Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz Decries ‘Coach Killers’ at ESPN

The longtime Hawkeyes coach believes the network’s talking heads have made life tougher for college football coaches.

The transfer portal and the rise of name, image and likeness have contributed mightily to the evolution of college football coaching.

However, Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz also believes nonstop coverage from ESPN talking heads has placed added pressure on coaches in today’s game.

“It’s a little tougher today,” Ferentz said per On3 Sports. “And with all the ESPN coverage and all that, in fact I was making a comment to a couple guys on the staff this morning. I was looking through there and saw three faces on that little thing on the left of your ESPN site, where they’ve got the videos. Three guys that are basically coach killers or player killers, you know, that are just like, all they’re trying to do is just stir up controversy. So that’s kind of what’s out there now for people to take in. You wonder why there’s so much negativity.”

Ferentz is a strong believer in allowing athletes to evolve into the best version of themselves, which he says is one of the biggest lessons he learned from his days as an Iowa assistant in the 1980s. The longtime Hawkeyes coach discussed how past players such as Chris Campbell, Bruce Kittle and Brett Miller did not start for the program until later in their college career but went on to enjoy pro careers in the NFL.

“I coached three guys … that started for us in the ’80s that all ended up being NFL players that didn’t start till their fifth year,” Ferentz said. 

Although the Hawkeyes have struggled offensively in recent years, the 68-year-old Ferentz appears to be steadfast in his mindset.