It didn’t take long for the tears to flow from Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz’s eyes after the Hawkeyes’ 40-16 win over Washington on Saturday.

That’s because the win marked his 200th at the helm of the Hawkeye football program.

Some critics say Ferentz is on the hot seat, that he can’t keep up in the world of Name, Image, and Likeness, or that his game is outdated and too reliant on the run game to compete in the modern era.

Regardless, the goal is to win. And he’s done it. Through the ups and the downs, including last season’s 10-2 campaign with an offense that averaged 15.4 points per game, he continues to put the Hawkeyes in the win column. 

Two-hundred times. Passing the threshold, Ferentz stands among the likes of Big Ten coaching greats like Joe Paterno, Woody Hayes, and Tom Osborne with at least 200 wins for a single program. 

“You have to be lucky,” Ferentz said. “You have to be in the right place, first of all. You have to be with a lot of good people, and that’s the coaching staff and support staff. A lot of people are involved in this. I’ve worked with nothing but great coaches my entire career. I’ve been lucky wherever I’ve been.”

The celebration in the locker room saw the Hawkeyes flood Ferentz, drenching him in water as they shouted in celebration and shared his emotions.

“The best part about coaching always has been working with players,” he said. “Again, I’ve been so fortunate where the guys I’ve worked with on a daily basis have been really good folks.”

After a tenure as the offensive line coach for the Hawkeyes from 1981 to 1989 under legendary head coach Hayden Fry, Ferentz returned to Iowa City in 1999 to succeed him — and he’s been here ever since.

Ferentz’s career from then on has included two Big Ten Championships in 2002 and 2004 and three Big Ten West Division Championships in 2015, 2021, and 2023.

He won the AP College Football Coach of the Year Award and Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award in 2002 as well as the Big Ten Coach of the Year Award that year and again in 2004, 2009, and 2015.

And while Fry amassed 232 college head coaching wins, Iowa offensive lineman Mason Richman said the sights are now set on number 300.

“I can’t say enough about him,” Richman said. “He’s the best leader I’ve ever been around, and he did a great job steadying the boat this week.”

It’s not always pretty, with 121 losses accompanying the 200 wins. But today, it was.

Scoring 40 points, Ferentz’s offense totaled two touchdown passes from quarterback Cade McNamara and two rushing scores from running back Kaleb Johnson. 

Ferentz embraced Johnson at the end of the game before waving to the crowd that acknowledged the milestone, his players clapping behind him. 

“He just focuses on us,” Johnson said after the game. “So I really appreciate him for just continuing to give me chances … That’s why I gave him a hug — because he believed in me.” 

In fact, he embraced almost everyone he could on the way to the tunnel, from former Hawkeye tight end Dallas Clark to athletic director Beth Goetz.

“On behalf of the university, I want to congratulate and thank you for the 200 wins,” Goetz said, jumping in at the end of Ferentz’s postgame press conference. “How big of an impact when you think about those moments — 200 moments for all those student-athletes and all of us fans that have lived those with you.”

On the other side of the ball, his defense silenced the Huskies’ rushing game and included a crucial interception from cornerback Jermari Harris.

Ferentz has been more than a football coach to Harris, who called him a “step-grandfather” and a “blessing” to be around. Harris said Ferentz has always hounded him about improving, especially during the cornerback’s younger years. Now a sixth-year senior at 24 years old, Harris realized that Ferentz’s involvement has made all the difference. 

“I know he’s someone I can go talk to whenever you pick up the phone,” Harris said of his 69-year-old head coach. “I can go on and on about Coach Ferentz and what he means to countless individuals across the country. I can’t even imagine how many players whose lives he’s touched. That’s the man he is – he’s the greatest.”