Iowa enters the 2026 season with the kind of coaching continuity that has become part of the program’s identity, even if there has been a little movement on the staff. The Hawkeyes are keeping most of the familiar faces in place, and that matters in a program built on consistency.
At the center of it all is Kirk Ferentz, who is heading into his 28th year as Iowa’s head coach. No one in college football has held that job longer. Ferentz turns 71 just before the season begins, and he remains the steady hand steering the program.
On offense, Tim Lester is back for his third year and arrives after two seasons of clear progress. His ability to tailor the system to the players instead of forcing the roster into a rigid scheme has been a major part of that growth. With a young quarterback expected to take over, this shapes up as Lester’s most important year yet.
The defense continues to run through Phil Parker, who is entering his 15th season leading that side of the ball. He has turned the Hawkeyes into one of the nation’s best defensive units, and while this year brings plenty of turnover, betting against Parker has never been a wise move.
There is one major change on special teams, where Chris Polizzi takes over after LeVar Woods left for Michigan State. That job carries real weight at Iowa, where special teams have long been a cornerstone. With a new kicker, punter, and returner all in the mix, Polizzi’s first season will be a big one.
The position coaches round out a staff that still looks very much like Iowa.
Billy VandeMerkt is in just his second year with the program and will work with quarterbacks Jeremy Hecklinski and Hank Brown as they battle for the starting job. A strong season could get the former New York Jets analyst plenty of attention.
Jay Norvell, an Iowa alum, takes over the running backs room and inherits a loaded group. His job is simple: keep that unit rolling.
George Barnett is back for his sixth year and comes off a season in which Iowa had the best offensive line in America. He has risen quickly and become one of the staff’s biggest success stories.
At tight end, Abdul Hodge enters his fifth year with the program and will again coach a position group that has produced at a high level. DJ Vonnahme is the latest talented player in that room.
Jon Budmayr is in his fifth season at Iowa and his third as wide receivers coach. That group has had its ups and downs, but the 2026 room looks more talented on paper than recent versions.
Kelvin Bell is entering his eighth year and remains a key figure on the defensive line, where he has repeatedly helped Iowa get more out of the group than expected. With several new starters set to play, his role is especially important.
Seth Wallace continues to wear two hats, serving as assistant head coach while also coaching the linebackers. He is one of the most important people on the staff.
And in the secondary, Parker doubles up again. That unit remains one of Iowa’s yearly strengths, an aggressive group that feeds off turnovers and confidence.
In Other News...
Tavion Banks Leaves Iowa With Ben McCollum Facing Another Roster Test
Tavion Banks departure adds another early roster wrinkle for Ben McCollum as he continues shaping Iowas mens basketball program for the future. Banks announced on Instagram that he will not return to the Hawkeyes despite having another year of eligibility, closing the book on a season in which he quickly became a key contributor after transferring in from Drake.
For Iowa, the move is another reminder that roster building under a new staff is rarely smooth, especially when a player who helped last season decides to move on. Banks thanked the coaching staff, teammates and fans in his farewell message, leaving the Hawkeyes to absorb one more exit while McCollum keeps working through the lineup decisions that will define his first roster in Iowa City. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa Faces 3 Huge Camp Battles That Could Define This Season
Iowa heads into fall camp with a roster that looks far less settled than usual, and that alone makes the next few weeks worth watching. With only 10 starters back, the Hawkeyes are trying to sort out multiple jobs at once, and the most visible uncertainty sits at quarterback, where Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski are both still in the mix as the staff looks for someone to grab hold of the offense.
The questions do not stop there, either. There are openings along both lines, where departures have created a wide path for new faces to compete for starting roles and reshape the front on both sides of the ball. For a program that usually leans on stability and development, this camp could end up defining not just who starts, but how quickly Iowa can turn a thin list of returnees into something sturdy enough for the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Tavion Banks Just Left Iowa Fans Waiting On One Big Decision
A Colorado judges ruling has given members of the 2022 recruiting class, including Tavion Banks, another year of NCAA eligibility under the new five-year model, and it immediately turned what looked like a straightforward Iowa decision into something much more complicated. Banks had already applied for a fifth year after exhausting his eligibility, and he had initially signaled a desire to come back to Iowa, which made the Hawkeyes one of the obvious teams watching this story closely.
Now the picture is less certain. Banks is weighing his next move and the ruling has created uncertainty not just for his college future, but for programs trying to plan around players suddenly eligible for one more season. For Iowa fans, the wait continues on the one question that mattered most: whether Banks next stop will still be in Iowa City. [Read more 🡒]