Inside The Hawkeyes

Fans Sick of Iowa HC Losing to Ranked Opponents

Iowa Hawkeyes fans have taken to social media to rip their head coach to shreds as a result of his recent losing record against ranked opponents.
Jennifer Streeter|
Sep 19, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Sep 19, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz looks on during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

Irony can be found all around; college football is no exception. Head coach Kirk Ferentz of the Iowa Hawkeyes recently notched victory No. 206 at Iowa and thus now possesses the most wins as a head coach in the Big Ten. Ferentz may have done that, but sometimes it's funny how life works out. As a result of the Hawkeyes' latest loss to No. 11 Indiana, the coach is now 0-11 in his last 11 games against ranked opponents.

So while Ferentz may have been receiving praise for his former conference accomplishments, fans are now putting him in the spotlight for negative reasons.

"Can't beat the best when your best players are on the bench. Amazed how coaches at all levels become 'comfortable' with their favorite [players]," one fan said.

Mental errors and miscues plagues the Hawkeyes en route to their recent 20-15 loss against the Hoosiers.

"In the end Kirk choked! It’s time for him to retire! Look at Indiana," one other fan said across social media. "They are actually competing Iowa is in a death spiral."

"#firekirk," another simply said.

Against Indiana, Iowa threw two interceptions and saw an injury to starting quarterback Mark Gronowski. Despite initially staying in the matchup and competing well against their ranked opponent, the Hoosiers also practically beat the Hawkeyes in virtually every aspect across the statsheet.

Something that the fans clearly didn't take lightly.

"Self Inflicted Wounds," one other fan pointed out.

Though, not all fans saw the game in a negative light — with many rightly pointing out the grit Iowa demonstrated by staying in the matchup as close as the Hawkeyes did against a team with a quarterback on Heisman watch.

"Indiana went 13 straight quarters with at least 1 TD.

Then Iowa held them without a TD for 57 minutes.

Hawkeyes played well enough to win which makes it so heartbreaking," said CBS Sports anchor Chris Hassel.

Ferentz is in his 27th year as the head football coach at the University of Iowa. The coach has been a member of the Iowa coaching staff for 35 seasons. His most recent contract extension extended his agreement with Iowa through the 2029 season.

But it appears for some fans, those 27 years may be enough for them.

Don't forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!

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Jennifer Streeter
JENNIFER STREETER

Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered everything from the 2025 Hughes Bowl, SEC football, Ivy League athletics, the 2023 ALCS and the 2023 World Series, the WNBA, and much more.

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