ESPN College Football

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- If you graded the magnitude of FBS coaching changes from the past offseason, Iowa's would barely make the needle move on the Richter scale.

Even in Big Ten territory, the ground shook more in places like State College, Columbus and Champaign. Iowa still has Kirk Ferentz, the new dean of Big Ten coaches, who has been at Iowa more than twice as long (13 seasons) as any of his peers in the league (Wisconsin's Bret Bielema and Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald are next at six seasons each). Unlike Penn State and Ohio State, the program hasn't been mired in scandal, and none of the personnel moves were forced.

But in Hawkeye Country, the transformation of Ferentz's staff equates to The Big One.

Ferentz made the first two coordinator changes of his tenure, hiring former Texas assistant Greg Davis to oversee the offense and promoting secondary coach Phil Parker to lead the defense. Two assistants moved positions -- including Reese Morgan, who shifted from offensive line to defensive line -- and Ferentz hired two former players, Brian Ferentz and LeVar Woods, as position coaches.

In the quick-change environment of college football, such moves are typically greeted with a shrug. But Iowa has been the model of continuity. Before Davis, Ferentz hadn't made an outside coaching hire since naming Erik Campbell receivers/tight ends coach after the 2007 season. By keeping offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe, defensive coordinator Norm Parker and strength coach Chris Doyle for the past 13 years, Iowa created what Ferentz calls "a great foundation of stability."

"We've had occasional changes here, but not like this," Ferentz told ESPN.com. "It was an interesting period."

It also has been an exciting one. Spring practice inherently brings a newness, as the slate is cleaned and planning accelerates for the upcoming season. But spring ball at Iowa has taken on a decidedly different tone, one Ferentz and his players are welcoming.

While Ferentz didn't force anyone out the door -- O'Keefe left for an assistant post with the Miami Dolphins, Parker retired and defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski left for Nebraska -- he vows that changes would have been made even if the staff had remained intact. Iowa has lost momentum following an 11-2 surge in 2009, its wins total dropping to eight during 2010 and to seven last fall.

"We just needed to go back and make sure everything made sense and was adding up the way we wanted it do," he said. "Just consider some new ideas, some things that might benefit our production. Now it's actually been forced by the [coaching] changes."

Asked how receptive he is to change, Ferentz, who some label as too conservative and set in his ways, replied, "wide open."

"Bottom line is we're 4-4 the last two years in conference play," he said. "If that's the best we can do, then that's fine. But we felt like we've left something out there."

The more seismic shift takes place on offense with Davis, who steps in after a year out of football. Although his 13-year tenure as Texas' offensive coordinator ended on a down note in 2010, his offenses averaged 39 points between 2000-09, the second highest total nationally and first among BCS automatic-qualifying teams.

Davis has had success with different schemes and different quarterbacks. While Iowa fans shouldn't expect a five-wide, spread attack this fall, a historically buttoned-up offense likely will loosen its collar a bit.

"I kept hearing from Kirk, 'Regardless of whether Ken had gone to Miami, we needed to do some things differently. We needed to make sure we're growing as a staff, as players, that we're taking advantage of what our kids can do,'" Davis told ESPN.com. "So meeting with the kids, meeting with the coaches, it's been very refreshing. They've been extremely open to everything. Sometimes the same play said differently and explained differently creates excitement.

"And I sense an excitement."

The feeling is mutual. Davis said last year was the first time he hadn't been part of a sports team since he was six years old.

The 60-year-old has returned to the field refreshed and revived.

"You can tell how much he loves the game," senior quarterback James Vandenberg said. "He gets really excited for practice, especially when we go against the defense. You'd think we were playing the Super Bowl with how excited he gets when we execute well. We show up early for lifting and he is literally here every morning at 6 a.m., always ready to go.

"We all kind of feed off of that."

Vandenberg enjoyed his time with O'Keefe and showed promise in his first season as the starter, passing for 3,022 yards with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. But after some struggles away from Kinnick Stadium and the team’s poor finish -- Iowa dropped three of its final four games -- Vandenberg also sensed a need for change.

"It's just new blood, which kind of re-energizes everybody,” he said. "It's making us work hard, and we're watching more film than we probably would in the spring. And it's making spring ball really competitive."

The changes on defense are more subtle. Phil Parker (no relation to Norm) said he"ll run "basically the same scheme" as his predecessor, sprinkling in some new ingredients and perhaps simplifying things for a group that is extremely young up front.

Parker is a new voice, though, and a powerful one.

"He's a go-getter," safety Micah Hyde said.

"I didn't think [the team] needed coaches leaving, that kind of change," Hyde continued, "but we haven't lived up to our expectations the last couple years. We definitely should have been playing better ball. It is a good thing, just to get some new input."

That a seven-win season equals disappointment in these parts resonates with Iowa players and coaches. Iowa hasn't had a losing regular season since 2000 and since 2001 has averaged 8.4 wins.

But Ferentz's critics point to his hefty salary, ranked in the top 10 nationally, and the fact that Iowa has had just one 10-win season since 2004. The team also needs to regain its mojo in close games, which have been the norm throughout Ferentz's tenure. After a terrific run from late in the 2008 season through most of the 2009 campaign, Iowa is 3-7 in games decided by seven points or fewer in the past two seasons.

