By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – To say that Saturday’s 15-13 victory over Illinois had to be the most bittersweet moment in Kirk Ferentz’s long and distinguished coaching career isn’t getting carried away or blowing something out of proportion.

It’s just stating the obvious.

Ferentz led the Iowa football team to the Big Ten West Division title outright for the second time in three years, and to its 17^th victory in its last 18 games in November, and yet, his son will be fired as the offensive coordinator once the season ends.

Now there is a lot to add to that strange circumstance, and that’s where it gets tough and personal for Kirk Ferentz because he is having arguably his best season as the head Hawk in year 25, but a big reason why is because he’s been able to overcome the injury-riddled offense led by his son.

It’s Kirk Ferentz’s offense, and always has been through three different offensive coordinators.

But Brian Ferentz is currently leading the offense, and somebody will have to be accountable, and has to suffer, for the staggering decline that has occurred on offense since the start of the 2022 season.

Interim Iowa Athletic Director Beth Goetz stunned Hawkeye nation when she announced with four games left in the regular season that Brian Ferentz would be relieved of his duties after the season.

Some Iowa fans had been clamoring for that to happen, but the fact it happened in season, and by an interim athletic director, caught almost everybody by surprise.

Kirk Ferentz isn’t used to having football decisions made for him because previous Iowa Athletic Gary Barta, who retired this past August, pretty much gave Kirk free reign and the space and freedom to do as he pleased, even if it meant hiring members of his family.

Ironically, though, Barta sort of paved the way for Brian Ferentz to be fired by adding performance incentives to Brian Ferentz’s revised contract just a few months before Barta retired because that was the first sign that Kirk Ferentz faced some resistance in this case, and that Brian Ferentz was being held accountable.

But it was also perceived as taking a weak, cowardly, and counter-productive stand because there wasn’t anything in writing that said Brian Ferentz would be fired should he fail to meet the incentives, and because Barta wouldn’t have to deal with the fallout.

Goetz has dealt with that burden, and she finally said enough, and many will say rightfully so, and now Kirk Ferentz is having to balance being a head coach and a father on a public stage.

Kirk Ferentz was asked in his post-game press conference on Saturday how he has dealt with his emotions during this highly unusual season.

“There’s things that come up in sports that are tough in life,” Kirk Ferentz said. “But what keeps you going are the people you’re with every day. That’s what I enjoy, being on the practice field, where there’s no stuff going on; it’s just about football and trying to teach and get better and watch guys improve.

“And so that’s the beauty of this. That’s the purest thing about coaching is being with your players in the meeting room or out there on the field or doing stuff with them just like off away from football but being with them.”

Kirk Ferentz has had the luxury of being with his son every day and enjoying those little feel-good moments in practice, in team meetings and on road trips.

He created a situation in which football and family are intertwined and it was assumed by many that Kirk Ferentz was grooming Brian Ferentz to be his successor.

Kirk Ferentz has been accused of nepotism, and of giving Brian Ferentz preferential treatment, but many of those who accuse him also admire and appreciate that Kirk Ferentz has sustained success despite the mess that many believe he is mostly responsible for causing on offense.

It’s just a strange juxtaposition in which success and failure are both part of an ongoing storyline whose conclusion is certain in the case of Brian Ferentz, but uncertain in the case of Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa football team.

All we know right now is that Iowa (9-2, 6-2) will play at Nebraska in the regular-season finale next Friday before facing either Michigan or Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Iowa will be given little chance of winning the Big Ten championship game, but just earning a spot in the game under the current circumstances is one of Kirk Ferentz’s greatest accomplishments.

This team was left for dead after it lost to Penn State 31-0 in the Big Ten opener on Sept. 23, and after it fell to Minnesota 12-10 on Oct. 21 at Kinnick Stadium.

It was assumed that the multiple injuries to key players on offense, including starting quarterback Cade McNamara in the fifth game against Michigan State, would ultimately lead to Iowa’s demise, but that hasn’t happened.

Even the loss of star cornerback/punt returner Cooper DeJean to a season-ending lower leg injury this past Wednesday in practice wasn’t enough to derail this team.

