Shouts and screams reverberate throughout Melrose as hundreds of people dash to the gates after hours of tailgating, hoping to make it inside before kickoff.

In bars, restaurants, and homes across Iowa, fans donning the same Black and Gold settle in for the game ahead against another Hawkeye foe.

Inside, cheers already resonate throughout Kinnick Stadium. A sea of Black and Gold encompasses the stands with speckles of opposing colors.

Before the game even begins, tension starts building among the crowd lucky enough to be packed in. “Back in Black” booms out from Kinnick’s speakers, signaling Iowa’s entrance — the moment also known as The Swarm.

Synchronized clapping fills the stadium, as the practiced routine of greeting the team spreads to any newcomers.

Despite the ear-splitting noise from the bleachers, Kirk Ferentz marches out onto Duke Slater Field chewing a piece of gum — his signature look.

While the tension is building to the team’s entrance, cheers still increase as fans around the stadium catch sight of the longest-tenured active coach in college football.

The 69-year-old’s career has been filled with trials and triumphs, ranging from great seasons and charity work to losing streaks and lawsuits.

Despite the ups and downs, the head coach remains one of the most revered — and highest-paid — individuals in the state of Iowa.

Community view

Ferentz was featured as part of an Iowa City staple when Herky on Parade returned over the summer. Of the hundred Herky statues built and decorated, one was made to celebrate Ferentz’s 25 years with the Hawkeyes.

The Herky, titled “25 Years of Captain Kirk,” was revealed and gifted to the coach on May 1. The statue was covered in hundreds of images of the coach from over the years and is located just outside the Hansen Football Performance Center.

Artist and University of Iowa graduate student Yuchen Liu spent around six hours a day over the course of a month on each Herky she completed. Captain Kirk was her third and final statue. Even though she decorated the statue, the idea behind it came from Joshua Schamberger, president of Think Iowa City.

“Kirk has continued on that tradition that was born again by Hayden Fry, and one could argue that Kirk’s success has been stronger than maybe most any other coach in the history of the program,” Schamberger said.

Liu was asked to design Captain Kirk because of the success of her two prior Herky statues, Schamberger said. Liu used an art style called decoupage.
Decoupage consists of using paper cutouts ranging from photos to things like old newspapers, gluing said cutouts to a surface, and placing some sort of finish over the top of the final product.

Liu said she didn’t have much prior knowledge of Ferentz and the Iowa football program but got to know them through the images she placed on the statue during the decoupage process.

“I saw him grow up to be a football player, to be a football coach, and so that was really interesting,” Liu said. “It was like ‘Okay, I’m making a Herky for an important person,’ but, from there, it turned into getting to know this person.”

Many longtime Hawkeye fans share the same sentiment as Schamberger.

Greg Suckow, a well-known Hawkeye character who dons a black and gold jumpsuit for most game days — earning him the name Hawkeye Elvis — has been a fan of the Black and Gold since he was a kid. He said he recalls when Ferentz took the reins from Hayden Fry.

“I remember the first couple of rough years under Ferentz,” he said. “You know, not winning a game, just getting pounded. Then, you started to see little sparks of life once Kirk got in there and was able to sort of restock the cupboards and rebuild things.”

Suckow said his popularity has allowed him a handful of opportunities to meet Ferentz over the years. But none of those moments are his favorite memory of the coach.

Rather, Suckow said the moment that has stuck with him throughout the years was the win over Penn State in October 2004 right after Ferentz’s dad died, coined as one of the most iconic moments in Ferentz’s tenure.

“The 6-4 win at Penn State right after his dad died and the emotion that got to him, which, anytime you see coach Ferentz really showing that emotion, it’s a big deal to him because the man is really stoic,” Suckow said.

Ferentz and the Hawkeyes were in Beaver Stadium a day after Ferentz gave the eulogy at his father John’s funeral. It was the fourth quarter of a high-tension game.

With 1:33 left, Iowa was ahead, 6-4. The Hawkeyes needed two yards for a first down to seal the game.

A clash of helmets rang out, immediately halted by a shrieking whistle, and a flag sits on the field.

Ferentz paced the sidelines, chewing gum, as the officials discussed and reviewed the play before calling an offsides penalty on Penn State resulting in a first down for Iowa.

Before the entire call left the referee’s mouth, cheers erupted and rang throughout the stadium. The Hawkeyes win.

Ferentz? He launched himself at his son Brian, holding him close as tears trickled down his face. They had just secured their fifth consecutive win over Penn State.

Suckow, after recounting his memories, said Iowa is better because of Ferentz and what he brings to the program.

“I’ve watched a lot of the online screaming, wringing of hands, gnashing of teeth, and clutching of pearls over the years, but if you look around, you look at the consistency that he’s brought to Iowa football,” he said.

Early Years

Long before Ferentz settled at Iowa, he started as a coaching assistant in 1977 at UConn, where he also played linebacker from 1974-76.

Under the gaze of legendary head coach Hayden Fry, Ferentz served as offensive line coach for eight years starting in 1981, guiding the Hawkeyes to two Rose Bowl appearances and 73 victories over nine seasons.

In 1990, he was named head coach at the University of Maine, compiling a 12-21 record over three seasons. After a 6-5 season in 1992, he left to become the offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns under head coach Bill Belichick.

