Kirk James Ferentz (born August 1, 1955) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since 1999. From 1990 to 1992, Ferentz was the head football coach at the University of Maine. He has also served as an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. Ferentz played college football as a linebacker at the University of Connecticut from 1974 to 1976.

Background[link]

After playing football at Upper St. Clair High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ferentz played linebacker for the University of Connecticut. He was a football captain and an academic all-Yankee Conference linebacker at Connecticut. He served as a student assistant at Connecticut in 1977 and graduated in 1978. Ferentz spent his next two seasons as defensive coordinator at Worcester Academy, where he taught English literature. He then spent one season in 1980 as an assistant offensive line coach at the University of Pittsburgh. That Panther team, coached by Jackie Sherrill, finished with an 11–1 record and a number two national ranking.

Ferentz was the offensive line coach at the University of Iowa under Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry for nine seasons, from 1981 to 1989. Eleven Hawkeyes coached by Ferentz went on to play in the NFL. Three of them were first round picks in the NFL draft, and five of his players were first team All-Big Ten selections.

Ferentz left Iowa to coach at the University of Maine in 1990. After three seasons of coaching the Black Bears to a combined 12–21 record, he was named the offensive line coach of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. Ferentz served under Bill Belichick in Cleveland and followed the franchise to Baltimore when they became the Baltimore Ravens.

Iowa head coaching career[link]

On December 2, 1998, Ferentz was hired as Iowa's 26th head football coach to replace the retiring Hayden Fry. The team struggled during Ferentz's first two seasons with a combined 4–19 record, but the Hawkeyes earned their first bowl bid under Ferentz after a 7–5 season in 2001. They beat Texas Tech in the Alamo Bowl, 19–16.

The 2002 season would prove to be memorable for Ferentz and the Hawkeyes. The team finished the regular season with an 11–1 record; its only loss coming to Iowa State. They shared the Big Ten Conference championship with Ohio State, as both teams finished 8–0 in conference play. Quarterback Brad Banks won the Davey O'Brien Award for best quarterback and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting to Carson Palmer of USC. Tight end Dallas Clark was that season's John Mackey Award winner, and placekicker Nate Kaeding was the Lou Groza Award winner. Ferentz was named Coach of the Year by the Associated Press for his efforts. Iowa received its first-ever BCS invitation, losing to USC in the 2003 Orange Bowl, 38–17.

Despite losing several seniors to graduation, the Hawkeyes compiled a 9–3 regular season record in 2003. They defeated Florida 37–17 in the Outback Bowl on January 1, 2004, for their first January win since 1959. This earned the Hawkeyes a #8 national ranking in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll at the end of the season. Offensive tackle Robert Gallery was that season's Outland Trophy winner; after the season, the Oakland Raiders chose him with the second overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft.

Ferentz had to deal with multiple injuries to the Hawkeyes' running backs and the death of his father, John, during the 2004 season. Nevertheless, the Hawkeyes compiled a 9–2 regular season record, sharing the Big Ten Conference championship with Michigan after a 30–7 victory over Wisconsin on November 20. For the second time in three seasons, Ferentz was named the Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year. On January 1, 2005, they defeated LSU, 30–25, after a thrilling 56-yard touchdown pass from Drew Tate to Warren Holloway as time expired in the Capital One Bowl. This gave Ferentz his third straight ten-win season with the Hawkeyes and another #8 national ranking.

The Hawkeyes went 7–4 during the 2005 regular season. After early-season losses to Iowa State and Ohio State and close losses to Michigan and Northwestern, they finished the season with wins over Wisconsin and Minnesota to earn a second trip to the Outback Bowl to face Florida on January 2, 2006. This time, however, the Gators got a measure of revenge for their loss two years earlier, as the Hawkeyes lost to Florida, 31–24. Much was said about the officiating in this game, as there were 13 missed or bad calls made against the Hawkeyes that directly influenced the outcome. The NCAA made an official acknowledgment of this issue.

Iowa started the 2006 season strong, winning their first four games before losing to top-ranked Ohio State. After a 5–1 start, however, the Hawkeyes collapsed down the stretch, losing five of their last six games. Iowa suffered shocking losses to Northwestern and Indiana and lost rivalry games with Wisconsin and Minnesota. The Hawkeyes finished the regular season with a 6–6 record and accepted an invitation to the 2006 Alamo Bowl, Iowa's sixth straight bowl game. Playing as nine-point underdogs to defending national champions Texas, Iowa lost the Alamo Bowl by a score of 26–24.

In 2007, Ferentz' Hawkeyes started 2–4 and lost their first three conference games. An upset victory over Illinois ended a nine-game conference losing streak for Iowa, and the Hawkeyes closed out the Big Ten season by winning their last three conference games. However, a disappointing loss in the season finale to Western Michigan dropped the Hawkeyes' season record to 6–6. Though Iowa was bowl-eligible, the Hawkeyes did not receive a bowl bid, snapping Iowa's streak of six consecutive bowl appearances.

In 2008, Ferentz and the Hawkeyes started out strong with victories over his old team, Maine, Florida International, and rival Iowa State, but close losses to Pitt, Northwestern, and Michigan State left Iowa with a 3–3 record. Iowa then went on to win five of their next six games, including a 24–23 upset of #3 ranked and undefeated Penn State. After finishing the regular season at 8–4, Iowa accepted an invitation to the Outback Bowl where they defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks, 31–10.

Iowa coach "Captain" Kirk Ferentz and Ohio State coach Jim "the Vest" Tressel talk on the field before their teams played on November 14, 2009.

The 2009 Hawkeye football team got off to the best start in school history. Narrow home victories over Northern Iowa and Arkansas State coupled with double digit road wins over Penn State and Wisconsin fueled a 7–0 start. Ferentz' 2009 Hawks became the first Iowa team to win eight games to start a season by winning at Michigan State, 15–13, with a touchdown pass on the final play of the game. After defeating Indiana to run their record to 9–0, the Hawks lost quarterback Ricky Stanzi to injury in an upset loss to Northwestern. Iowa then lost the de facto Big Ten championship game at Ohio State, 27–24, in overtime. The Hawkeyes shut out Minnesota, 12–0, to finish the regular season with a 10–2 record and were selected for their second BCS bowl game under Ferentz by being invited to the 2010 Orange Bowl. Iowa defeated Georgia Tech, 24–14, to earn the school's first BCS bowl win and their first victory in a BCS-level bowl since the 1959 Rose Bowl. Iowa finished with an 11–2 record that tied the school record for victories in a season and the Hawkeyes earned #7 rankings in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll, their highest finish since the 1960 season.^[2]

Pro football opportunities[link]

Many major college and NFL teams have considered Ferentz as a candidate for their head coaching jobs. However, Ferentz has publicly declined any interest in other coaching positions, opting to stay at Iowa. On February 12, 2009, Ferentz and Iowa athletics director Gary Barta agreed to a new contract extension that keeps Ferentz at Iowa until 2020.^[3]

On January 2, 2006 the head coaches of five NFL teams, Green Bay, St. Louis, Houston, New Orleans, and Minnesota, were fired. There was renewed speculation that Ferentz would be offered a head coaching job with one of those professional franchises. But such speculation was soon put to rest when Ferentz stated that he was still happy with his job at Iowa, and that he had no plans to leave.^[4]

On June 2, 2006, Ferentz became the highest paid coach in the Big Ten and third highest in college football when he was given a restructured contract that boosted his annual salary to $2.7 million.^[5]

Following the 2006 NFL season, rumors circulated that Ferentz may have been in consideration for the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coaching job after Bill Cowher stepped down. However, before Cowher's departure, Ferentz was asked about his possible interest in the position, and stated: "I know that staff pretty well and they've got some good guys in that building. My guess is that's where they would go. But I’m not interested, and I doubt they are, either. I’ve got a great job right here.”^[6] The Steelers job eventually went to Mike Tomlin.

