By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – There is a theory that says Kirk Ferentz’s main motivation for now finally using the transfer portal is that he is mostly trying to create a diversion, or a distraction, for his son.

Kirk Ferentz’s hope, according to this theory, would be that fans get so excited by who Iowa lands from the portal that they would be willing to ease up on their insistence that Brian Ferentz should be fired as the Iowa offensive coordinator.

Kirk Ferentz would almost certainly dismiss this theory and would probably say that he’s just trying to do whatever he can to help his team win football games, and he would also probably say that the current circumstances call for him to take extreme measures.

And for Kirk Ferentz to use the transfer portal is pretty extreme.

Iowa swooped in right away and landed Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara from the portal, using an attractive combination of opportunity, stability and NIL money.

The next challenge for the Iowa coaches, and for the Iowa donors that supply the NIL money, is to land some receivers, probably at least two from the portal to help make up for the recent losses of Keagan Johnson and Arland Bruce IV to the portal.

Iowa currently only has four receivers on scholarship, and one of them is fifth-year senior Nico Ragaini, although, he could return next season with his free Covid year.

It isn’t beyond reason to believe that Kirk Ferentz hopes that he can sort of buy his son more time by surrounding him with more talent on offense.

But Kirk Ferentz also doesn’t really have a choice but to use the portal under the circumstances with certain positions on offense being so depleted.

To have landed McNamara was a good start because imagine how the mood would be if McNamara hadn’t committed with Iowa already having lost five offensive players to the portal.

The last thing Kirk Ferentz wants to do is fire his son.

He took a risk when he attached his legacy to his son, and now Kirk Ferentz is sort of backed into a corner with little wiggle room.

There is no denying that the Iowa offense is a mess right now under Brian Ferentz, historically bad in some ways with just five touchdown passes in 12 games this season.

Kirk Ferentz is mostly just trying to fix the mess on offense that he created by hiring his son without Brian Ferentz having to lose his job, or at least that’s how it appears.

Kirk Ferentz might be motivated as both a father and as a head coach in this case.

But if what he is doing helps to fix the offense, then it really shouldn’t matter what motivated Kirk Ferentz the most to do it.

Of course, there is more to using the portal than just helping his son.

Kirk Ferentz wants to win football games, but he needs help from a talent standpoint, help for his offense, and help for his son.

Some might find this theory crazy, and so be it.

But to think that Kirk Ferentz doesn’t have extra motivation right now to fix the offense because of his son would be naive.

Having some success in the portal would help to switch the narrative heading to the offseason, and that would benefit Brian Ferentz.

Kirk Ferentz has made it abundantly clear that he believes in his son, and Kirk Ferentz also has made it pretty easy for Brian Ferentz to climb the coaching ladder, some will say too easy.

Perhaps this is Kirk Ferentz’s way of making a last stand for his son from a public relations standpoint.

Because it’s hard to believe that Iowa would’ve landed McNamara if there was uncertainty surrounding the offensive coordinator, and it’s even harder to believe that Kirk Ferentz would be using his son in a lame-duck capacity right now.

Some fans are hoping that Brian Ferentz will ultimately take one for the team, and for his father, and resign from his position, while some other fans are demanding it.

That would be asking a lot from Brian Ferentz to walk away from a job that pays him $900,000 annually, especially if his father, and Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta, aren’t demanding that he resign.

There is also hope that Brian Ferentz would accept a demotion, but that couldn’t happen without somebody on the coaching staff losing their job.

It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if there were some coaching changes on offense during the offseason.

But Kirk Ferentz seems more intertested right now in trying to upgrade the talent on offense with assistance from the portal, and from NIL money, to help both his offense and his son because they both go hand-in-hand.

Iowa created an awkward situation when Kirk Ferentz was allowed to first hire his son, and then later promote him to offensive coordinator.

It mostly gets overlooked during times of success, but when the offense struggles like it has this season, then out comes the accusations of nopotisim and entitlement.

Kirk Ferentz is sort of at a crossroads on offense, and with that comes change.

He just seems determined to make sure that the changes don’t involve his son.