Kirk Ferentz, the head coach of Iowa, has been handed a one-game suspension due to a breach in the recruitment process of transfer quarterback Cade McNamara, according to Adam Rittenberg from ESPN. Additionally, assistant coach Jon Budmayr will also face a one-game suspension as reported.
The Hawkeyes will kick off their season against Illinois State in just over a week.
“Ferentz is the longest-serving FBS coach in the country, having been at the helm of Iowa since 1999,” Rittenberg noted. “Budmayr has been the wide receivers coach and previously worked as a special assistant to Ferentz last year, as well as an offensive analyst in 2022.”
“… McNamara decided to join Iowa on December 1, 2022, only a few days after he entered the transfer portal. He was the starting quarterback for Michigan in 2021, helping the team win the Big Ten and advance to the College Football Playoff, before a leg injury ended his season early in 2022.”
The Hawkeyes are currently ranked No. 28 in the latest USA Today College Football poll. Strong performance from the quarterback could help elevate their ranking.
“Although McNamara has faced injuries since joining Iowa, he was named the starting quarterback for the 2023 season,” Rittenberg mentioned. “Even with Ferentz’s July announcement about McNamara being the starter, he and transfer Brendan Sullivan from Northwestern have been in a competitive battle during practice.”
“Budmayr was serving as a special assistant to the head coach at the time, and his previous experience as an assistant at Wisconsin allowed him to recruit McNamara earlier,” Scott Dochterman from The Athletic explained. “Their historical rapport played a role in McNamara’s decision to join Iowa.”
Iowa football spokesperson Matt Weitzel informed The Associated Press that he could not confirm or deny the details of the report.
