Fire Kirk Ferentz and Son

Comes Now, all the signees of this petition and hereby request the University of Iowa immediate terminate the contract of Head Football coach Kirk Ferentz and Offensive Coordinator Brian Ferentz and in support of states:

• Kirk James Ferentz is the head football coach at the University of Iowa, a position he has held since the 1999 season.
• In 2017, Kirk Ferentz hired his son Brian Ferentz as Offensive Coordinator, despite having never served in this capacity during his short seven-year coaching career. This is the very definition of Nepotism.
• Iowa rehired the son-in-law (Tyler Barnes) of football coach Kirk Ferentz to a staff position in 2016, three years after he departed following confirmed violations of the university's anti-nepotism policy.
• Kirk Ferentz and his wife were recently involved in a legal dispute with neighbors. Details of the settlement which was finalized in February of 2018 were never revealed. Why? Grounds for immediate termination in Ferentz coaching contract include a major violation of any of the following: a policy of the Regents or University involving dishonesty, moral turpitude, or conflict of interest; conviction of any law involving dishonesty, moral turpitude, or conflict of interest; any other personal conduct that impairs Coach's ability to fulfill assigned duties or reflects adversely on the Coach's fitness to serve as head coach.
• Entering the 2017 season, Ferentz contract made him the 10th highest paid FBS head coach.
• He is Iowa's highest-paid public employee and is expected to earn $5.2 million this year.
• Ferentz has finished .500 or less in conference play in ten (10) of the twenty (20) years he has been at Iowa. Note: it may actually end up 11 of the 20 years unless Iowa turns this season around.
• His current Bowl record is 7 wins and 8 losses equaling a .466 winning percentage.
• The 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl game was Ferentz only major bowl win in his entire coaching career at Iowa.
• Ferentz coached teams have finished in the top ten 5 times(2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2015). Note however, only one time has a Ferentz coached team finished ranked outside the top ten and in the top twenty five.
• Only six (6) times has Iowa under the Ferentz era been ranked at the end of the season.
• In his 20 seasons with the Hawkeyes, Ferentz only has 5 seasons with 10 or more wins.
• 0 National Championships.
• Two (2) Big Ten Championships the last coming in 2004.
• Against lower level competition:
o Iowa's loss to Western Michigan in the 2007 finale kept the 6-6 Hawkeyes from a bowl game.
o Iowa has three losses over the last seven seasons (Central Michigan in 2012, Northern Illinois in 2013, North Dakota State in 2016).
• Former assistants under Ferentz have not gone on to have much success. Assistants who are currently head coaches:
o John Bonamego at Central Michigan (2015 - present).
o Bobby Wilder at Old Dominion (2007 - present).
• Several football players have been arrested in the Ferentz era. Exact number unknown. Some even accused of sexual assault, which is something the #metoo movement would now demand resignation over.
• From 2010 through 2014 the Hawkeyes were among the nation's Top 25 in arrests.
• The university's anti-nepotism policy, has been violated by Ferentz.
• One word describes his hiring Brian Ferentz as Offensive Coordinator: Nepotism. Had Brian Ferentz been the most qualified offensive coordinator when the position opened then this might not be the case but he wasn't and thus it's the only applicable word to describe his hiring.
• The question must be asked. Would another power conference hired Brian Ferentz in 2017 as OC when he had no prior experience as OC in his seven years of coaching? The answer simply is NO. Nepotism has no place in college sports, period.
• This is not to say Brian Ferentz wont go on to have a successful career as an OC or Head Coach some day. It does however, call into question what's best for the Iowa Football program in it's current state and his lack of experience has clearly hurt the program.
• "My language was inappropriate and behavior was wrong. There is no excuse for my actions. I regret the negative attention this has brought to the program and the UI Athletics Department. I have sent a letter of apology to the replay official and have assured our head coach and athletics director I will hold myself to a higher level of professionalism" - Brian Ferentz after press box incident in 2017.
• Interesting enough, Iowa is one of a few states that doesn't require the Board of Regents to approve coaching contracts. This is probably the safest method of preventing Nepotism and having an impartial review of contracts going forward.

Wherefore, we request the University of Iowa immediate terminate the contract of Head Football coach Kirk Ferentz and Offensive Coordinator Brian Ferentz.