Latest news with #Hawkeyes'
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa football legend among top 25 coaches of the 21st century
Iowa football legend among top 25 coaches of the 21st century As the 2025-26 college football season is just around the corner, The Athletic's Chris Vannini ranked the nation's top 25 head coaches of the 21st century, with Iowa's Kirk Ferentz making the list among the sport's elite names. According to Vannini's rankings, Ferentz was named as the No. 22 coach on the list. Vaninni shared that the Iowa legend's consistency is underrated amongst other coaches of his stature. Ferentz will pass Woody Hayes as the winningest coach in Big Ten history with two more victories. His consistency is underrated, reaching bowl eligibility in 23 of the last 24 seasons with five top-10 finishes. The Hawkeyes have had five Top 25 finishes in the last seven seasons but no top-10 finishes since 2015. - Chris Vaninni, The Athletic. Regarding the accomplishments that allowed the Hawkeyes' head coach to reside in the No. 22 slot, Vaninni listed Ferentz's two Big Ten championships, five top-10 finishes, three BCS and New Year's Six bowl appearances and eight double-digit-win seasons as evidence to support his ranking. Ferentz took over the head coaching duties in Iowa City in the 1999 season following the illustrious career of College Football Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry, who retired after a 143-89-6 record over 20 years with the Hawkeyes. Despite struggles in the early years of Ferentz's tenure at Iowa, the Hawkeyes' program eventually found even ground and has now evolved into a well-respected program that has continuously developed NFL-ready talent year after year. Ferentz's recent success with the Hawkeyes also places Iowa in an elite group of programs that have recorded at least eight wins in each of the last 10 seasons, joining Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Ohio State. Concerning how other Big Ten coaches fared in the rankings, 10 of the top 25 names listed either currently coach or were formerly involved with a program in the now-18-member Big Ten conference. That lists includes, former Oregon and UCLA coach Chip Kelly at No. 24, former Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio at No. 21, current USC coach Lincoln Riley at No. 20, current Penn State coach James Franklin at No. 15, current Ohio State coach Ryan Day at No. 11, former Washington head coach Chris Petersen at No. 10, former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh at No. 8, former Ohio State coaches Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer listed at No. 7 and No. 2 respectfully, with former USC coach Pete Carroll between the two Buckeyes at No. 3. Due to the recent criteria alteration for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, former Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach is eligible for a posthumous entry. Ferentz's 59.8% all-time win record would make him eligible for immediate consideration upon retirement. With Iowa preparing for its upcoming 2025-26 season over the summer, could a particularly successful season in Iowa City constitute a higher ranking for the Hawkeyes' winningest head coach among his peers? Fans can make that judgment once Iowa's season begins on Aug. 30, when the Hawkeyes host Albany from Kinnick Stadium at 5 p.m. CT on FS1. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa baseball bullpen arm enters transfer portal
Iowa baseball bullpen arm enters transfer portal Iowa baseball continues to suffer departures in the transfer portal, with one of the Hawkeyes' top bullpen options, Anthony Watts, announcing his entry into the portal on Friday. The Clive, Iowa, native spent the past two seasons with the Hawkeyes after transferring from Creighton. In his two years at Iowa, Watts held a 6-5 record with three saves, a 3.90 ERA, and 103 strikeouts, while allowing 42 runs (37 earned), 52 base-on-balls, and ten home runs in 85 1/3 innings pitched through 45 appearances. Throughout his three-year collegiate career, Watts has an 8-8 record with a 4.33 ERA and 129 strikeouts. He has also allowed 67 runs (62 earned), 77 base-on-balls, and 17 home runs in 129 innings pitched through 59 appearances. Watts was a vital part of the back end of Iowa's bullpen this season as he was able to provide length and stability during the mid-to-late innings of games. Iowa's loss of Watts will sting, as he was one of the more trusted relief options for head coach Rick Heller over the past two seasons, particularly in situations where he was tasked with bridging the gap between the starter and set-up man/closer. While the incoming recruits and the possibility of transfer additions could step up to fill the void left by Watts, the Hawkeyes' offseason has certainly gotten off to a rocky start. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa baseball shutout by Indiana to close Big Ten Tournament Pool Play
