5 coaching candidates that fans would hate more than Kirk Ferentz at Iowa

Signs are being made, torches are being lit, and pitchforks are being gathered. Kirk Ferentz may not feel his seat getting hot with the administration, but the fans are definitely starting to circle. His lack of creative play calls and the lack of attention to the offense is beginning to wear on fans and they are starting to have enough.

With Ferentz currently locked into a contract til 2029, fans are wondering what could be done to get him out of Iowa. However, it is a lot more complicated than just paying his buyout. A new coach would have to be hired; there would have to be an interim for the rest of the season, and let's not forget, some players are fond of Ferentz and could transfer.

The fans aren't happy with Ferentz's performance, especially in the last few years. They are hoping he will either do something that could allow Iowa to fire him without the buyout or retire. However, Iowa fans do have something good with Ferentz, and just hiring a new coach isn't always the easiest thing to do, just ask Florida fans.

So even though Ferentz is giving fans headaches and misery, here are five coaches that they would hate more and have fans begging to bring Ferentz back.

5. Dan Mullen

Dan Mullen is a successful coach and has shown he can be a winner in a few different places, which probably sounds great. However, Iowa would be in the same position they are in now when it comes to recruiting and bringing players in from the transfer portal. In his latest stint with the Florida Gators, Mullen talked a lot about how he wasn't focused on recruiting until it was time to recruit. Well, news flash, it is always time to recruit.

Success is great, but there needs to be a future for the program, so recruiting is bad, the Hawkeyes would be in the same spot they are in right now.

4. Jimbo Fisher

The story of Jimbo Fisher going from Florida State to Texas A&M and the administration giving him a National Championship plaque with the date blank for when he won numerous championships with the program has to be one of the funniest things in college football. Fisher decided to leave Florida State for Texas A&M and ended up being fired after just six years with the program.

Now, he is being paid $7.2 million every year until 2031 to equal a $76 million buyout, one of the largest ever to be paid to a coach. Fisher was underwhelmed and wasn't able to fulfill any of the promises he made to the program as a coach. His offense was lackluster, and his defense was never able to support the offense. Ferentz has his problem, but he is a dream compared to Fisher.

3. Robert Saleh

Robert Saleh has been a coach in the NFL for quite some time now and was entering his fourth season as the New York Jets head coach, but five games in, he was just fired from the organization. Saleh always said that if he just had the right quarterback in his offensive system, he could win championship after championship.

Well, Saleh finally had Aaron Rodgers back and, in the first five games, went 2-3 with one of the most lackluster offensives in the NFL. Saleh has always been a defensive-minded coach, but his offense, even with all the weapons, was never able to get off the ground. Saleh is back out in the world looking for a job, and Iowa fans better hope he doesn't try college on for size.

2. Gus Malzahn

Gus Malzahn is basically just a younger version of Kirk Feretnz right now. The bigger downside to Malzahn at the moment is the fact that he makes the program look good bringing in all these recruits, but then he doesn't or barely plays them and they choose to transfer after one or two seasons with the team.

Malzahn gives fans hope; he did it at Auburna, and now he is doing it at UCF as well. Malzahn is also known for being a very creative offensive play-caller, but right now, he is looking like a lackluster play-caller and is very predictable with his choice of calls. Malzahn had some great seasons at Auburn, but he just isn't the right fit for a school like Iowa.

1. Hugh Freeze

Auburn coaches are really representing on this list. In all seriousness, Auburn has struggled to find any sort of offensive firepower since the early years of Gus Malzahn, and while Iowa fans would probably like the fact that Freeze will be willing to make a change at quarterback, that is no reason to bring a guy in.

Freeze is also not a coach that could come in and make a lot of positive changes for the Iowa program. Ferentz is bad, but he at least had a defensive mind that is working because Iowa's defense is always one of the best in college football every season.