"How we maximize those close situations usually determines how we end up," Ferentz said. "We haven't done a good enough job the last two years. Everybody would agree with that.

"That's documented, so what can we do?"

They've shaken things up. And just maybe they'll send shock waves through the Big Ten this fall.

Kirk Ferentz took two months to promote a position coach (Phil Parker) to a coordinator job, and he's taking his time filling Iowa's other coordinator vacancy.

"The calendar is important to some degree, but what's more important I think is we get the right people in place for this program," Ferentz said at a Feb. 8 news conference.

Ferentz's deliberate approach to finding Ken O'Keefe's successor at offensive coordinator could be linked to the type of candidate he's considering. Two names that have come up, Greg Davis and Tom Moore, are former offensive coordinators who aren't strongly attached to other teams. There are also some internal candidates who could be promoted, among them wide receivers coach Erik Campbell.

While Ferentz could pluck a coach from another team, it seems unlikely he'll do so. Consequently, he can be measured with the hiring process.

Davis, who served as Texas' offensive coordinator from 1998-2010, resigned under pressure in December 2010 after the Longhorns went 5-7. Moore left the Indianapolis Colts in May after 12 seasons as the team's offensive coordinator. He spent the 2011 season as a consultant with the New York Jets.

Moore and Davis both have decades of experience as offensive coordinators.

Moore played quarterback at Iowa and started his coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Hawkeyes in 1961. He helped Peyton Manning develop into the NFL's premier quarterback for several years and directed a dynamic Colts offense. The knock on Moore is his age (73). He wouldn't be a long-term solution at Iowa, but he could do the job for a few years until another assistant, like Iowa's new offensive line coach Brian Ferentz, is ready to take charge.

As The (Cedar Rapids) Gazette's Marc Morehouse writes, "You could see Ferentz’s logic with Moore, a seasoned 'Yoda' type imparting knowledge and wisdom."

Davis is younger (60). He has no ties to Iowa, having spent most of his career in the south and southeast. He had a lot of success running the spread offense with quarterbacks Vince Young and Colt McCoy but switched to a pro-style system in 2010 and received heavy criticism as Texas ranked 88th nationally in scoring (23.8 ppg) and 58th in total offense (382.5 ypg). Davis won the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant, after helping Texas to a national title in 2005.

Iowa has run primarily a pro-style offense during Ferentz's tenure, so it would be interesting to see which direction Davis would go if he's brought in.

Given the criticism Davis received late in his Texas tenure, Iowa fans would have some doubts about him. But he fits the Ferentzian mold as an experienced coach who tends to be conservative with his play calls.

Iowa fans, what say you? Who do you want as the team's next offensive coordinator?

E. Gordon Gee says if you're not sending questions into this mailbag, you need to get a life.

Let's answer some emails:

Ben from Connecticut writes: If the Big Ten's playoff proposal is adopted, do you see activist voters determining homefield advantage in the 2 v 3 matchup? Given what happened between Alabama/Ok. State, Florida/Michigan, and Texas/Cal, I'd be a lot more comfortable if a body more accountable than the BCS were in charge of seeding. I don't want a bunch of voters bumping Florida up a notch so they don't have to travel to Madison in December.

Brian Bennett: Ben, I think the poll jockeying would likely involve who's No. 4 vs. No. 5 instead of the home sites. For example, had that system been in place this year, I believe voters would have moved Oregon, which finished No. 5, ahead of Stanford for the No. 4 spot since the Ducks beat Stanford and won the Pac-12 title. But I totally agree that a better system than the current BCS model is needed to determine the matchups, because using the coaches' poll is just inviting massive conflicts of interest into the process.

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Chuck D. from Mt Morris, Mich., writes: I thought it was interesting that after the Big Ten announced that they were looking into a playoff, Mike Silve seems to be backing off now. Everyone always comments that the SEC and Big 12 were interested in the playoff four years ago, but is the SEC having a change of heart with their run of BCS championships, especially this past championship game? And (possibly) giving up their home field advantage, at least in the semi-final games?

Brian Bennett: Who could blame Mike Slive? The current system has allowed his league to win six straight national titles, including this year's when two SEC teams were in the championship game. Slive should be the only guy fighting a change to the BCS system.

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Topher from Denver writes: It seems that everyone has gotten so caught up with the reshuffling at Iowa that everyone has forgotten to ask a very important question. Who will be the QB coach? Ken O'Keefe has done a great job, and we have been blessed to have some great QBs. But if any of the internal candidates get the OC position it would make more sense for them to stay with their current position coaching duties rather than trying to take over QBs. So who would be the top candidate to take over QBs?

Brian Bennett: That's a good question. Kirk Ferentz addressed this a little bit on Wednesday but didn't say a whole lot. If current receivers coach Erik Campbell is promoted, then it makes sense for him to keep working with receivers as well. Then I think you could see Iowa bring in somebody from the outside to coach the quarterbacks. Or Ferentz could hire an outside person for the coordinator spot who has experience with the quarterbacks, though promoting from within seems to be his preferred method right now. Those who criticized O'Keefe should recognize what a good job he did developing quarterbacks.

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Tim from Niamey, Niger, writes: I usually write Adam, but since he doesn't answer me, I thought I would give you a shot:) I have been reading alot of different articles on the fact that the Buckeyes and Wolverines are back in a big way. After a 6-7 season, even with the hiring of Meyer, isn't that putting the cart before the horse? I mean, don't the Bucks have to go win some big games before they can be declared back? After a mediocre season at best, I am waiting for all this hype to be turned into some wins.