Iowa baseball shutout by Indiana to close Big Ten Tournament Pool Play After a 4-3 victory over No. 10-seed Rutgers on Wednesday, No. 2-seed Iowa baseball (33-21-1, 21-9 Big Ten) dropped a 5-0 loss vs. No. 6-seed Indiana (32-25, 16-14) to close out its two-game pool play action in the 2025 Big Ten Tournament from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb. With the Hawkeyes' Wednesday victory clinching them a spot in Saturday's semifinal, Thursday night's game was essentially meaningless regarding the Big Ten Tournament. With that being said, Iowa sent Benjamin DeTaeye to start on the mound, where he gave up three runs on one hit, walked three, and struck out four over 2 1/3 innings of work. "DeTaeye gave us a good start," said head coach Rick Heller. "He was really good the first two innings, and his pitch count was down, so we decided to go a third inning. He strikes out the first guy, then he walks two to get to Taylor, and on the first pitch, he hits a home run, and we are down three runs on one hit." Five other Hawkeye pitchers made appearances on the mound. The pitching staff combined for nine strikeouts while allowing seven hits and 12 free bases. Due to Thursday's game being void of any significance, the Hawkeyes were able to use it as a "bullpen game" and rest their starters ahead of the semifinal. "For the most part, the rest of the guys did a pretty decent job," said Heller. "We worked out of a couple jams." In terms of the offense, Iowa's biggest threat to score came in the first inning, but the Hawkeyes left the bases loaded. Iowa would total five hits throughout the game and batted .152 overall, stranding nine base runners. "Offensively, we knew it was going to be a challenging night with Gilley and Grable both able to throw," said Heller. "Gilley gave us a chance in the first to jump out on top with the bases loaded. We had an opportunity with a runner on third and less than two outs, and we didn't get him home. We hit a lot of fly balls, which is pretty uncharacteristic for this team, and it led to a lot of 1-2-3 innings." The Hoosiers took the lead in the third inning with a three-run shot to right field and added two more in the fourth to make it 5-0. Iowa had its first extra-base hit of the tournament when Gable Mitchell doubled in the eighth inning. Caleb Wulf was the lone Hawkeye to have a multi-hit game, with two of Iowa's five total hits on the night. The Hawkeyes' next game will be the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals on Saturday, when they will play the No. 2-seed and No. 13-ranked UCLA (43-15, 22-8) from Charles Schwab Field. The game will be on the Big Ten Network and start at approximately 6 p.m. CT. In addition to the telecast, fans can listen to the action through the Hawkeyes Radio Network alongside play-by-play voice John Leo and color analyst John Evans. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa basketball announces class of 2025 guard signing
Iowa basketball announces class of 2025 guard signing Iowa basketball announced the signing of Oklahoma guard Tate Sage on Thursday. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard hails from Weatherford, Oklahoma, and represents the Hawkeyes' second high school signing in the 2025 class under first-year head coach Ben McCollum. 'Tate is exactly what we need for the future of Iowa basketball,' McCollum said. 'He's 6-foot-7, 6-8, can shoot, drive, do a variety of things and guard multiple positions. He is also a winner. We're excited to have Tate be a Hawkeye.' Sage announced his commitment to Iowa on April 30, following coach McCollum over to Iowa after initially signing with Drake. The Sooner State product averaged 13.1 points per game as he helped lead Weatherford to the 2025 Class 4A state championship in Oklahoma. Sage earned Oklahoma Coaches Association Large West All-State recognition and was named to The Oklahoman's Class 4A All-State team. During Sage's Weatherford career, the Eagles made four straight state tournament appearances, including four state semifinal trips, three trips to the state championship game and a pair of state runner-up finishes in addition to their 2025 state championship. Sage averaged 11 points, 4.4 rebounds and four assists per game as a junior. His twin brother, Ethan, is committed to play basketball at Pittsburgh State in Kansas. Sage joins center Trevin Jirak of Valley High School in West Des Moines as one of Iowa's high school signees. Jirak averaged 16.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 59.2% from the field, 38.6% from 3-point range, and 71.2% from the free-throw line during his senior season. That duo joins forward Cooper Koch and Jacob Koch, Drake transfers Bennett Stirtz, Kael Combs, Isaia Howard, Tavion Banks and Cam Manyawu, Kansas State transfer Brendan Hausen and Robert Morris transfer Alvaro Folgueiras among the Hawkeyes' current 11. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Iowa football star RB Kaleb Johnson selected by Steelers in NFL draft
Iowa football star RB Kaleb Johnson selected by Steelers in NFL draft Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson will still be donning black and gold. The Hawkeyes' star running back was selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers with pick No. 83 overall. Johnson departs Iowa City for one of the NFL's most storied franchises in Pittsburgh. A 6-foot-1, 224 pound back, Johnson brings a terrific combination of power and acceleration to the Steel City. The Hamilton, Ohio, native enjoyed a record-setting final season with the Hawkeyes. Johnson carried 240 times for 1,537 rushing yards and set single-season Hawkeye records in total points scored (138), total touchdowns (23) and rushing touchdowns (21). He also caught 22 passes for 188 yards, including an electric 72-yard touchdown reception in a win over Nebraska. During his Iowa career, Johnson rushed 508 times for 2,779 yards and 30 touchdowns and he caught 29 passes for a pair of touchdowns. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnREF
