Iowa football will be without its leading man when it opens its 2024 regular season slate against Illinois State on Aug. 31.
Kirk Ferentz, the program's longtime head coach, was handed a one-game ban Thursday, as first reported by The Athletic's Scott Dochterman.
The 69-year-old, who has led the Hawkeyes since 1999, will surrender his post for the team's regular-season debut. He's expected to hand his headphones to assistant defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Seth Wallace against the Redbirds; Wallace was elevated to the status of assistant head coach after the 2023 season.
"I frequently tell our players to abide by the rules, and in this instance, I did not," Ferentz said in a statement. "I made a mistake and would like to apologize to our players, University leadership and our Hawkeye football fans."
Here's the latest on Ferentz's absence in Week 1, one that could have notable implications for an Iowa side hoping to compete at the top of the new-look Big Ten.
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Why was Kirk Ferentz suspended?
As has been the case with countless other coaches in years past, Ferentz's impending absence stems from recruiting violations.
In 2022, Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr were on the prowl, desperate to add talent to a Hawkeyes side that finished the previous season 10-4, garnering an appearance in the Big Ten title game in the process.
Ferentz's staff set its sights on former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara. The then-22-year old entered the transfer portal to much fanfare in the offseason ahead of the 2022 campaign, having started for the Wolverines in their quest to the College Football Playoff in 2021 before suffering a season-ending knee injury that left him on the sidelines the following season.
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On Nov. 28, 2022, McNamara officially entered the transfer portal. On Dec. 1 of that same year, he announced his commitment to Ferentz's program.
The hasty nature of McNamara's decision may have put the NCAA on alert to Ferentz and his side; the suspension is related to an NCAA investigation, according The Athletic. Per Iowa's statement, the move to ban Ferentz for a game came from Ferentz and athletic director Beth Goetz.
"I appreciate the accountability demonstrated and we will continue to fully cooperate with the NCAA through this process," Goetz said. "I have confidence in coach Ferentz and his leadership and we look forward to turning our focus to the opening game and exciting season that lies ahead."
Ferentz is the longest-serving coach in FBS, having manned the sidelines for the Hawkeyes since the 1999 season.
Budmayr, who was also handed a one-game ban for his role in the McNamara recruiting saga, has been a part of Ferentz's staff since 2022. Prior to Budmayr's arrival in Iowa City, he served as an assistant at Wisconsin, his alma mater. He had previously recruited McNamara with the Badgers, a relationship which The Athletic reported was a contributing factor to McNamara joining Ferentz's troops at Iowa.
McNamara, meanwhile, is entering his sixth collegiate season, vying for the Hawkeyes' starting job with Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan. The 24-year old has struggled with injuries in the years since his breakout in 2021. He played just five times for the Hawkeyes in 2023.