Brian Bennett: Adam ignores all emails from Niger. It's shameful, really. Anyway, this may shock you, but we in the media have a tendency to jump the gun a little bit on stories (no, really). So I see where you're coming from. At the same time, though, Urban Meyer is a proven winner, and it's hard to deny the talent he's bringing in. Ohio State had a rough 2011 but wasn't that far away from winning most of its games, and that was with a rookie head coach, a freshman quarterback, several suspensions and all kinds of off-the-field distractions. Yes, the Buckeyes still have to prove it on the field, but there's every reason to believe that will happen, and quickly.

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John from Lincoln, Neb., writes: Adam keeps saying that Nebraska needs to get more recruits from B1G country. The way I see it is that Pelini and Co. need to go after the best recruits out there, not dependent on their location. If there is a good player somewhere in B1G country and there was a slightly better player from Texas/Cali/Florida why not go after the better player? It's not like we can't get the player from outside of the B1G (Neb has recruiting ties all over). The only way I really see MORE benefit from getting players in B1G conference territory would be keeping that player away from a conference rival and having to play against him.

Brian Bennett: Well, sure, Nebraska should get the possible player, but I don't think it's that simple. The Huskers used to be able to recruit Texas so well in part because they played games in Texas and had a presence there. Leaving the Big 12 will likely hurt that. Fact is, a lot of recruits want to play either close to home or at a school that will play games in their home areas. That means a more Midwestern focus in recruiting efforts for Nebraska, which isn't blessed with a natural talent base in its own backyard.

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Greyson F. from Lansing, Mich., writes: How often do you sing "I am evil Homer" when you see the statue on your desk?

Brian Bennett: About the same number of times I sing the "Itchy & Scratchy" theme song. "They fight, they bite ..."

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Diamond G. from Detroit writes: What match up would you like to see in the first year of the B1G Ten vs Pac 12? for me I would like to see Stanford at Wisconsin, Ohio at Oregon, USC at MSU, Arizona at Michigan, Nebraska at Arizona State, and Cali at Iowa are my top choices, what you thing would be a out come if that played?

Brian Bennett: I had some fun with potential matchups back in December, Diamond. You can see those here. The series won't start until 2017, so predicting outcomes is impossible.

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Kevin from Mt. Prospect, Ill. writes: No Kain Colter in the top 25? Huge part of the wildcats success this year especially against Nebraska and his multiple uses at QB, running back and WR.

Brian Bennett: Devising a 25-player list in a 12-team league is really hard and means that many great players will be left off. Colter did some really nice work in filling in for Dan Persa, and he might have been the most versatile player in the league. But he also had several games late in the season where he wasn't a big factor once Persa came back. Ultimately, he just missed the cut.

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Patrick from Chicago writes: Brian, I enjoyed the NFL combine list. To me it's the perfect bookend to recruiting rankings. That, or graduation rates...but college football isn't about educating students. Wisconsin has 8 going, 7 from various recruiting classes + Russell Wilson. How many of those were 4-star recruits?

Brian Bennett: Using ESPN.com's recruiting rankings, only offensive tackle Josh Oglesby was a four-star prospect out of Wisconsin's eight combine invitees. He was an ESPNU150 prospect rated No. 28 overall in his class. Center Peter Konz was a three-star prospect. The rest -- fullback Bradie Ewing, cornerback Antonio Fenelus, punter Brad Nortman, receiver Nick Toon and offensive guard Kevin Zeitler, did not get ranked by ESPN.com as recruits. Toon was a four-star prospect according to Rivals, which also rated Zeitler and Nortman as three-star prospects. Ewing, Fenelus and even Wilson to some extent would all have to be considered surprises to the recruiting folks.

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Tim from Lincoln, Neb., writes: Random thought while watching the Super Bowl: Jason Pierre-Paul was committed to Nebraska before he switched to South Florida...I'm drooling a little thinking about him and Ndamukong Suh destroying quarterbacks.

Brian Bennett: That would have been almost unfair. I covered JPP in his one year at South Florida and knew he had beast written all over him. He developed late because he didn't play the game early on, but what a force he is now.

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Keenan from Maine writes: Because I'm bored and I don't care what my hair looks like as long as it's short enough to not pay attention to, I got a haircut to emulate Bielema. It didn't turn out perfect, I over exaggerated the peak so I look more like Tintin. I'm now curious what Bielema tells his barber how to cut his hair. A friend mentioned he was getting a haircut I suggested getting it cut like Hoke, his favorite teams coach, he said only crazy people get their hair cut like coaches or cartoon characters. Now i'm curious how each B1G coach gets their hair cut and maybe what the most common hairstyles are across the board in college.I know....I need a better hobby.

Brian Bennett: E. Gordon Gee agrees, Kevin.

Iowa fans grew antsy while waiting nearly two months for head coach Kirk Ferentz to name successor to Norm Parker at defensive coordinator. But Ferentz said Wednesday that he wanted to take his time with the decision, which resulted in defensive backs coach Phil Parker (no relation) being promoted on Tuesday.

