Though it feels like Kirk Ferentz may serve as Iowa's head football coach for the rest of our lives, his lengthy tenure on the sidelines is going to end at some point in the near future. 

It very well could end after the upcoming 2026 season (Ferentz's 28th year), but the most likely retirement outcome for Ferentz is probably after his contract expires following the 2029 season, when he'd be completing his 31st season at 74 years of age. 

The only person who knows the true answer to this is Ferentz. Since we have no idea what his plans are, we're going to do some speculating of our own.

When the time does come for Ferentz to step aside, there's going to be a massive list of coaches interested in the Iowa job. The Hawkeyes are one of the most financially valuable programs in the country and feature state-of-the-art facilities, a historic stadium, and a loyal fanbase. 

But there's a chance Iowa wouldn't even consider an up-and-coming coach from outside the program. Ferentz would probably heavily push for an in-house hire to maintain the program's continuity, but would that be the right decision for the Hawkeyes when the time comes? 

Here's my opinion. 

This question was already answered in the paragraph above. In a time where the college football landscape changes by the year, hiring someone familiar with the program may be the right move.

Many people forget that Ferentz himself was an internal hire, as he served as Hayden Fry's offensive line coach for nine years in the 1980s before moving on to the NFL. Though Hawkeye fans didn't like Ferentz's hiring at the time, it's safe to say then-athletic director Bob Bowlsby made a good decision to bring Ferentz back to Iowa City. 

The Hawkeyes have suffered only four losing seasons under Ferentz's watch - a consistency that only the blue bloods have matched. Ferentz has developed numerous star assistants during this time that could take over the reigns, with associate head coach Seth Wallace and former special teams coordinator LeVar Woods as names that could be in the running for the position. 

Iowa could also be motivated to hire within based on the success (or lack thereof) of two Big Ten rivals - Wisconsin and Nebraska. Both were unsatisfied with winning 8-10 games every year under coaches Paul Chryst and Bo Pelini, so they decided to take a major risk and start fresh with the hopes of competing for a national championship. 

The risk has not turned into the major reward they hoped, however. Wisconsin has been terrible under Luke Fickell, and Nebraska, while finally over the bowl game hump, is mediocre at best under Matt Rhule. 

These struggles could be enough to stray Iowa away from hiring someone unfamiliar with the program. 

The answer to this one is also simple, but very obvious - an assistant coach very familiar with the program may not have any head coaching experience. 

While continuity in this era of college football is massive, having a head coach with previous experience managing in it is an even bigger plus. Candidates like Wallace and Woods are fantastic assistant coaches, but head coach is a completely different role. 

Both men would certainly be capable of it, but it's a major risk. Look at how Sherrone Moore turned out at Michigan. The off the field problems that caused his dismissal were bad, but Moore wasn't going to be the Wolverines' head coach much longer anyway.

Moore's in-game coaching strategies and average records drew scrutiny from fans and media members, and the school's sharp decline after winning a national championship would've been too much for university administration to handle. 

Athletic director Beth Goetz is going to have to make one of the biggest decisions of her career when Ferentz ultimately retires. 

Will she listen to Ferentz and go from within, or will she go elsewhere? 

Only time will tell. 

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HawkeyeRoundtable publisher Brad Schultz has covered the Iowa Hawkeyes since 2023. To send him story ideas, scoops, or criticize his writing, reach him at [email protected]