Seth Wallace was elevated to assistant head football coach at the University of Iowa in January, 2024. He has coached Hawkeye linebackers since 2016 and served as Iowa’s assistant defensive coordinator the past seven seasons.
Wallace was Iowa’s recruiting coordinator in 2014 and 2015, while also coaching cornerbacks and nickelbacks in 2015. He worked with the defensive line in 2014. Wallace previously served as a graduate assistant coach on the Iowa staff for three seasons (2006-08).
Under Wallace’s leadership, Iowa’s linebacking corps has consistently been one of the nation’s best. Over the past eight years, Wallace has coached five linebackers who have garnered All-America recognition. An Iowa linebacker has led the Big Ten in total tackles each of the past three seasons. Wallace has mentored 11 linebackers to all-conference status and eight players have gone on to play in the National Football League.
In 2023, the Hawkeyes won 10 games, including their final four, to capture the Big Ten West Division for the second time in three years. Iowa advanced to another January bowl game (Citrus Bowl) and finished the season ranked No. 24. The Hawkeyes have been ranked in the final AP Top 25 five of the last six seasons. Linebacker Jay Higgins tied the school record for most tackles in a season, was a Butkus Award semifinalist, and was honored as a first-team All-American.
Iowa’s defense led the way in 2022, including posting just the second shutout in Iowa’s 35 bowl games. The Hawkeyes won eight games, including five of their final six games. The defense led the nation in with seven defensive touchdowns, including two interception return scores in the bowl win. Iowa’s defense was in the top 12 in the nation in scoring defense (second), total defense (second), pass efficiency defense (fourth), passing yards per game (sixth), first down defense (10th), third down defense (11th) and rushing defense (12th).
Linebacker Jack Campbell earned unanimous consensus All-America honors, while earning the Butkus Award and the William V. Campbell Trophy. He is the first Hawkeye player to win each of the awards. He was the Nagurski-Woodson Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year. Linebacker Seth Benson also earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades.
Campbell was selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, taken by the Detroit Lions as the 18th player selected. Benson signed a free agent contract with Denver immediately following the draft.
Iowa’s streak of 11 straight bowl invitations is the longest in school history and its streak of 11 straight winning seasons ranks seventh best among power conferences. The Hawkeyes have earned 25 conference victories between 2020-23, matching its highest four-year conference win total in program history (1982-85 and 2002-05).
The Hawkeyes won 10 games in 2021, winning the Big Ten West Division title and advancing to the conference championship game. Iowa concluded the season with an appearance in the Citrus Bowl and was ranked 23rd in the final national rankings.
Iowa’s defense set a school record and led the nation with 25 interceptions in 2021. The defense ranked among national leaders in takeaways (30, third), defensive touchdowns scored (four, seventh), pass efficiency defense (110.5, sixth), turnover margin (0.8, 11th), rushing defense (114.4, 13th), scoring defense (19.2, 13th) and total defense (328.8, 18th).
Campbell led the Hawkeye defense and ranked first in the nation with 143 tackles. Campbell earned first-team All-Big Ten and earned second-team All-America honors from two media outlets. He scored two of Iowa’s four defensive touchdowns in 2021, including a fumble return and an interception return. Benson was second on the team with 105 tackles while earning third-team all-conference honors.
Following back-to-back narrow losses to open the 2020 season, Iowa won its final six games, all in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes allowed just seven points in three of the six wins. The winning streak included road wins at Minnesota, Penn State and Illinois, and trophy game victories over Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes were ranked 15th in the nation in the final CFP rankings and Coaches Poll, and 16th by the AP. The Hawkeyes were selected to compete in the 2020 Music City Bowl, but that event was canceled.
Iowa’s defense in 2020 led the nation in allowing opponents just 4.3 yards per play. The Hawkeyes ranked among the national leaders in several additional categories, including scoring (16.0, 7th), pass efficiency defense (110.1, 9th), rushing defense (107.6, 11th), total defense (313.8, 12th), red zone defense (.727, 12th) and interceptions (11, 19th).
Iowa won 47 games from 2015-19, the highest total in school history over any five-year period, and a total that ranked ninth nationally. Iowa won its final four games in 2019 and ranked 15th in the final Associated Press and coaches polls.
Senior linebacker Nick Niemann led the Hawkeyes in tackles and ranked fourth in the Big Ten in tackles per game (9.6) in 2020. Niemann earned third-team all-conference honors while Benson earned honorable mention recognition. Niemann was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, while Barrington Wade signed a free agent contract (Baltimore) immediately following the draft.
The Hawkeyes concluded the 2019 campaign with a 10-3 record following a 49-24 rout over No. 22 USC in the Holiday Bowl. The three losses were all to ranked opponents by a combined 14 points. Iowa was 4-1 in trophy games for the third straight season.