"I just didn't see any advantage to moving quickly," Ferentz said at a news conference. "Unless you have to, there's no real advantage to that. So I just wanted to kind of sift through it, and I'm really glad that I did because my mind was in a couple different places. ... You want to take your time and feel really good."

Ferentz said he eventually settled on Parker -- who has spent the past 13 years coaching the Hawkeyes secondary -- as the best fit for the program. He said Parker has had opportunities to leave to go to other BCS teams, including a top-10 program that offered him a coordinator spot.

Ferentz did not announce a new offensive coordinator or any specific plans to fill the role vacated when longtime playcaller Ken O'Keefe left for the Miami Dolphins last week. He said he knew about O'Keefe possibly leaving as soon as Joe Philbin -- a friend of O'Keefe's -- got the Dolphins job. Expect Ferentz to take his time with this hire, too, even though current assistant Erik Campbell looks like a strong candidate to become another in-house promotion.

In some ways, it's understandable why Ferentz isn't making these decisions quickly. After all, O'Keefe and Norm Parker were the only coordinators he'd had at Iowa until this point.

"We probably cheated time here a little bit," he said. "I don't think anybody envisioned the head coach or two coordinators making it for 13 years. ... Right now, I'd settle for 10 out of the next two guys. That would be great if we could get 10 I'll be, what, 66. I'll have to figure that out then. Somebody will feel sorry for me and come join us at that point."

Some other notes from Ferentz's press conference:

• He explained his surprising decision to move offensive-line coach Reese Morgan to the defensive line by saying Morgan is an excellent teacher. The Hawkeyes will be very young on the D-line next season, and Ferentz felt Morgan was the right guy to get that group up to speed. He pointed to Morgan's excellent work of developing offensive linemen, including projected 2012 NFL first-rounder Riley Reiff, who came to school as a defensive end prospect.
• With the offensive line job open, speculation is rampant that Ferentz will hire his son Brian, currently a New England Patriots assistant, to coach that position. The elder Ferentz addressed that by saying he's "open to anything" but added that his son has a pretty good job right now.
• LeVar Woods was elevated from administrative assistant to a temporary coach during recruiting, and most expect him to be named the full-time linebackers coach. "He's still the interim coach as far as I know, at least," Ferentz said. "He's certainly interested in working here, and we'll let him go through the process. Hopefully he'll do well in the weeks ahead here and we'll find a seat for him."
• Ferentz said he didn't think the athletic department's budget would be an issue in hiring new assistants. But he also added, "I don't think we're going to try to sign a superstar coach or anything like that."
• A lot of Iowa fans wanted some change in the staff and many criticized O'Keefe's conservative game plans. Ferentz didn't rule out a major change with the new offensive coordinator, but odds are more likely that Iowa's style of play will look mostly the same. Ferentz said his next coordinator has to "believe in blocking" first and foremost. "As a head coach what I'm interested in is we've got to block. We've got to make the make-able plays and make sure we're doing a good job in turnover ratio. I think that's really critical if you're going to try to get somewhere."
• Iowa will move the start of its spring practice back a couple of days, and Ferentz would like to have the staff complete before the Hawkeyes get going in late March. But, again, moving fast is not his top priority. "Right now I think we've just got to make sure it's the right guy, certainly before we leave on spring break. ... Spring ball to me is about teaching the basics. It's about executing basic plays and just getting things taught. We have a very young team right now so it's not like we can be on page 7 anyway, so we really have to start at the beginning. So I think that gives us a little wiggle room there, too."

Iowa waited nearly two months to promote a position coach to a coordinator role. And that's not even the surprising part of the Hawkeyes' announcement Tuesday.

Phil Parker is Iowa's new defensive coordinator. After spending the past 24 seasons coaching defensive backs, the past 13 at Iowa, Parker now will lead the Hawkeyes' defense. He replaces Norm Parker, who announced his retirement in December. Although Phil Parker, who isn't related to Norm, had been mentioned as a top candidate when Norm announced his retirement, the likelihood of a promotion seemed to decrease as the days went on with no announcement from Kirk Ferentz.

Some Iowa fans had been gearing up for a big-splash hire, whether it was Mike Stoops back in December or former Michigan defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann in recent days. The big splash never happened, and Phil Parker gets the job. Expect him to maintain a similar defensive philosophy after working under Norm Parker for so long.

OK, so here's the surprising part: Reese Morgan, Iowa's offensive line coach for the past nine seasons, is moving to defensive line. He replaces Rick Kaczenski, who left in December for the same post on Nebraska's staff. Morgan has only coached offense at Iowa, working with the team's tight ends from 2000-2002 after serving as a high school coach in Iowa City.

Morgan's move is, well, odd. Defensive line is Iowa's biggest question mark entering 2012 -- yes, even bigger than running back -- so we'll see early how Morgan fares with the transition.

Ferentz also announced that Darrell Wilson will move from linebackers coach to defensive backs coach. Iowa has one defensive staff vacancy to fill, and administrative assistant LeVar Woods, a former Hawkeyes linebacker, likely will be named the team's linebackers coach. Woods' appointment makes a lot of sense.

"Phil, Darrell and Reese have all done an outstanding job in our program for a significant period of time," said Ferentz. "I am confident they will have a very positive effect on our team as we transition forward."

Ferentz, who has a news conference scheduled for 5 p.m. ET Wednesday, still must name an offensive coordinator to replace Ken O'Keefe, who left last week for a post on the Miami Dolphins' coaching staff. He also must name an offensive line coach to replace Morgan.

