Despite the Iowa football team’s 20-13 win over the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday, head coach Kirk Ferentz had tears in his eyes.

That’s because the win at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, marked the 200th of his career. 

After nine seasons serving as Iowa’s offensive line coach under legendary head coach Hydren Fry, Ferentz made the jump to the east coast and spent three seasons as head coach of the Maine Black Bears — leading them to a combined 12-21 record.

But in 1999, after stints as a lineman coach in the NFL, Ferentz returned to Iowa City to take over for Fry at the helm.

“I just think about it, 40-some years ago, I landed in Iowa and [did] not even know where I was, quite frankly, or what I was about to walk into,” Ferentz said.

His first win for the Black and Gold came that season against Northern Illinois, 24-0. Ferentz remembers his first win vividly.

“It was not a landslide victory; I’ll put it that way,” he said. “I remember it was a long time until the next one … I remember the losses better.”

And it was 14 games, to be exact, until the Hawkeyes found themselves under the win column again. Ferentz started his first two seasons as head coach of the Hawkeyes a combined 4-19.

But 187 Iowa wins later, Ferentz reached 200 in his career and did so as the longest-tenured Division I football coach and Iowa’s all-time winningest coach. His resume includes an AP College Football Coach of the Year award and four Big Ten Coach of the Year nods.

Still, Ferentz credits his success to the coaches and players around him. 

“It’s more about the experiences and the people you get to work with,” he said. “Whether it was that group right there [or] even going back to 1999 … A lot of good people come through this program … so I just feel really fortunate to have a chance to work with high-quality folks.”

Among those accredited were Indianapolis Colts All-Pro tight end and former Hawkeye Dallas Clark as well as the Hawkeyes on the team who made the win possible today.

As the team gathered in the locker room after Saturday’s win, awaiting Ferentz to celebrate his accomplishment, they found emotion across his face and tears in his eyes at the feat upon his entrance. 

“Knowing that we all contributed to do that for him and for this team, we’re all in this together, so it was just a good feeling to do it as a unit,” Iowa redshirt freshman Jaziun Patterson said.  “I love to see him happy, but when he cried, it made me get emotional. He’s a great coach, so he deserves it.”

Iowa senior quarterback Cade McNamara and junior offensive lineman Connor Colby both highlighted their appreciation for Ferentz not just on the field but off of it as well, the Iowa coach constantly checking in on his players and offering support.

McNamara, who transferred to Iowa from Michigan this summer, immediately noticed the level of respect the other players give Ferentz and the amount of care he returns to them.

“I just have an unbelievable relationship with coach [Kirk] Ferentz, and he has a great relationship with everyone on this team,” McNamara said. “There’s nothing else that these guys wanted [more than] to go and get that win for him.”

But as the Cy-Hawk Trophy returns to Iowa City, Ferentz noted that, beyond simply trying to keep his job, coaching isn’t all about the number of games won.

“You get into [coaching] because of the people,” he said. “I feel very honored and very appreciative and fortunate.”