In 2008, Ferentz was again rumored to be a candidate for an NFL head coaching job, particularly as successor to Romeo Crennel for the Cleveland Browns.^[7]

In January 2009, rumors surfaced citing Ferentz as a potential candidate to be hired as head coach in place of Herman Edwards soon after the hiring of former New England Patriots VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli as the new GM of the Kansas City Chiefs. However, the Chiefs eventually hired Todd Haley, and Ferentz received a contract extension to remain at Iowa through 2020.

In December 2011, rumors again surfaced citing Ferentz as a potential candidate to be hired as head coach in place of Todd Haley.

Personal[link]

Kirk and his wife, Mary, have five children. They are Brian (26), Kelly (24), Joann (22), James (20) and Steven (16). Brian was a starting offensive lineman on the 2005 Iowa football team, a practice squad player for the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. From 2008 – 2011, Brian was a coach for the New England Patriots, including one record-breaking season as Tight Ends Coach.^[8] In February 2012, Brian returned home to Iowa City, accepting a position as the Offensive Line Coach at the University of Iowa.^[9] James is in his third year with the Hawkeye program. Kelly is in graduate school at Iowa and Joann is an undergrad student.^[10]

Ferentz is currently the highest paid state employee in Iowa, with an annual salary of $3.65 million plus bonuses. According to the Des Moines Register state-salary database, Ferentz earned a total of $3,174,999.96 during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006.

Head coaching record[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Iowa Hawkeyes football profile
• Kirk Ferentz at the College Football Data Warehouse

Bob Stoops
Stoops paces the sideline
Sport(s)	Football
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	Oklahoma
Record	139–34 (.802)
Annual salary	$4,303,000[1]
Biographical details
Born	(1960-09-09) September 9, 1960 (age 51) Youngstown, Ohio
Playing career
1979–1982	Iowa
Position(s)	Defensive back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1989–1990 1991–1995 1996–1998 1999–present	Kansas State (DB) Kansas State (Co-DC) Florida (DC) Oklahoma
Head coaching record
Overall	139–34 (.802)
Bowls	7–6 (.538)
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Championships 1 National Championship (2000) 7 Big 12 Championships (2000,2002,2004,2006,2007,2008,2010)
Awards 2000 Walter Camp Nat'l COY 2000 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award 2000 Home Depot COY 2000 AP Nat'l COY 2003 Walter Camp Nat'l COY

Robert Anthony "Bob" Stoops (born September 9, 1960) is the head coach of the University of Oklahoma football team. During the 2000 season, Stoops led the Sooners to an Orange Bowl victory and a national championship.

Prior to coaching at Oklahoma, Stoops held various coordinator and position-coach positions at Iowa, Kansas State and Florida. In 2000, Stoops led his team to three consecutive wins over ranked teams including Texas, Kansas State and Nebraska.^[2][3][4] Stoops was awarded the 2000 Paul "Bear" Bryant Award and the 2000 and 2003 Walter Camp Coach of the Year for "Coach of the Year."^[5]

High school and college[link]

Stoops is one of 6 children born to Ron Sr. and Evelyn "Dee Dee" Stoops in Youngstown, Ohio. He is a 1978 graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School, where his father was the long-time defensive coordinator of the football team. Bob and his three brothers (Ron Jr., Mike, and Mark) were all coached by Ron Sr. at Mooney. During a game in 1988 against the team coached by Ron Jr., Ron Sr. began experiencing chest pains. He was placed in an ambulance following the game and died en route to the hospital.^[6][7]

Stoops was a four-year starter, and one-time All-Big Ten selection at defensive back at the University of Iowa. He was also one of the Big Ten's Most Valuable Players in 1982.^[8]

Coaching career[link]

After graduating with his marketing degree in 1983, Stoops began his coaching career as a volunteer coach and graduate assistant in the Iowa Hawkeyes program under Hayden Fry. He was an assistant at Kent State University in 1988, and joined Kansas State University the following year. Stoops was named co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State under Bill Snyder in 1991 and assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator in 1995. During his tenure on the Wildcats staff, Stoops played a key role in their impressive turnaround, helping take what many considered to be the worst program in Division 1-A to national contention. During his final four seasons there, KSU was 35–12 with three bowl appearances.

