By hawkeyesports.com

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa Moon Family Head Football Coach Kirk Ferentz is one of 28 coaches named to the American Heart Association Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards Watch List for the 2026 Coach of the Year.

The award is given each January to a college football coach for contributions that make the sport better for athletes and fans alike by demonstrating grit, integrity and a winning approach to coaching and life – both on and off the field. This award is the only college football coaching honor given after the National Champion has been determined.

As college football’s longest-tenured head coach, Kirk Ferentz is in his 28th season leading the Hawkeyes. The Big Ten’s all-time winningest coach boasts 214 total victories, featuring a conference-record 135 wins. Beyond capturing conference crowns in 2002 and 2004 and West Division titles in 2015, 2021, and 2023, Ferentz’s enduring legacy is defined by elite player development—having mentored 14 individual national award winners on 17 occasions and coached 101 NFL Draft selections.

No. 17 Iowa (5-1, 2-1) return to action at Minnesota (4-2, 2-1) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (CT).