Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz has been suspended for one game after he was found to have violated the NCAA recruiting regulations. Ferentz, along with wide receiver coach Jon Budmayr, have been banned for engaging in “communications with a player and his family prior to him entering the transfer portal.” “I frequently tell our players to abide by the rules, and in this instance, I did not. In 26 years as a head coach at Iowa… this is my first potential Level II NCAA infraction. I made a mistake and would like to apologize to our players, university leadership, and our Hawkeye football fans,” said Kirk Ferentz. Ferentz and Budmayr will miss the team’s opening game of the season against Illinois State, the first time Ferentz won’t be on the sideline since he was hired in 1998. The school, which imposed the suspension on both individuals, has also placed a self-imposed one-week ban on off-campus recruiting. The player recruited by Ferentz and Budmayr was quarterback Cade McNamara, who transferred to Iowa in 2022, according to The Athletic. McNamara entered the transfer portal on November 28, 2022, but indicated on a podcast last year that he already knew where he was transferring. The 24-year-old started Iowa’s first five games in 2023 before tearing his ACL, but was recently announced as the team’s starting quarterback for 2024.
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The NCAA found Iowa football committed tampering violations and issued a one year probation, recruiting limits and vacated wins from the 2023 season. Kirk Ferentz already served self-imposed one-game suspension.
