IOWA CITY — If there was concern about head coach Kirk Ferentz's future with Iowa football prior to Tuesday's news conference, the dean of FBS college football wasn't interested in putting it to rest.
At an often-tense weekly press conference, Ferentz declined to answer questions about his future at Iowa past this season, opting instead to focus on Saturday's game (2:30 PM CT, Peacock) against Northwestern at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.
"My plans are like they always are: to worry about this game, and bigger picture, these four [remaining regular-season] games," Ferentz said when asked about whether he was definitively planning to return in 2024. "That's where my focus has been this entire season, and that's what I think about. And that's each and every year, it's been pretty consistent."
Ferentz's comments come on the heels of interim athletic director Beth Goetz announcing Monday afternoon that offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, Kirk's son, would not be returning to the Iowa program in 2024 as the Hawkeye offense continues to struggle. At 19.5 points per game through eight games, Iowa has fallen well short of the 25-ppg mandate from Brian's offseason performance plan — even as the Hawkeyes are one victory away from the plan's other requirement.
"We're a 6-2 football team right now," Ferentz said. "It's not great; it's not perfect, but it's not bad. Right now that's our goal to win those four games that remain, just like I'm sure everybody else on our schedule is trying to do."
After Ferentz's news conference, Goetz addressed reporters and concerns that dismissing Brian could lead to Kirk's departure after the 2023 season.
"The concern any time you would have to replace a Hall-of-Fame coach, in any sport, is real," Goetz said. "Obviously we've got more than our fair share here at Iowa, and you want to keep them here as long as you can so they can continue to lead our great programs."
The Ferentzes were notably absent from the school's announcement, as the school only included a statement by Goetz. Goetz said she wouldn't read anything into that fact.
"It's a statement from me, and you heard Coach [Ferentz] speak today," Goetz said. "At the end of the day, both Kirk Ferentz and Brian Ferentz — I am 100% confident that their focus is on the 120 guys in the locker room."
Ferentz also expressed dismay — albeit indirectly — about Goetz's announcement coming with four games yet to play in the regular season.
"For 25 years, I've tried to operate with a singular focus on doing what's best for the program," Ferentz said during his opening statement Tuesday. "The players and everybody that works in this [football program's] building, that's my first obligation. My philosophy, my practice has been pretty consistent: typically we go through the season and then run an evaluation of the program, top-to-bottom, afterwards. Yesterday's announcement was certainly a departure from that practice."
Ferentz's concerns about the timing of Goetz's announcement mirror comments he has made privately, according to a source close to the situation.
Ferentz was later asked about his timeline and criteria to replace Brian Ferentz for 2024, and again demurred.
"I could get hit by a truck tomorrow," Ferentz said with a laugh. "Really what I'm worried about are the next four weeks; I think anything beyond that is getting way ahead. That would be an injustice to our football team, to be thinking about any of those things that you mentioned. That's my first loyalty, to the football team."
Iowa currently sits in a four-way tie atop the Big Ten West at 6-2 (3-2), with games against conference foes Northwestern, Rutgers, Illinois and Nebraska yet to play. Per Goetz's announcement, Brian Ferentz will remain the offensive coordinator through these four games and the postseason.
