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Kirk Ferentz is the Big Ten’s all-time winningest coach. His record still stands despite Iowa football’s failed attempt to preserve vacated wins.
The NCAA handed down punishment to the Hawkeyes for their tampering with quarterback Cade McNamara. The program will lose four victories from the 2023 season.
Tampering violations occurred in Iowa football program; Football head coach and assistant coach previously resolved their respective violations.https://t.co/O7ETKPVWTY
— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) April 14, 2026
The NCAA vacated Iowa football wins.
“Tampering violations occurred in the Iowa football program when current football head coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant coach Jon Budmayr had impermissible contacts with a student-athlete who was enrolled at another NCAA school at the time and who had not yet entered the NCAA Transfer Portal,” a report released on Tuesday read.
The Hawkeyes made contact with the passer prior to his transfer portal entry. He’d previously been on the Michigan roster.
Kirk Ferentz and assistant Jon Budmayr had 13 phone calls with McNamara, as well as two text message conversations in November 2022. He made the decision to leave Ann Arbor days later.
As a result of the findings, McNamara was ruled ineligible for the 2023 campaign. He played in five games before suffering a season-ending injury, posting a 4-1 record as a starter.
The school self-imposed penalties in the form of a 2024 suspension of its head coach. The NCAA dished out further punishment this week.
Included are scrubbed wins over Utah State, Iowa State, Western Michigan and Michigan State.
Iowa initially pushed against the idea of vacated wins, calling the policy outdated. Ferentz reaffirmed that position after hearing the most recent ruling.
“I am disappointed by the NCAA’s decision today,” he said. “Our program has been open and honest about my mistake…
“I felt it was important to make amends for the issue, which is why I voluntarily served a one-game suspension to start the (2024) season. I believe today’s decision by the NCAA vacating four wins in our 2023 season is overly harsh and inconsistent with the violation.”
Kirk Ferentz remains the all-time wins leader.
The coach has amassed more than 200 wins across a 27-year career at Iowa. He passed Woody Hayes by picking up his 206th win with the program in 2025.
Prior to the NCAA ruling, Ferentz’s record sat at 213-128. His win total now dips to 209, still four games above Hayes’s second-place mark. He has still won more games than any other coach while at a Big Ten school.
Joe Paterno is college football’s all-time winningest coach, posting 409 victories at Penn State between 1966-2011. The Nittany Lions played as an independent up through 1993, however.
Paterno was also forced to vacate wins due to scandal in University Park, though they were later restored.
Ferentz ranks third in conference victories behind Hayes and Michigan’s Bo Schembechler. He loses one Big Ten win as a result of the investigation.
Other punishments were also handed down to the Iowa football program outside of vacated wins. Included are probation and recruiting penalties.
Regardless, the Kirk Ferentz’s title of winningest coach remains safe.