3 Worst head coach hires in Iowa football history

Iowa has had two coaches over the span of four decades. They have been fortunate to have such great coaches in that time. However, what about the coaches that came before them that weren't so successful?

Iowa Hawkeyes players hold hands as they get ready to swarm onto the field with the University of Iowa mascot.
Iowa Hawkeyes players hold hands as they get ready to swarm onto the field with the University of Iowa mascot. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via
3 of 4

Ray Nagel won two fewer games than Commings did but Nagel was a part of the 16 consecutive losing season streak. the hiring of Nagel did confuse Hawkeye fans as Nagel had just finished a 3-7 season at Utah and did not have the best record with the Utes.

Here is a breakdown of Nagel's time with the Hawkeyes

  • 1966: 2-8, 1-6 conference
  • 1967: 1-8-1, 0-6-1 conference
  • 1968: 5-5, 4-3 conference
  • 1969: 5-5, 3-4 conference
  • 1970: 3-6-1, 3-3-1 conference

Nagel had two seasons where he sat at .500, one of those seasons with a winning record in the conference. However, after having a winning record in the conference, things just went downhill again and Nagel decided to retire from coaching in 1970.

Schedule

Schedule