He then left for the University of Florida, and landed a three-year stint as Steve Spurrier’s defensive coordinator. Hired after Florida gave up 62 points to Nebraska in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl,^[9] he was given full powers over the Gators defense and was part of the Gators' national championship win over Florida State in the 1997 Sugar Bowl.^[10]

It was with the Gators that the spotlight found Stoops and made him one of the hottest coaching names in the profession. Stoops' success at Kansas State and Florida launched him to the top of the list of assistant coaches primed for head coaching positions in 1999.

University of Oklahoma[link]

The University of Oklahoma named Stoops their head coach in 1999. Stoops quickly turned the program around, winning seven games and taking the Sooners to their first bowl game in four years.

Oklahoma Sooners head coach Bob Stoops jogs on the field during a 2009 game.

Overall, Oklahoma is 3-5 in BCS games, but 7-6 in bowl games under Stoops.

Now in his 13th year as head coach of the Sooners, Stoops has a combined record of 130–31 (.807). He has only lost 3 games in Norman, and accumulated a home winning streak of 39 consecutive games from 2005 to 2011. The streak was ended on October 22, 2011 when Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma 41-38. He also has the most wins of the decade of any BCS school with 109 (2000–present). Along with Bennie Owen, Bud Wilkinson, and Barry Switzer, he is one of four coaches to win over 100 games at the University of Oklahoma. No other college football program has more than 3 coaches to accomplish such a feat.

He led the Sooners to the 2000 BCS National Championship and finished the season undefeated, outscoring 13 opponents by a combined 481–194. His Oklahoma teams again earned the opportunity to play in the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in 2004, 2005 and 2009, losing to LSU 21–14 in the 2004 Sugar Bowl, and to USC 55–19 (a win which USC was later forced to vacate by the NCAA) in the 2005 Orange Bowl, and University of Florida 24–14 in the 2009 BCS Championship. Oklahoma under Bob Stoops has played in more BCS National Titles games (4) than any other school.

Stoops' teams have finished the season ranked in the Top 10 of the polls for 9 of 10 seasons, 6 of those 9 being in the Top 5.

Stoops, however, has led his team to 11 straight bowl games, six of which were BCS Bowls, including the Big 12's first Rose Bowl victory as the Sooners upended Washington State 34–14 in Pasadena on New Years Day 2003.

Stoops penchant for winning the big games early in his career earned him the nickname "Big Game Bob", and his teams have only lost a total of three games at home in Norman, Oklahoma. There was a point in time from 1999–2003, Oklahoma under Stoops was 18-2 (0.900) vs. ranked opponents, and 3-1 (0.750) in bowl games with one National Title and 3 Big 12 Titles.

Late in the 2003 season, however, Bob's brother Mike Stoops left his position of Defensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach at Oklahoma to accept the head coaching job at Arizona. The Sooners promptly lost 2 games in a row against ranked teams after Mike's departure that season (a shocking 35–7 loss against #13 Kansas State in the Big 12 Title Game, and a tough 21–14 loss to #3 LSU in the BCS National Title Game). Since that time (2004–present), Stoops' teams have gone 17–13 vs. ranked opponents, and 3–4 in Bowl Games with no National Titles (although they played for 3 more), and 5 Big 12 Titles. Stoops' teams did finish with 2 Heisman Trophy winners during this time, however, and 2 runner-ups.

Under Stoops, the Sooners have won seven Big 12 Conference Championships, the most of any Big 12 team. Oklahoma is also the only team to win back-to-back-to-back Big 12 Championships. In his twelve years as head coach, Stoops is 8–5 against the Texas Longhorns, which includes a 5 game winning streak from 2000–2004, in which his Sooners handed the Longhorns two of their worst defeats in school history, 63–14 and 65–13 (2000 and 2003, respectively).

