Iowa's football season has met an abrupt end, but the Hawkeyes' veteran coach hasn't pondered walking away from the program.
That's what Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz relayed Sunday to reporters after the Hawkeyes' scheduled game against Missouri in the Music City Bowl this week was axed due to COVID-19 issues within the Tigers' football program.
Ferentz made clear his plans to return to helm the Iowa program for a 23rd season – continuing his stretch as college football's current longest-tenured head coach at one school.
“This is what I like doing,” Ferentz told reporters Sunday after the bowl game's cancellation ended Iowa's season at 6-2 – ensuring the Hawkeyes will carry a six-game winning streak into the 2021 campaign. “I'm not ready to start collecting stamps or go bird watching.”
Ferentz is Iowa's all-time winningest coach, having amassed 168 wins since taking over for late Hall of Famer Hayden Fry prior to the 1999 season.
Since his third season at the helm of the Hawkeyes, starting in 2001, Ferentz has guided Iowa to 18 bowl berths in the past 20 seasons – including three-straight wins to close the previous three seasons.
Ferentz also has led Iowa to a pair of Orange Bowl berths as well as the Rose Bowl to punctuate Iowa's 12-win 2015 season.
After opening losses to Purdue and Northwestern, Iowa reeled off six-straight wins to close this season – including key victories against Michigan State, Penn State and Wisconsin.
“This will go down as one of my favorite teams,” Ferentz said. “The commitment and dedication they have show and finishing with straight straight wins, I will remember this team with how they handled things.”