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Phil Parker, DBs coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes the past 13 seasons, has gotten a major promotion- to defensive coordinator. Kirk Ferentz announced late last night.
Parker, a member of the Iowa staff since Ferentz took over as head coach, replaces Norm Parker, who retired following this past season. Phil Parker was named by Rivals.com in March, 2011, as a first team member of its College Football Assistant Coach Dream Team.
The Big Ten is having one of the most memorable basketball seasons we’ve seen in some time. The conference leads the country with five top-25 teams and ranks number one in the RPI/Sagarin ratings.
Along with being regarded as the best conference in the nation, the Big Ten is full of intriguing stories. Here are the top five on the year thus far: [Read more...]
The Iowa Hawkeyes announced that sophomore running back Marcus Coker withdrew his application to enroll in spring semester. He also asked for a release from his football scholarship and it was granted.
In other words, he is no longer part of the college football program.
Iowa Hawkeyes junior offensive tackle Riley Reiff announced he will enter the 2012 NFL Draft, forgoing his final year of college football eligibility.
He figures to be a first round pick, possibly going in the top 10-15.
No, this headline is not a misprint, the #11 Wisconsin Badgers have indeed dropped their conference home-opener to the Iowa Hawkeyes by the score of 72-65.
Iowa (9-6, 1-1) took full advantage of a horrendous-shooting performance from the Badgers (24-for-69) and a lackluster showing on the defensive end despite Wisconsin (12-3, 1-1) being one of the best in the nation on that side of the ball.
Freshman Hawkeye Aaron White was the surprising star of the day with a game-high 18 points off the bench. [Read more...]
Iowa Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz, the longest tenured in the Big Ten, reiterated Wednesday his long-term plans to remain the head coach in Iowa City.
Apparently, his boy Scott Pioli wasn’t able to lure him away to the Kansas City Chiefs, like early speculation indicated. Now, if it were the New England Patriots who knows?
Anyways Ferentz released a statement:
Iowa Hawkeyes tailback Marcus Coker goes from 2010 Insight Bowl MVP to 2011 Insight Bowl suspendee today.
Last year he set Iowa bowl records for rushing attempts (33) and rushing yards (219) in the 27-24 win over Missouri. Hopefully, he also got to see the Grand Canyon last year, because he will not be traveling with the team to Arizona.
Now that Todd Haley has been canned by the Kansas City Chiefs front office, defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel wil serve as Head Coach in the interim. His first game will be versus the undefeated Green Bay Packers- have fun with that.
So who replaces Haley in the long term? Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli has reportedly told people that Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is the leading candidate.
How much money will it take to get Ferentz to leave the Hawkeyes program?
The twelve-game Big Ten/ACC Challenge tips off Tuesday night with the headliner being a battle of top three teams as #3 Duke visits #2 Ohio State. After losing the first ten challenges, The Big Ten looks for their third straight win in this battle of power conferences. To be completely blunt; they should have zero problem doing so as the Big Ten has far more depth then the ACC.
On the last Friday of November in Lincoln, Neb., the college football teams from the University of Iowa and the University of Nebraska will square off in the first of what is expected to be a long and competitive and entertaining rivalry between one of the Big Ten Conference’s original member institutions and the league’s most recent addition.
It could be the beginning of a huge rivalry between the Cornhuskers and the Hawkeyes.
“It is the last regular season game, so it may have implications on the Big Ten title game which will be a week later. I have not spoken to the players on how much it will mean but it will be like every game,” said Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne.
The Iowa Hawkeyes have had a mediocre season of college football. Definitely a down year by their usual standards. No one’s expecting them to do much in college basketball. However, Fran McCaffrey’s bunch have looked surprisingly good so far; though it’s been versus inferior competition.
One pleasant surprise in Iowa City is cheerleader Rebecca Hodge, who won the Miss Iowa USA 2012 beauty pageant last month despite never having ever previously competed in a pageant before. A co-worker recommended she compete in the pageant, after having received a letter about it.
(h/t to Lost Lettermen, Guyism)
When looking at the Big Ten conference standings, and trying to figure out the hierarchy for the college football bowl system, I can’t help but think of one of my favorite lines from the ’80s movie “Fletch.”
“I’d say we’re in a gray area.”
“How gray?”
“Charcoal.”
We do know this however- the Big Ten bellcow is still Wisconsin (get it bellcow, dairy state?). The Badgers, last year’s Rose Bowl representative is still the favorite to go to Pasadena this year.
