Kirk Ferentz, receivers coach suspended for recruiting violation, will miss No. 25 Iowa’s opener

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and an assistant coach will be suspended for the No. 25 Hawkeyes’ opener against Illinois State on Aug. 31 over a violation while recruiting a player.

Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz said Thursday the suspension of Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr was self-imposed. Seth Wallace, assistant defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, was named assistant head coach in January and will fill Ferentz’s role for the game against the Redbirds.

“There’s a line,” Ferentz said at a news conference. “I crossed that line.”

Ferentz informed his staff and players of the penalty, which also includes a loss of one week of off-campus recruiting, on Thursday morning.

“The bottom line is this – I tell our players that we abide by the rules,” Ferentz said. “In this specific case, I did not do that. I made a mistake in the recruiting process.”

Ferentz is beginning his 26th season at Iowa, where his 196 wins rank third all-time among Big Ten coaches. The Hawkeyes have won 10 games three of the past five seasons and reached the Big Ten championship game last year.

Ferentz did not name the player whose recruitment was at issue. The Athletic, citing an unnamed source, reported it was quarterback Cade McNamara. He transferred from Michigan before the 2023 season and started the first five games before a knee injury ended his season. Ferentz said Thursday that McNamara is Iowa’s No. 1 quarterback entering the opener.

Goetz said the NCAA informed Iowa of the investigation into the Level 2 violation earlier this year but did not disclose details because the NCAA investigation is ongoing.

Goetz praised Ferentz’s character but said, “In this situation, as he noted, he used poor judgment.”

Ferentz said it was important to take the penalty now.

“The last thing we wanted was this hanging over our heads the next couple of months,” he said.

It will be the first game Ferentz has missed in his time at Iowa. Ferentz said he planned on watching the game at home.

It is going to be hard to be away,” he said. “Games are important. It’s going to be strange, it’s going to be difficult.”

The suspensions follow a series of events that cast an unwanted spotlight on the Hawkeyes the past two years.

Iowa in early 2023 agreed to pay $4.2 million to settle a 2020 racial discrimination lawsuit brought by a dozen former players who alleged Ferentz and his staff created an unwelcoming environment for Black players.

Last summer, the Hawkeyes had several players caught in a state law enforcement sting targeting college athletes illegally wagering on sports. Goetz announced at midseason Brian Ferentz, Kirk’s son, would be fired as offensive coordinator effective at the end of the season.

In February, Iowa announced it would self-report an NCAA Level 3 (minor) violation for tampering after a football staff member texted a message of encouragement to Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor after he struggled in a game. Proctor is from Des Moines and was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. He transferred to Iowa in January and transferred back to Alabama two months later.