Oklahoma under Stoops (1999–present) has won 72 Big 12 conference games, second to Texas' Mack Brown at 74 Big 12 victories. Yet Oklahoma has won seven Big 12 Titles during this span, while Texas has won two.

On July 11, 2007, Oklahoma was placed on probation for two years by the NCAA for a rules violation involving QB Rhett Bomar and Offensive Lineman JD Quinn, who the University had previously suspended from the team due to the players' efforts to obtain payment for hours not worked. While the students who violated the rules were reinstated by the NCAA and allowed to play for other schools, the University, which had self-reported the violations, was initially directed to vacate all wins during the 2005–2006 season, which included a 17–14 win over the University of Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.^[11] Oklahoma appealed the NCAA's ruling of a "failure to monitor" the employment of players in the program, as well as a reduction in scholarships and probation lasting until May, 2010.^[12] On February 22, 2008, the NCAA reversed part of the decision and reinstated the vacated wins.^[13]

Stoops' 2008 team went down in the history books as the highest scoring team in college football history, scoring a total of 716 points, averaging 51 points per game. There was also a stretch of five consecutive games where the Sooners scored 60 points or more, another record (in the game prior to the streak, the Sooners scored 58 points). After a 4-week layoff, the offense stagnated against the nation's best defense of the Florida Gators in the National Title game, scoring only 14 points and suffering two turnovers by the Florida goal line. The Sooners were without one of their star offensive playmakers in DeMarco Murray, who sat out with an injury. However, the Sooner's 2008 defense, which was much maligned during the season for allowing a Stoops'-worst 25 points per game average, held the Florida Gator's high-powered Tim Tebow-led offense to only 24 points, 21 points below their season average.

Stoops' performance at Oklahoma has made him the frequent subject of head coach searches by several NFL teams as well as other college programs, which he has repeatedly turned away. He was reportedly the top-paid coach in Division 1-A football with annual compensation in excess of $3 million until Nick Saban was signed by the University of Alabama for $4 million per year beginning in 2007. However, Stoops did receive a "longevity bonus" of $3,000,000 at the end of the 2008 season (his 10th), making his annual salary in 2008 approx. $6,100,000.00.

Contract extensions and revisions for the 2009 season have kept Stoops atop the list of highest paid coach in the nation at $4.303 million per year, behind USC's Pete Carroll ($4.386 million), and Texas Longhorns coach Mack Brown ($5 million) even though Bob Stoops has won 7 Big 12 Championships while Mack Brown only has won 2 Big 12 Championships.

In his career at Oklahoma, several of Stoops' assistants have become head coaches at other Division 1-A programs, including brother Mike Stoops (Arizona), Mark Mangino (Kansas), Mike Leach (Texas Tech), Chuck Long (San Diego State), Bo Pelini (Nebraska), Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M) and Kevin Wilson (Indiana).

Two days after winning one of the college football season's early marquee games, Bob Stoops was rewarded Monday with a new contract extension that could keep him as the coach of top-ranked Oklahoma through 2018 and pay him $34.5 million over the next seven years.

Personal life[link]

Bob Stoops is married to Carol Stoops, a successful Mary Kay National Sales Director.^[14] They have three children: a daughter, Mackenzie, and twin sons, Isaac and Drake. Both twin sons attend Whittier Middle School as sixth graders. Stoops remains close with Steve Spurrier, his mentor from the University of Florida. Stoops has, in the past, called Spurrier the greatest college head coach.

Younger brother Mike Stoops was previously head coach for the University of Arizona Wildcats. Another brother (the youngest), Mark Stoops, currently serves as the Florida State University defensive coordinator, after leaving the same job at the University of Arizona. Older brother Ron Jr., is an assistant coach at Youngstown State in Youngstown, Ohio.^[15]

Head coaching record[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• SoonerSports.com: Bob Stoops biography
• Bob Stoops at Rivals.com