Kirk Ferentz
Head coach
28th season. Became the Big Ten's all-time winningest coach in September 2025 and carries 11 career bowl wins, also a conference record.
Big Ten · Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa Football Coaching Staff 2026
Head coach and coordinators
2026 record5-1
Coaching staff
IOWA coaches
Kirk Ferentz enters his 28th season with both coordinators returning and a new special teams coordinator promoted from within after a December departure.
Leadership
Offense
Tim Lester
Offensive coordinator
Third season running an offense that has to replace its starting quarterback and three offensive line starters.
Billy VandeMerkt
Quarterbacks coach
Oversees the open competition between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski.
Defense
Phil Parker
Defensive coordinator / secondary
15th season, one of the longest-serving coordinators in the country, now rebuilding a defense that loses nine starters.
Seth Wallace
Assistant head coach / associate defensive coordinator / linebackers
Senior member of Ferentz's staff with title responsibilities across the defense.
Special teams
Chris Polizzi
Special teams coordinator
Promoted from analyst in January after LeVar Woods left for an NFL special teams job in December.
The player list is the complete 2026 roster as published by the program. Rosters move through the transfer portal year-round, so check the official program site for the definitive list on any given day.
Staff coverage
Iowa listed coaching roles
This profile lists 6 staff members for Iowa. Responsibilities are grouped as follows: Defense: 2; Leadership: 1; Offense: 2; Special teams: 1.
Titles describe the published staff listing. They do not establish who calls plays or whether every support role is included.
FAQ
Iowa football coaching staff FAQs
Who is the head coach of Iowa?
Kirk Ferentz is listed as head coach in the team profile reviewed on 2026-09-03.
Does this page list the entire football staff?
It contains 6 published staff entries. Recruiting, operations and other support roles may not be included; the page does not claim a complete staff directory.
How long has Kirk Ferentz been Iowa's coach?
Since 1999, making 2026 his 28th season, the longest active tenure at one school of any head coach in the sport. He has also been on Iowa's coaching staff in some capacity for 36 seasons in total.
Who replaced LeVar Woods as Iowa's special teams coordinator?
Chris Polizzi, promoted from analyst to special teams coordinator in mid-January 2026, after Woods left in December to become assistant head coach and special teams coordinator for an NFL team.
How long has Phil Parker been Iowa's defensive coordinator?
Since entering his 15th season in 2026, one of the longest-tenured defensive coordinators in the country, working under Kirk Ferentz for the entirety of that span.
Published by Football Schedules Hub. Sources and editorial standards · Report a correction