Iowa found a way to beat Illinois despite not having McNamara, DeJean, tight ends Luke Lachey and Erick All, starting center Logan Jones, all of whom are injured, and sixth-year senior defensive tackle Noah Shannon, who is serving a season-long suspension for gambling on sports.

“We’ve gone through some bumps, had some things happen during the course of the year, even this week, losing a key player,” Kirk Ferentz said. “But no matter what, the guys stayed together, stayed tough, and really care about each other. I think that’s demonstrated in the play out there.

“Today was no different. Probably a fitting way for us to get this done because there’s nothing easy today. Goes right down to the end there, certainly. Again, it points back to the character of the guys we have.”

This team, much to the credit of Kirk Ferentz, has overcome adversity and controversy and stayed the course in impressive fashion.

That doesn’t happen without a healthy culture and without a strong sense of leadership from the coaches, and from the veteran players.

The current senior class has players in their fourth year in the program, fifth year in the program, and sixth-year in the program, as is the case with sixth-year defensive end Joe Evans, who chose to use his free Covid year to come back.

Evans epitomizes Hawkeye football under Kirk Ferentz in so many ways as a former lightly recruited high school quarterback/linebacker from Ames who came to Iowa as a walk-on and with an opportunity to prove himself.

He eventually found a home at defensive end and has since become a multi-year starter and a team captain.

It was his pass deflection on fourth down in the closing seconds that helped to secure the win against Illinois on Saturday.

Evans, who is kindly listed at 6-foot-2, is short for a Division I defensive end, but he’s long on heart, effort and mental toughness.

“I’m going to probably get emotional up here to be honest with you,” Evans said to the media after Saturday’s win. “But we’ve battled so much adversity and I’m just so proud of every single person in that locker room, whether it be players, coaches, every single person. And that’s why I think it just means more.”

Beth Goetz might have lit a spark and brought this Iowa team even closer together by firing the offensive coordinator, who also happens to be the head coach’s son.

The players see that Kirk Ferentz, the father, is hurting and they are more determined than ever to help soften the emotional pain and anguish.

“You can just feel how much time he has put into it,” senior linebacker Jay Higgins said of his 68-year-old head coach. “It just means so much to him. He loves the game of football and he loves his players. He loves his coaches. You guys (in the media) see that. We definitely see that. I get to see that every day.”

Goetz took a stand that many Iowa fans were demanding, but in a way that few probably expected by doing it in season.

Most Iowa fans probably are torn by this odd and awkward situation in which they strongly support Kirk Ferentz for his leadership, success, and loyalty, but also support the decision to fire his son.

You can believe in both things and still be a loyal fan.

You can feel sorry for Brian Ferentz, but still believe that he was given more than a fair shot to prove himself, but that he also had to pay the price as most would if they weren’t meeting realistic goals and standards as an employee.

You can feel sorry for Kirk Ferentz the father, but also believe that as a head coach he made a mistake by hiring somebody that he couldn’t fire, so Goetz had to take action and do it for him.

You can believe that Goetz should have waited until after the season to fire Brian Ferentz, but also believe that Brian Ferentz deserved to be fired.

You can have sympathy for Brian Ferentz because of all the injuries on offense, but also hold him accountable for the offense having mostly been awful since the start of last season.

You can believe that Kirk Ferentz has earned the right to hire who he pleases, but also believe that his love for his son clouds his judgement and objectivity in this case.

Kirk Ferentz referred to this as a crazy year when he was interviewed on the field immediately after Saturday’s victory. He was struggling to compose himself as both a head coach and a father.

He was proud of his team, and proud of his son.

That same pride was in full display when Kirk Ferentz shared an emotional embrace with Brian Ferentz moments after the game that was caught by the television cameras.

Kirk Ferentz was asked in his post-game press conference what it felt like knowing this would be his son’s last game at Kinnick Stadium, a place where Brian Ferentz had played for his father nearly two decades ago.

“I’m not quite sure I know how’s he done it,” Kirk Ferentz said. “But I really am proud of him as a dad. And I can’t say enough about that. But I do try to keep things separate. And I’m really proud of him as a head coach, too.”

Kirk Ferentz has reason to be proud of his son as both a father and head coach, while Beth Goetz also feels that she has reason to make a change.

There are two sides to this ongoing story, but that doesn’t mean you have to pick a side.