When the Browns relocated to Baltimore and rebranded as the Ravens after the 1995 season, Ferentz moved with them and remained as offensive line coach for three seasons. In addition to his role with the offensive line, Ferentz served as assistant head coach for two seasons.

When Fry retired after a disappointing 1998 season, Ferentz made the trip back to Iowa, becoming the 26th head coach in program history.

Ferentz was still juggling his prior job as the assistant head coach for the Baltimore Ravens a few weeks into December along with his new gig at Iowa, according to a Daily Iowan article from 1998.

“I just feel it’s the right thing to do,” Ferentz said during his introductory press conference back in 1998. “Ideally, I would be here 24 hours a day, but we’ll work through it.”

The Ravens, Iowa, and Ferentz weren’t setting a new standard with their arrangement. Ferentz was, at the time, one of three coaching staff members who had left the Ravens in the same manner within five years. The others — Nick Saban and Pat Hill — both finished out their time with the Ravens while balancing head coaching jobs at Michigan State and Fresno State respectively.

According to the 1988 article from the DI, Ferentz coached in Iowa City on Thursdays and Fridays and returned to the Ravens from Saturday to Thursday. The schedule continued for three weeks into his Iowa tenure.

Looking back, Ferentz said the transfer from Fry to him was definitely strange.

“It’s strange because I worked for him for nine years,” Ferentz said at Iowa Football Media Day in an interview with the DI. “In retrospect — I think probably the most interesting thing about it — there probably wasn’t another coach in America who would have interviewed me, let alone hired me.”

Ferentz also remembered Fry’s keen eye for talent.

“The majority of our staff probably all have the same story. He had a real rare ability of seeing things in people that other people wouldn’t see,” Ferentz said.

Conflicts arise

This season had a tumultuous beginning.

Ferentz announced ahead of the season opener against Illinois State he would be in a self-imposed suspension. The suspension was punishment for an alleged NCAA recruiting violation with an unnamed player.

The rumor mill has run its course, and several believe Ferentz illegally interacted with current Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara and his family before he entered the recruiting portal.

“I frequently tell our players to abide by the rules, and in this instance, I did not,” Ferentz said during a press conference on Aug. 22. “I made a mistake, and I want to apologize to our players, coaching staff, university leadership, and our incredible fans.”

This isn’t the first time Ferentz has found himself in hot water while with Iowa.

In 2020, Ferentz, the UI, and other football coaches were sued by 12 former players who claimed they were subjected to racial discrimination during their time within the Iowa football program.

Ferentz was dropped from the suit in 2023, without prejudice — meaning the suit against him could be refiled — according to previous DI reporting.

Stoic and beloved coworker

Current special teams coordinator LeVar Woods has coached under Ferentz since 2017 and played linebacker on Ferentz’s first two Iowa squads in 1999 and 2000.

Woods said there are a lot of memorable moments from his time with Ferentz, but the most notable was during his playing days at Iowa.

“I go back to when I was a player,” Woods said. “I think about our first win here at Iowa. I actually watched this film not too long ago, and we were not a good football team, but we won. Just seeing the elation on his face, the first time he got emotional — what everyone calls the ‘Kirk Ferentz Moments’ — you know it’s real, it’s authentic. Everything about him is authentic.”

Another of Ferentz’s peers, Seth Wallace, said Ferentz stands out as a college head coach because of his dedication. Wallace currently serves as assistant head coach and has worked with Ferentz since 2014.

“His resolve is on a high level,” Wallace said. “What he does and the purpose he does it for, the purpose he does it with are really some quality traits he has.”

On an administrative level, University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson said the UI is excited to have a coach around for as long as Ferentz has been.

“To have a coach in that role for as long as he’s been is truly amazing,” Wilson said. “I think that the fact that so many players feel so connected to him and supportive of him, both when they’re here but also when they graduate, is a testament to his leadership.”

What’s next for Ferentz?

The Iowa coach’s contract was extended until 2029, so he’s set to stick with Iowa for the long haul. But for the first time in seven years, Ferentz has entered the season without his son Brian by his side.

Brian Ferentz was dismissed as offensive coordinator during the 2023 season, though he would be allowed to finish out the year. After a lengthy search, Green Bay Packers analyst Tim Lester was hired to take his place in January.

The younger Ferentz was later hired by Big Ten foe Maryland as an offensive analyst under head coach Mike Locksley. Iowa is set to play Maryland on Nov. 23 in College Park.

Some fans have shown some distaste for the Iowa football program this season, citing Kirk Ferentz’s predictable plays and reluctance to switch quarterbacks, but UI President Wilson said winning isn’t everything.

“I think we need to think about the whole athletic enterprise as more than just winning. It’s good to win, don’t get me wrong. I love to win,” Wilson said in an exclusive interview with the DI. “I also want to make sure that we have coaches that care about the whole student-athlete…that is a big part of who we are and what we do. How do we ensure they have success when they leave us, professional opportunities, mentoring, all of that? Coach does a great job on that front, and he has for a long time.”

When asked what he’d be doing if he wasn’t Iowa’s coach, Ferentz didn’t stray much.

“Probably coaching somewhere else or teaching school,” he said. “I’d rather be coaching.”