Usually, when a soccer program has a reliable coach who’s gone stale, the college will drive out whichever coordinator is most liable for the shortage of success. If solely life was that straightforward for the Iowa Hawkeyes. The staff is caught in an offensive malaise (to place it kindly), however can’t oust Brian Ferentz as a result of his dad is Kirk Ferentz, the pinnacle coach. So as a substitute, the college resorted to amending the son’s contract with very low hurdles that even a Huge Ten staff ought to be capable to clear.
Below the revised deal, Brian’s base wage will probably be $850,000. With a view to maximize his earnings, the staff has to common greater than 25 factors per recreation, and win not less than seven of them. The latter is principally a assure if he hits the previous. Exterior of the COVID season after they went 6-2, Kirk’s groups have gained a minimal of seven video games yearly that they’ve averaged 25 factors per contest.
The problem is Iowa has by no means been super-interested in scoring, and I doubt a couple of clauses will change that.
It’s extra existential than X’s and O’s
Kirk Ferentz’s groups aren’t explosive, inventive, or actually that involved with offense. The staff’s model of soccer is so risk-averse it’s a surprise why they hassle to throw in any respect.
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If I’ll supply up a soccer analogy. Iowa approaches the sport like Italy. Rating solely as a lot as wanted after which lodge a bus in the midst of the sphere and grind out a consequence. Whereas some followers in Iowa Metropolis might have come to understand that individual model, the Hawkeyes won’t ever be proficient sufficient to persistently execute that strategy. (To take the analogy a step additional, there are numerous faculty fanbases who, like Brazilians, actively recoil when their staff has little interest in the gorgeous points of the sport.)
Kirk’s philosophy will win you video games, but it surely’s normally ugly and infrequently unwatchable. Iowa has had a litany of double-digit win seasons over the previous 20 years. In addition they have a couple of .500 or worse clunkers. I don’t care who is asking the performs, It might be Kyle fucking Shanahan and the Hawkeyes would nonetheless prime out at about 30 factors per recreation.
Brian Feren-heimer
The nepotism in soccer is excruciating for therefore many causes, however I believe my essential qualm — outdoors of certified candidates being handed over as a result of their dad doesn’t have connections — is the apple by no means strays that removed from the tree. It’s not stunning that Kyle has added to what his dad, Mike Shanahan, taught him. The daddy was an offensive guru in his personal proper.
Nevertheless, Brian Shotenheimer is an instance of a son perpetuating his father’s, umm, legacy. The new Cowboys offensive coordinator runs the 2023 model of his dad’s imagination-free offense, and that’ll proceed in Dallas till he or Mike McCarthy will get fired.
And the identical factor goes to occur at Iowa as a result of Kirk is just too good of a coach to fireplace, and he’s not going to jettison his offspring. The staff may hit these incentives as a result of faculty soccer packages can fall off the bed and rating 25 factors per recreation, however they don’t seem to be, nor will they ever be, good at offense.