Tuesday's announcement increases speculation that Brian Ferentz, Kirk's son and a New England Patriots assistant coach, will return to Iowa City in an assistant role. Don't be shocked to see Brian Ferentz named Iowa's offensive line coach.

That leaves the coordinator role, which could go to wide receivers coach Erik Campbell, if Ferentz once again promotes from within.

Should Ferentz go that route, he would be reaffirming faith in his guys rather than outsiders. The moves likely won't go over well with Iowa fans, who have seen the same two coordinators throughout Ferentz's tenure. Many fans naturally want big-splash hires from the outside. Phil Parker certainly isn't, and Campbell would fit into the same category. I think promoting Campbell makes a lot of sense, as he has paid his dues as a position coach.

We should learn more about Iowa's coaching plans Wednesday, so stay tuned ...

Your questions, my answers.

Robert from Atlanta writes: Adam, first I love the blog and continue the good work. Please explain to me why you feel Michigan State will be a strong team again. With so many key losses at QB, RB, TB, several WR's, and on defense, I see a group that will struggle quite a bit. If any team lost as much as they did they would be doomed. MSU doesnt reload like other schools. What am I missing here? I see the entire B1G taking steps back except for OSU and Michigan's losses are minimal. I see MSU ranked #7 in preseason polls. This has to be an oversight or I could be wrong on the key losses. Educate me please.

Adam Rittenberg: Robert, this is a fair question. The part I disagree with is: "MSU doesn't reload like other schools." While this has been true in the past, Michigan State is at a point where I believe it can reload, especially at some key positions. The Spartans have recruited extremely well at spots like wide receiver and defensive back, and the 2012 class might be the best lot yet. The level of athleticism has improved substantially under Mark Dantonio, which allowed Michigan State to beat a team like Georgia in the Outback Bowl. The Spartans have enough athleticism and depth on defense to replace a few key departures (Jerel Worthy, Trenton Robinson). It actually wouldn't surprise me if MSU is better on defense in 2012. While I agree the offense has some holes to fill, I like Michigan State's young wide receivers (especially if transfer DeAnthony Arnett becomes eligible immediately). The offensive line could be a lot better after dealing with inexperience in 2011. Losing Kirk Cousins is huge, but Andrew Maxwell has been groomed for this role. Michigan State will have to be a defense-driven team in 2012, and while the Spartans could win 10-11 or 7-8, I like their D.

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Lavar A. from Silver Spring, Md., writes: Adam, I'm missing the logic. You say the B1G playoff proposal primarily benefits the B1G. But I don't see it. THe B1G wouldn't even have had a team in the 4-team playoff in 2011....or 2010....or 2009....or 2008. If this very playoff system had been in effect, we just would have had many more opportunities not to watch the SEC play home games in the south. How do you see this being a benefit to the B1G in the near (or far) future? Oh and by the way, I do find the idea very intriguing nonetheless.

Adam Rittenberg: Lavar, while you're right about the drought between 2008-2011, the proposal at least gives Big Ten teams a chance to host games with national championship implications. The current setup essentially forces the Big Ten to win road games in the major bowls. A proposal that would include the current BCS bowls doesn't change anything. Yes, you need to qualify in the top 4 to be in the discussion, and the Big Ten clearly needs to compete better at the national level. But the proposal gives the Big Ten a chance to exploit an advantage that it currently cannot.

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Jason from Dallas writes: Adam,I actually agreed with Evan from Arusha, Tanzania's comment about lack of Purdue coverage in both you and Brian's blogs. But then when I sent comments you would both answer, which leads me to believe that you do cover Purdue, but there's just not a lot to cover. Just letting you know that I do appreciate the little bit of Purdue you do cover and hope they give reason to deserve more coverage in the future. It is insulting to think we're behind Northwestern, but they are the ones who consistently get to bowl games, not us. As for an actual question: I'm one of the many that are really down on Danny Hope. He got a great recruiting class this year, so I'm willing to give him a pass for one more year. But recruiting doesn't mean much if you can't coach them up, so we shall see. Tiller had 9 guys drafted in one year back in 2004 to lead all schools. Hope is projected to have nobody drafted this year, not a good sign. Do you believe 5-7 gets him fired? What about 6-6? Obviously 7-5, 8-4 (which is what they should be) means they are heading in the right direction.

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Iowa is now in the market for both an offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator.

The school announced Friday that Ken O'Keefe, the only offensive coordinator Kirk Ferentz has ever had with the Hawkeyes, is leaving the program. Some reports had him taking a job with the NFL's Miami Dolphins, though that hasn't been officially confirmed.

This easily qualifies as the most tumultuous turnover to hit Ferentz's staff, as Norm Parker retired as defensive coordinator after the season after working in that role for all of Ferentz's 13 seasons in Iowa City.

O'Keefe, 58, was known for tutoring quarterbacks and helped develop Heisman Trophy runner up Brad Banks, Drew Tate and Ricky Stanzi before handing the reins to James Vandenberg this past season. Vandenberg threw for over 3,000 yards and had 25 touchdown passes

But he also had become a target for increasing fan criticism because of Iowa's often buttoned-down style of play. Few days went by this season when I didn't get a question or comment from a Hawkeyes fan asking if Ferentz could just please fire O'Keefe and bring in a more wide-open style of play.

