Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz tests positive for COVID-19
The team said Ferentz is asymptomatic and will remain home until Dec. 27.
Head Coach Kirk Ferentz and Offensive Coordinator Brian Ferentz are seen without masks during the Iowa v Northwestern football game at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020. The Wildcats defeated the Hawkeyes 21-20. Many Iowa Coaches wore Gaitor face guards, which the CDC has suggested is not as effective against the spread of COVID-19 as a regular mask.
December 18, 2020
Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz has tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced Friday morning.
The 65-year-old is asymptomatic, according to a press release, and will remain home until Dec. 27. Ferentz tested positive during his regularly scheduled rapid antigen test on Thursday morning. A following PCR test confirmed his positive diagnosis.
“We have been fortunate this season to have played eight games and to have very few positive cases,“ said Ferentz, the program’s all-time winningest head coach. “When the team returns to practice on Tuesday, I will participate via Zoom and our collective focus will be on preparing for the bowl game.”
Players, coaches, and staff members associated with the Iowa football team are tested daily as part of the Big Ten Conference’s return to play protocols.
In the latest COVID-19 test results from the athletic department, 696 COVID-19 PCR tests were conducted for the week of Dec. 7-13 and the department received one positive test and 695 negative tests. Those numbers reflect the entire athletic department, as it does not provide a sport by sport breakdown.
Iowa’s scheduled game against Michigan was canceled earlier this week because of a high number of positive tests within the Michigan football program. Because of the cancellation, the team said Iowa players were given the week off to focus on finals and enjoy the holiday.
Iowa is 6-2 this season and finished the season with a six-game winning streak after starting 0-2. The team is ranked No. 16 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and Ferentz said Tuesday the team plans to participate in a bowl game.
The Hawkeye football team will learn its bowl invitation Sunday afternoon.
