The dean of college football received much-deserved praise on Wednesday.
Iowa head football head coach Kirk Ferentz was named to the Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year watch list. Named after legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant, the award is given annually 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.
Among the nation’s best 🏆
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 21, 2026
Coach Ferentz has been named to the @bryantawards National Coach of the Year Watch List. pic.twitter.com/QyPv1elBzh
Ferentz joins a list of 28 football coaches on the watch list, including Big Ten peers David Braun (Northwestern), Bob Chesney (UCLA), Curt
Cignetti (Indiana), Ryan Day (Ohio State), and Lincoln Riley (USC).
Despite being in his 28th season as the head coach at Iowa, Ferentz has never been named the Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year. He’s a strong candidate for the award this season, as he’s led Iowa to a 5-1 record and a consensus top-15 ranking at the halfway point. He's done that despite some big questions at the quarterback position.
Ferentz is often applauded by his current and former players for how he shapes them as men and prepares them for life after football. Those off-the-field lessons, along with his success on the gridiron, put him in a great spot to take home the award. If Iowa keeps winning games, he'll be right in the mix.
As the Big Ten's all-time winningest coach, Ferentz has totaled 214 victories, including a conference-record 135 Big Ten wins. Ferentz has guided Iowa to Big Ten titles in 2002 and 2004, and West Division titles in 2015, 2021, and 2023. Under Ferentz's direction, Iowa has had 14 individual national award winners on 17 occasions, and Ferentz has coached 101 NFL draft selections.
The Bear Bryant Coach of the Year will be announced during a ceremony on Jan. 27, 2027, in Houston. The award is the only college football coaching honor that is given after the national champion has been crowned.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa's Kirk Ferentz named to Bear Bryant Coach of the Year watch list
