | W | Missouri | 27 | 24 |
| December 30, 2011 | Insight Bowl | L | Oklahoma | 14 | 31 |
| January 1, 2014 | Outback Bowl | L | LSU | 14 | 21 |
| January 2, 2015 | TaxSlayer Bowl | L | Tennessee | 28 | 45 |
| January 1, 2016 | Rose Bowl | L | Stanford | 16 | 45 |
| January 2, 2017 | Outback Bowl | L | Florida | 3 | 30 |
| Total | 30 Bowl Games | 14–15–1 | 702 | 746 |
Iowa in the Polls
Iowa has made 311 appearances in the Associated Press poll, including 123 weeks in the top 10.[18] Iowa has finished the year ranked in the final Associated Press poll of the season 22 times:
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Season results
Honors and awards
Annual awards
Individual award winners
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Coaching award winners
College Football Hall of Fame
Iowa has 14 inductees in the College Football Hall of Fame:[19]
| College Football Hall of Fame | ||||
| Name | Position | Tenure | Year Inducted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Jones | Coach | 1916–23 | 1951 | |
| Duke Slater | Tackle | 1918–21 | 1951 | |
| Nile Kinnick | Quarterback | 1936–39 | 1951 | |
| Gordon Locke | Fullback | 1920–22 | 1960 | |
| Eddie Anderson | Coach | 1939–49 | 1971 | |
| Aubrey Devine | Quarterback | 1919–21 | 1973 | |
| Slip Madigan | Coach | 1943–44 | 1974 | |
| Cal Jones | Guard | 1952–55 | 1980 | |
| Alex Karras | Defensive tackle | 1954–57 | 1981 | |
| Randy Duncan | Quarterback | 1956–58 | 1997 | |
| Chuck Long | Quarterback | 1981–85 | 1999 | |
| Forest Evashevski | Coach | 1952–60 | 2000 | |
| Hayden Fry | Coach | 1979–98 | 2003 | |
| Larry Station | Linebacker | 1982–85 | 2009 | |
Retired numbers
| Iowa Hawkeyes retired numbers | ||||
| No. | Player | Position | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | Nile Kinnick | QB | 1936–39 | |
| 62 | Cal Jones | OG | 1952–55 | |
Two numbers have been retired by the Hawkeye football program, Nile Kinnick's No. 24 and Cal Jones' No. 62. Both Kinnick and Jones were consensus first team All-Americans, and both men died in separate plane crashes before their 25th birthday.
Kinnick won the University of Iowa's only Heisman Trophy in 1939 and is the man for whom Kinnick Stadium is named. Jones was the first African-American to win the Outland Trophy and is the only Hawkeye to be named first-team All-American three times.[20]
Iowa's All-Time Team
As selected by Iowa's fans in 1989.
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Offense |
Defense |
Special Mention
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Offense |
Defense |
Current Iowa Hawkeyes football team
Iowa and the NFL
Current NFL players
This list includes players on active team rosters, this list does not include free agents or players on practice squads in 2017.[21]
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Three Hawkeyes have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame:[22]
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NFL draft picks
Iowa has had at least one player drafted in every NFL Draft since 1978. Through the 2017 NFL Draft, Iowa has had 282 draft picks. 254 in the NFL, 21 in the AFL, and 7 in the AAFC (the AFC and AAFC both merged with the NFL). and 76 players have gone in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. Iowa has had 20 first round NFL Draft selections:[23]
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