Should Kirk Ferentz Remain Among the Top 25 Head Coaches in College Football?

No one has been around college football entering the 2026 season than Kirk Ferentz, the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Manning the position since 1999, Kirk Ferentz has been a staple of Iowa, the Big Ten, and college football. With his 71st birthday approaching, he shows no signs of slowing down.

If anything, Ferentz is adapting to the times and reinventing himself as a head coach. Is that enough to remain among the best coaches in the country?

Kirk Ferentz belongs as a top 25 coach

He doesn't have the national title or the College Football Playoff appearance, but he has the longevity and is arguably the most consistent coach in America.

Each year, no matter what the roster has on it, Kirk Ferentz finds a way to will Iowa to at least eight wins just as sure as the sun rising in the morning. It's why Kirk Ferentz finds himself at No. 16 in USA TODAY Sports college football coach rankings.

He does more with less, develops players, and, simply put, he wins games. Kirk Ferentz hasn't made it this far being average.

There are at least 100 schools throughout the country that would take Kirk Ferentz's success over the last three decades.

Big Ten Coaches Ranked

The Big Ten is loaded with elite head coaches. There are the newcomers, the experienced ones who have turned their programs into powerhouses, and the old guard, which is led by Kirk Ferentz.

No. 1: Curt Cignetti, Indiana
No. 3: Ryan Day, Ohio State
No. 5: Dan Lanning, Oregon
No. 12: Kyle Whittingham, Michigan
No. 15: Matt Campbell, Penn State
No. 16: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
No. 19: Lincoln Riley, USC

Riley Donald's Thoughts

The rankings raise my eyebrows for two big reasons.

The first is the ranking of Kyle Whittingham, who is entering his first year at Michigan. Is this ranking based on his past success at Utah? Or the expectations he is entering Michigan with?

Whittingham turned Utah into a Big 12 powerhouse, but how can he handle the move to the Big Ten this late in his career?

Apr 25, 2026; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell walks on the field during the Penn State Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Curiously enough, Kirk Ferentz's old rival, Matt Campbell, the former head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones, comes in at No. 15, one spot ahead of Ferentz at No. 16.

The two won't meet up in 2026 as Iowa and Penn State avoid each other on the schedules, but Campbell's move to Happy Valley is going to be met with much higher expectations than he was held to in Ames.

With a roster of Iowa State transfers, Campbell has his work cut out in his first year leading the Nittany Lions.

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