Fact is, though, Ferentz is very comfortable employing a more classic Big Ten offensive system and is unlikely to bring in someone who will deviate much from that approach. If you're expecting the next Gus Malzahn to stroll into Kinnick Stadium, keep dreaming.

And few folks were complaining about O'Keefe when Stanzi led the Hawkeyes to an Orange Bowl win or when Banks guided the team to the Orange Bowl in the 2002 season. Iowa averaged 27.5 points per game in 2011 and 28.9 points per game the year before, finishing in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten both times.

Still, some new ideas could freshen up a program that has seemingly stagnated since that Orange Bowl run. Ferentz has shown loyalty to his assistants over the years through thick and thin, and these are the most changes he's ever had to make. Highly-respected defensive line coach Rick Kaczenski left for the same position at Nebraska this offseason, too.

Ferentz hasn't talked much about his staff since the Insight Bowl loss to Oklahoma, so we're not sure if he anticipated this move by O'Keefe. Given the close relationship between the two, it's hard to believe O'Keefe completely blindsided Ferentz with this news.

Yet this comes at a difficult time for Iowa, as many of the would-be attractive candidates are already locked into other jobs. Would Ferentz be interested in promoting from within? Assistant coach Erik Campbell, who has done a great job developing receivers and tight ends and knows the Big Ten inside and out, could be an interesting choice if the Hawkeyes look to go that route.

And then there's the small matter of hiring a defensive coordinator, a position that's been vacant for more than a month now. Iowa has given indications that it will announce Parker's successor next week. The Hawkeyes will certainly need to accelerate that hiring process for an offensive playcaller to get ready for spring practice.

One thing's for sure: it will be a fascinating offseason to follow in Iowa. Many Hawkeyes fans wanted big changes to be made with this program, and for better or worse, that's what they're getting.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- It has been a great day at Iowa, where I had the chance to visit with head coach Kirk Ferentz, three assistants and several players, including star defensive end Adrian Clayborn and quarterback Ricky Stanzi. I'll have much more on the Hawkeyes next week, particularly on Tuesday, but I have a few quick items before heading back to Chicago.

• Clayborn will get a ton of preseason pub, and deservedly so, but Ferentz singled out defensive tackle Karl Klug for his performance this spring. Iowa loses leaders like linebackers Pat Angerer and A.J. Edds on defense, and Klug appears ready to take on a bigger role in that department. "Karl played well in the fall," Ferentz said, "but if you surveyed any 10 of our players now, at least nine of them would tell you, maybe 10, that Karl Klug is one of our best leaders and one of our best players." Iowa returns all four starters on the defensive line, and Ferentz considers junior defensive tackle Mike Daniels a fifth starter up front.
• Incoming freshman A.J. Derby is staying at quarterback, at least for the immediate future.Derby played quarterback in high school but was classified as an "athlete" by most recruiting services, including ESPN, leading many to believe he could see time at other positions. "We think he's going to be just fine at quarterback," Ferentz said. "We really have been impressed. And he fits right in with the other three because he's got a real good football mentality." I asked wide receivers coach Erik Campbell if he'd like Derby as a wide receiver, à la Marvin McNutt, and Campbell replied, "No. He's not an athletic type like Marvin. Rick Stanzi would be a pretty good wide receiver: He's nice and tall and long. But I don't think they'd make that trade." I don't think so, either.
• Ferentz thinks the quarterback group is the strongest that he has had since becoming Hawkeyes head coach. Stanzi has had a solid spring, focusing heavily on reducing his interceptions total. Backup James Vandenberg proved himself a bit against Ohio State last year, and Ferentz recognized third-stringer John Wienke for his play this spring.
• Iowa has shuffled the linebackers at different spots this spring, but if the Hawkeyes opened the season Saturday, they would have Jeff Tarpinian at middle linebacker, and Jeremiha Hunter and Tyler Nielsen at the two outside spots, Ferentz said. "They've all improved, including Jeremiah, a two-year starter," Ferentz said. "He's had his best spring, so that's good to see."
• Allen Reisner has stepped in well as the No. 1 tight end, and Ferentz has seen very promising signs from junior Brad Herman as a No. 2 option. "He's clearly had his best period of practice," Ferentz said of Herman. "That's something we really needed to see." Ferentz also thinks its possible incoming freshman C.J. Fiedorowicz could be a factor at tight end with a strong preseason.
• About the only downside to Iowa's spring has been injuries to the running backs. Adam Robinson has been out all spring following shoulder surgery. Brandon Wegher was practicing full-go until sustaining a shoulder sprain. Jewel Hampton is "absolutely fine" but hasn't participated in contact drills. "My name's Tucker, not sucker, so we're not going to have him get hit this spring," Ferentz said. "We're trying to be real careful with him." Brad Rogers will get most of the work in Saturday's spring game, but all three primary backs will be fine for fall camp. Ferentz and offensive coordinator Ken O'Keefe both said it's possible Iowa could split the carries evenly among the three backs.
• It's too soon to make season predictions, but I'll say this: Iowa won't be overconfident, and besides Ohio State, no team is better prepared to handle expectations than the Hawkeyes. There aren't a lot of egos walking around Iowa's football complex, and players know just how close they were to a Rose Bowl last year, and just how close they were to a mediocre season. That's a good sign heading into the 2010 season.

