The Iowa football team won the 2019 Outback Bowl Tuesday afternoon, and in doing so, pushed Kirk Ferentz ahead of Hayden Fry in all-time bowl wins.
Anytime you win a bowl game, it’s a special feeling, but Tuesday’s Outback Bowl victory just had a little bit of extra specialness to it. Maybe it was the fact that the Iowa football team got blown out the last time they were in Tampa on New Years Day or maybe it was the fact that the Hawks struggled through some interesting adversity this season losing three straight winnable games. It also happened to be a few senior’s last games, including Outback Bowl MVP Nick Easley, but another reason that not many are talking about is that Kirk Ferentz won his eighth bowl game.
Eight may not seem like a lot, but eight wins places Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz 23rd overall in the history of the NCAA in bowl wins. He joins legendary coaches like Barry Switzer and Vince Dooley in addition to currently hot coaches like Dabo Swinney. This bowl victory, however, has less to do with what company he joins at 23rd overall and more about who he surpassed to get there.
Who he surpassed is none other than the other famous Iowa football coach, Hayden Fry. Fry retired from coaching with seven career bowl wins, six of those coming with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
This isn’t the first time Kirk has surpassed Fry this season either. In the season opener victory over Northern Illinois University, Kirk passed Fry for most wins all-time in Iowa football history.
I guess that’s what happens when you are a legendary coach who has been with the same program for twenty years. Records and milestones will begin toppling at somewhat breakneck speed. There are basically no marks that Kirk hasn’t already broken in the Iowa football program but as the wins (and bowl wins continue to rack up), Kirk Ferentz will continue to rise in the all-time rankings.
Pretty good from a guy who was largely unknown when he became the head coach of the Hawkeyes in the late 90’s.