Ken O’Keefe is coming back to Iowa football as the quarterbacks coach.
New Iowa football offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz said that he wanted to find assistants that understood the program and culture. Well, he did so by bringing back former offensive coordinator Ken O’Keefe.
O’Keefe was Iowa’s offensive coordinator from 1999-2011 before Greg Davis took over and O’Keefe left for the NFL. He joined the Miami Dolphins as their wide receiver coach and has been with them for the past four seasons.
@WHOhd and @1460kxno can confirm that Ken O'Keefe will be named QB coach at Iowa today. pic.twitter.com/uuQsExwzT4
— Andy Fales (@AndyFales) February 3, 2017
Even if Brian Ferentz decides to pass more or be more aggressive in play-calling, O’Keefe spent 12 years with Iowa, so he knows the culture and what to expect from a Kirk Ferentz coached team. Plus, his recent NFL experience should help him, too, as a coach, recruiter and possible mentor for Brian Ferentz.
O’Keefe has a decent track record developing quarterbacks at Iowa.
At the beginning of his career, he coached Brad Banks to an amazing 2002 season in which Banks threw for 2,573 yards, 26 touchdowns and just five interceptions. The Big Ten also named Banks the Offensive Player of the Year.
O’Keefe also had success developing James Vandenberg, who threw for 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions under O’Keefe but struggled under Davis, Drew Tate, who threw for 60 touchdowns in three season as a starter, and sent Ricky Stanzi to the NFL after throwing for 3,004 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Considering Iowa has young talent in Nathan Stanley and incoming freshman Peyton Mansell, O’Keefe will get a chance right away to develop a couple of promising quarterbacks that should be the face of Iowa football for the next five years.
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His previous success developing quarterbacks paired with his new NFL knowledge is promising for his new stint with the Hawkeyes.