Ferentz shoots for 100th career win
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz watches his team beat then-No. 5 Michigan State in Iowa City on Saturday. The win gave Ferentz 99 for his career, 87 coming with the Hawkeyes. (Photo by Andrew Weber/US Presswire)
Iowa City, Ia. — One of Kirk Ferentz’s former bosses was rooting for the Iowa football team Saturday — from 1,400 miles away.
“I watch every play that he’s on TV,” said Walter Abbott, former athletic director for the University of Maine. “They looked great.”
The Hawkeyes’ 37-6 rout of previously unbeaten Michigan State was the 99th victory of Ferentz coaching career.
He’ll try to earn No. 100 this Saturday when Iowa (6-2, 3-1 in the Big Ten) visits Indiana (4-4, 0-4).
“It’ll be a challenge,” Ferentz said. “We have to get back on the ground (mentally).”
Ferentz’s down-to-earth demeanor impressed Abbott following the 1989 season, when Maine was looking for a new coach.
He was part of the search committee that hired Ferentz, putting him charge of a program for the first time.
“Very, very classy guy,” Abbott said. “Very articulate. And he had the right perspective between athletics and academia.”
Ferentz grew up in the Pittsburgh area, played linebacker at Connecticut and was an Iowa assistant under Hayden Fry from 1981-89.
He made an immediate impression on administrators at Maine.
“It’s just the way he presented himself,” Abbott said. “He was up against some good competition, but he just stood out as a person who had great empathy for his athletes.”
Abbott, who coached the Black Bears from 1967-75,recalls the interview process being a snap for Ferentz.
“Just the way he presented himself – body language, everything,” Abbott said. “He was a hit with the committee right off.”
Ferentz, who was then 35, started 0-5, before earning win No. 1 on Oct. 13, 1990, topping Rhode Island 24-17.
He compiled a 12-21 record in three seasons with the Black Bears, earning respect by blending with the community.
“The way he went about recruiting — the kids he brought in — he was very family oriented, which was an important thing for us here,” said Abbott, who still lives in Orono, Maine. “Always has been.”
Ferentz led the Black Bears to a 6-5 season in 1992, before becoming an offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns.
“Maine is a difficult sell at times,” Abbott said. “We’re off the beaten path, so you’ve got to be a good recruiter.
“You’ve got to be able to sell the school, academics and the environment.
“I thought he did a great job with that.”
Ferentz is 87-57 since taking over the Hawkeyes in 1999 and 99-78 overall.
He would become the fourth active Big Ten coach to have 100 wins, joining Penn State’s Joe Paterno (399-132-3) Ohio State’s Jim Tressel (237-79-2) and Michigan’s Rich Rodriguez (118-81-2).
Indiana’s Bill Lynch is also a win away from 100, with a mark of 99-94-3.
The Hoosiers need a win to maintain their hopes of making a bowl game. Iowa is trying to stay in contention for a Big Ten title.
“We’ve been taking it one game at a time all season,” Hawkeye quarterback Ricky Stanzi said, “and that doesn’t change now.”
Rankings: Iowa is ranked 15th in the Associated Press top-25 and 16th in the USA Today coaches’ poll, which were released Sunday.
To play in a BCS bowl (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange), a team must win a major conference or be ranked in the top 14 of the final BCS standings.
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes Football
Kirk has indeed represented the program well. He’s a classy guy…not as interesting and entertaining a personality as Hayden, but both showed great class running the Iowa program. When you see guys like Rich-Rod screaming and cussing on the sidelines all the time, it makes me glad that he’s not our guy.
I have to share this: I read comments from MSU fans in the Detroit Free Press about the game and several who attended said that they have never been treated with more kindness and class than they were by the Iowa fans. I’m really happy to hear that. U of Arizona fans who were so lousy to us should come up and observe and Iowa game for training purposes.
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Well said AZHawk70
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