The Big Ten was the only major conference to avoid head-coaching changes this offseason, but the league certainly had its share of staff shuffling with assistants coming and going. Indiana's hiring of Mo Moriarity as offensive line coach on Monday marked one of the last turns on this year's Big Ten coaching carousel. Wisconsin still needs to hire a defensive assistant, but things are just about wrapped up.

Barring any late coaching changes, here's a look at who's gone, who's back and who's in new roles.

ILLINOIS

Offensive coordinator

• Who's out: Mike Schultz (fired)
• Who's in: Paul Petrino (previously offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach at Arkansas)

Defensive coordinator

• Who's out: Dan Disch and Curt Mallory both were demoted to position coaches. Disch is staying on staff as linebackers coach.
• Who's in: Vic Koenning (previously co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State)

Quarterbacks coach

• Who's out: Kurt Beathard (fired)
• Who's in: Jeff Brohm (previously quarterbacks coach at Florida Atlantic)

Tight ends coach

• Who's out: Jim Pry (fired)
• Who's in: Greg Nord (previously running backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Louisville)

Running backs coach

• Who's out: Reggie Mitchell (left to become running backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Kansas)
• Who's in: DeAndre Smith (previously running backs coach at UNLV)

Other moves

• Mallory left his position as secondary coach to become defensive coordinator at Akron.
• Special-teams coordinator Mike Woodford was fired along with Schultz, Beathard and Pry.
• Ron West was hired as a defensive assistant. His official responsibilities have not been announced.

INDIANA

Offensive line coach

• Who's out: Bobby Johnson (left to become assistant offensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills)
• Who's in: Myron "Mo" Moriarity (previously served as head coach at Carmel (Ind.) High School

IOWA

No staff changes, but recruiting coordinator Eric Johnson was named tight ends coach. Wide receivers coach Erik Campbell previously had worked with the tight ends, while Johnson had helped Darrell Wilson with the linebackers.

MICHIGAN

Linebackers coach

• Who's out: Jay Hopson (left to become defensive coordinator at Memphis)
• Who's in: Quality control assistant Adam Braithwaite was promoted to outside linebackers/strong safeties coach. Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson will take a more active role with the linebackers in 2010.

Other moves

• Secondary coach Tony Gibson will continue to work with cornerbacks and free safeties, and also serve as special-teams coordinator.

MICHIGAN STATE

Running backs coach

• Who's out: Dan Enos (left to become head coach at Central Michigan)
• Who's in: Brad Salem (previously served as head coach at Augustana College)

MINNESOTA

Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach

• Who's out: Jedd Fisch (left to become quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks)
• Who's in: Jeff Horton (previously served as quarterbacks coach with the Detroit Lions)

Wide receivers coach

• Who's out: Richard Hightower (left to become assistant special-teams coach for the Washington Redskins)
• Who's in: Steve Watson (previously served as associate head coach with the Denver Broncos in 2008)

Other moves

• Running backs coach Thomas Hammock was named co-offensive coordinator

NORTHWESTERN

No coaching changes

OHIO STATE

No coaching changes

PENN STATE

No coaching changes

PURDUE

Defensive line coach

• Who's out: Terrell Williams (left to become defensive line coach at Texas A&M)
• Who's in: Gary Emanuel (previously served as defensive line coach at Rutgers). Emanuel also was named co-defensive coordinator with a focus on run defense.

WISCONSIN

Defensive backs coach

• Who's out: Kerry Cooks (left to become outside linebackers coach at Notre Dame)
• Who's in: Chris Ash (previously served as defensive backs coach/recruiting coordinator at Iowa State)

Other moves

• Randall McCray, who served as Wisconsin's recruiting coordinator and assistant secondary coach, left to become defensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee. Wisconsin has yet to fill the vacancy.

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Marvin McNutt won't be channeling his inner Terrell Owens this fall.

Though McNutt would love to match T.O.'s on-field production for Iowa, he doesn't think a position switch to wide receiver gives him the license to act like a diva. Hawkeyes starting quarterback Ricky Stanzi will appreciate that fact.

"We always mess with [Stanzi], but I try not to because I know as a quarterback, that can be really frustrating," McNutt said. "I mess with him, like, 'You're not getting me the ball enough,' but it's all just play."

McNutt might have no reason to joke with Stanzi about getting the ball thrown his way. He should get plenty of touches this season.

The former Hawkeyes quarterback has made a smooth transition to wideout. He finished spring ball as a starter and should play a big role in an Iowa offense that likely will pass more after losing star running back Shonn Greene.

"Right on schedule," wide receivers coach Erik Campbell said of McNutt's development. "He showed what he can do during spring ball. Spring ball was the key for him, and coming into camp right now, he's a little bit of a seasoned veteran."

McNutt had mixed feelings when told he would switch from quarterback to receiver. He led his high school team to the Missouri state championship game and excited Iowa fans with the athleticism he brought to the quarterback spot.

But Stanzi cemented himself as the starter, and the coaches didn't want the 6-foot-4, 215-pound McNutt to go to waste.

"It was more of me convincing myself," McNutt said. "As I really started thinking about it, it's more of a blessing. Everything happens for a reason. I was taught that by my parents. Just don't dwell on things if you feel it's the right move."

