Urban Meyer declares this college football record will never be broken

Urban Meyer says Kirk Ferentz’s record-breaking Big Ten win total represents an era of coaching loyalty that college football will never see again.

Former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer celebrated this record-breaking achievement, which he believes will never be broken. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former Ohio State and Florida head coach Urban Meyer used his platform this week to reflect on how drastically college football has changed. On Thursday’s episode of The Triple Option podcast, Meyer discussed the type of longevity that once defined the profession but has now all but disappeared. He pointed to the era of coaches who spent entire careers in one place, calling it a time the sport will never see again.

“But I just want to throw this out for conversation,” Meyer said. “Joe Paterno, Woody Hayes, Lou Holtz, Bo Schembechler, and Bobby Bowden, that was my generation. Those were the days when a coach would stay at one place for twenty or thirty years, and that’s over. That’s done.”

Meyer then shifted to an example still active on the sidelines. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz recently surpassed Woody Hayes as the Big Ten’s all-time winningest coach, a record Meyer believes will stand permanently. “Coach Kirk Ferentz at Iowa just broke Woody Hayes’ record for most wins in Big Ten history because he’s been there forever,” Meyer said. “He’s a great coach, but it’s also a school that allowed him to do that. This won’t ever happen again, certainly not in my lifetime, and maybe not ever.”

Kirk Ferentz Sets The Big Ten Wins Record

Ferentz etched his name into conference history earlier this season when Iowa dominated UMass 47–7 at Kinnick Stadium. The victory marked his 206th as the Hawkeyes’ head coach, breaking Hayes’ long-standing record for wins by a Big Ten coach.

After the game, players drenched Ferentz in Powerade before insisting he join them for “The Swarm,” Iowa’s player-led postgame tradition of linking arms and jogging off the field.

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz was arm-in-arm with his team after becoming the most winningest coach in Big Ten history. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The celebration fit the man himself: understated, genuine, and team-oriented. Ferentz later smiled when asked about the milestone, calling it “pretty cool,” but quickly redirected attention to his players. Iowa center Logan Jones summed up his coach’s humility, saying, “He’d rather see everybody else have success than him. He doesn’t enjoy the spotlight, but he deserves it.”

Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti praised Ferentz for his “leadership, consistency and commitment to excellence over nearly three decades at the University of Iowa.” His 206 wins now stand ahead of Hayes, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Bo Schembechler, and Joe Paterno on the league’s all-time list.

Kirk Ferentz: A Career Built On Stability And Patience

Ferentz’s climb to the top was anything but instant. A Pittsburgh native, he arrived in Iowa City as an assistant under Hayden Fry in 1981 before taking over as head coach in 1999. The early results were rough: Iowa won just one game in his first season. Yet his teams steadily improved, and by 2002 the Hawkeyes claimed a share of the Big Ten title and earned their first major bowl trip in more than a decade.

Over 27 seasons, Ferentz has guided Iowa to eight 10-win seasons, five top-10 finishes, and three Big Ten Championship Game appearances. The Hawkeyes have recorded at least eight victories every full season since 2015, a consistency matched by only Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Michigan, and Georgia. His teams have also earned a reputation for upsetting highly ranked opponents at home, with five wins over top-five foes at Kinnick Stadium since 2008.

While critics note the absence of a modern Big Ten championship and persistent offensive struggles, Ferentz’s influence extends well beyond wins. His partnership with his wife, Mary, has produced millions in donations to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

One of the most special college football traditions is when Iowa Hawkeyes fans wave to the children at the nearby University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Their connection to the community inspired “The Wave,” the now-iconic tradition of fans and players saluting patients after the first quarter of home games.

Meyer’s reflections on Ferentz were about more than a number in a record book. They captured a fading ideal — a time when programs and coaches grew together for decades. For Meyer, Ferentz’s achievement is both a monument to perseverance and a reminder of how rare such longevity has become in college football.

Iowa travels to Wisconsin to face the Badgers on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET.