Coming off an undefeated regular season in 2015 and already off to a 1-0 start this season, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz is reportedly set to get a contract extension. Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated reported, via Twitter, an announcement could be made as soon as today.
SOURCE: Iowa expected to announce a new contract and extension for coach Kirk Ferentz today.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 6, 2016
The terms of the new contract have yet to be reported. Ferentz is currently signed through 2020. (UPDATE: Iowa’s new contract for Ferentz runs through the 2026 season.)
Ferentz, 61 years of age, has been the head coach of the Hawkeyes since 1999 after a handful of seasons as an offensive line coach in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens. With Iowa’s season-opening victory on Friday, Iowa is now 128-87 under Ferentz with six bowl victories among them. Iowa played for the Big Ten championship last fall but came up short against Michigan State, thus missing out on a potential spot in the College Football Playoff. Ferentz has not coached Iowa to a postseason victory since winning the Insight Bowl in 2010, but the outlook looks promising for another solid-looking regular season.
According to the USA Today database of college football coaching salaries, Ferentz was the 14th highest-paid coach in college football in 2015, earning $4,075,000 in total pay. That was the fourth-highest among Big Ten coaches, trailing Jim Harbaugh (Michigan; $7,004,000), Urban Meyer (Ohio State; $5,860,000) and James Franklin (Penn State; $4,400,000).