McNutt's speed largely contributed to the switch, but he had to adjust to the increased conditioning demands placed on receivers. The sophomore didn't feel fully in shape until the latter part of spring ball.

"It really puts your mind into the perspective," he said. "When you run a 50-yard route and have to come back into the same huddle and do it over again, it shows it's way harder than what it was as a quarterback."

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz shields his coordinators from the media for much of the season, so when Ken O'Keefe and Norm Parker talk on the record, it's sort of a big deal.

After reading the quotes from Thursday's pre-Outback Bowl media session, it's too bad O'Keefe and Parker aren't in the spotlight more often. There's some very entertaining stuff from both men, who have been with Ferentz since he took over in Iowa City in 1999.

Here are some of Thursday's sound bytes as O'Keefe and Parker discussed the season and Iowa's upcoming matchup against South Carolina.

Parker on South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier: "He's not afraid to line up in any crazy formation. When he goes golfing and hits the ball in the trap he goes in the trap and draws plays in the sand. He's got all kinds of gadgets and he's not afraid to use them because he's a very confident guy. He doesn't have anything to lose. It's not going to bother him and he knows what he's doing."

O'Keefe on South Carolina's defense: "They're big, they're physical. Their linebackers are 250, 255, 265. They're a big, physical, well-coached defense that plays multiple fronts and tries to change things up on you and bring some pressure at you. They're going to try to get as many guys down in there as they possibly can. They play a defense a little different than what we've seen from most people this year, but they're good."

Parker on Iowa running back Shonn Greene, the Doak Walker Award winner: "I like it when he's playing because the best way to play defense is to sit on the bench and say, 'Way to go, Shonn [claps hands in applause]. First down.' You just keep sitting there just watching him run. He probably helped our defense as much as anyone. He's probably our most valuable defensive player because he kept us off of the field."

O'Keefe on the impact of wide receivers coach Erik Campbell, a future coordinator or head coach: "The play we threw for a touchdown against Penn State [27 yards from Ricky Stanzi to Derrell Johnson-Koulianos] was an old play they used at Michigan. He's brought a lot to the table. He's a great person with an enormous amount of enthusiasm and that's infectious with the players.

Parker on serving solely as defensive coordinator and not coaching a position: "I go and screw up this drill for a while and then I go and screw up another drill. In doing so, I've gotten to know the players better as a group. When I coached the linebackers, I knew my guys. That's who I really knew. I knew who the other guys were and everything. But I didn't know them like I know them now."

Parker on whether he'd consider coaching as long as Penn State's Joe Paterno: "Eighty five? Hell no. At 85, you'd have to dig me up to coach. You'd have to open the box and get me out. That's amazing that guy can do that. It's amazing that he can do it and still have the energy to do it."

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The Mid-American Conference currently has four head-coaching vacancies, as Toledo, Bowling Green, Miami (Ohio) and Eastern Michigan all are looking for men to lead their football programs. 

With Buffalo's Turner Gill and Ball State's Brady Hoke already being mentioned for BCS-conference jobs, more coaching turnover seems likely.  

Given the Big Ten's proximity to the MAC, it's inevitable that several Big Ten assistants will be mentioned for top jobs. 

Here's a look at several coaches who might get calls in the coming days and weeks. 

Michigan State offensive coordinator Don Treadwell

Treadwell played and coached at Miami (Ohio), and he figures to be one of the top candidates for the RedHawks' coaching vacancy. Miami athletic director Brad Bates said many of the successful men who made up the "Cradle of Coaches" were Miami alums. Treadwell has extensive experience as an assistant, working in the Big East, Pac-10 and ACC. He's also likely in the mix at Eastern Michigan. 

Ohio State co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Luke Fickell

An up-and-coming young coach, Fickell will be one to watch in the coming seasons. The Toledo Blade listed him a potential candidate for the Bowling Green vacancy, and he should be in the mix for all the MAC openings. The former Ohio State nose guard spent two years coaching in the MAC (Akron, 2000-01). Fickell might be holding out for a BCS-conference job. 

Iowa wide receivers coach Erik Campbell

Campbell has been mentioned as a candidate at Eastern Michigan, which would be a natural fit for a man who spent 13 seasons down the road as a Michigan assistant. He developed a 1,000-yard wide receiver in eight consecutive seasons at Michigan and did a nice job developing Iowa's wideouts, particularly Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, as the season progressed. Campbell also recruits the Detroit area. 

Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi

He earned his Master's degree from Miami (Ohio) and served as an assistant coach there from 1990-92 and again in 2003. Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio made it clear before the season that the Spartans' defense belongs to Narduzzi, who saw improved results this fall as the team went 9-3. He should get a look at Miami (Ohio), Toledo and possibly Bowling Green or Eastern Michigan.

Michigan State tight ends/offensive tackles coach Mark Staten

Another Miami (Ohio) grad who could draw interest for the RedHawks' coaching vacancy. Staten played at Miami from 1989-92 and was a graduate assistant there in 2001. He also serves as Michigan State's recruiting coordinator, an area that has improved markedly in the last year. 

Michigan running backs coach Fred Jackson

The only assistant coach Rich Rodriguez retained at Michigan could be in the mix for the Eastern Michigan job. Jackson has served as a Michigan assistant since 1992 and knows the area extremely well. He coached five All-Big Ten running backs with the Wolverines.