Dec. 24, 2010
TEMPE, Ariz. — Christmas is a time for lists. Shoppers have theirs. Santa has his. And the student-athletes – and parents — who are being recruited by schools nationwide have theirs.
- Does the football program have a history of winning?
- Does the football program have a history of a commitment to academic success?
- Does the football program have a history of developing the skills of student-athletes interested in playing at the next level?
The football program at the University of Iowa has checked its list twice.
A history of competitive success?
Certainly. The Hawkeyes are bowl-eligible for the 10th straight season under Kirk Ferentz. It’s a string that includes appearances in two Bowl Championships Series events, six January bowl games and, of course, a visit to Tempe, Ariz., and the 2010 Insight Bowl against Missouri.
The Hawkeyes are one of only four teams to have won multiple Big Ten Conference championships overs the last nine seasons with Iowa claiming its in 2002 and 2004. The Hawkeyes also finished second in 2009.
Historic Kinnick Stadium on the UI campus has been a particularly successful location for the Hawkeyes. I has won 49 of its last 60 games in Kinnick. That streak included 22 straight wins between 2002 and 2005 and a 44-9 record from 2002 to 2009, a mark which ranked 11th best in the country and second best in the Big Ten.
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The source for all this success? Most experts point to Iowa’s consistency in leadership. The football program at the UI has had only two head coaches since 1979: College Football Hall of Fame head coach Hayden Fry, who took over the program in 1979, and the UI’s current head coach, Kirk Ferentz, who had served as Fry’s offensive line coach for nine seasons in the 1980s.
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Lastly, the last 10 seasons was the winningest decade in the history of football at the UI. Iowa’s 80 wins in the 2000s were three wins better than the 77 victories registered in the 1980s and 18 wins better than the 1990s.
A history of a commitment to academic excellence?
Iowa’s Graduation Success Rate – a measure used by the NCAA to academic success – reached an all-time best when the Hawkeyes scored 79 percent on this year’s report. That score ranked third best in the Big Ten, 12th best among the 70 teams participating in bowl games this year, and the fourth straight score of 73 percent or better for the Hawkeyes. And, yes, it bested the Hawkeyes’ previous best by four percentage points.
In addition, 16 members of the Iowa football program were named academic all-Big Ten in 2010. That list included four four-time winners: Brett Morse, Daniel Murray, Jeff Tarpinian, and Julian Vandervelde.
A commitment to preparing student-athletes for a shot at the NFL?
The UI has a long history of developing the skills of those student-athletes who have a goal of playing at the next level. As of Dec. 13, 36 former Hawkeyes were on current NFL rosters. That list includes “old timers” like offensive lineman Casey Wiegmann (Kansas City) and Eric Steinbach (Cleveland) and NFL newcomers like running back Shonn Greene (New York Jets), defensive back Amari Spievey (Detroit) and tight end Tony Moeaki (Kansas City). It also includes NFL All-Pro selections like tight end Dallas Clark (Indianapolis) and placekicker Nate Kaeding (San Diego).
The source for all this success? Most experts point to Iowa’s consistency in leadership. The football program at the UI has had only two head coaches since 1979: College Football Hall of Fame head coach Hayden Fry, who took over the program in 1979, and the UI’s current head coach, Kirk Ferentz, who had served as Fry’s offensive line coach for nine seasons in the 1980s.
BIG TEN CONFERENCE: THE LAST NINE SEASONS
61-11 – Ohio State (7 championships)
46-26 – Iowa (2 championships)
44-28 – Michigan (2 championships)
44-28 – Wisconsin (1 championship)
41-31 – Penn State (2 championships)
BIG TEN CONFERENCE: GRADUATION SUCCESS RATES
95 – Northwestern
84 – Penn State
79 – Iowa
75 – Illinois
72 – Michigan