"I have no idea how good we are right now": Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz makes eye-catching remarks at 2025 Big Ten Media Days

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz made some bold statements at his team's Big Ten Media Days on Thursday. One of the more eye-catching remarks he made was about the expectations for his Hawkeyes in the upcoming season.

"I have no idea how good we are right now. But I can tell you this, it's been really good team to work with. I like our team," Ferentz said on Thursday (via Sports Illustrated).

Ferentz is also confident that his team's offense will improve in the 2025 season, especially after the addition of quarterback Mark Gronowski, who transferred from South Dakota State this offseason.

"I know we'll be much improved at quarterback," Ferentz told ESPN on Thursday. "That's not a knock on anybody, but if you just go back and chart the games the last two seasons, three seasons for that matter, we've had bad health there, we've had bad fortune, bad luck and, quite frankly, playing with some guys that weren't ready to play at this level."

Gronowski led South Dakota State to the FCS National Championship titles in 2022 and 2023. Last season, he recorded 2,721 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, seven interceptions and 10 rushing TDs.

Now, all eyes will be on Ferentz in the 2025 season, as Iowa aims to win some titles with a veteran quarterback leading its offense.

A look at Kirk Ferentz's record as Iowa HC

Iowa hired Kirk Ferentz in December 1998. He has compiled a 204-124 record across 26 seasons.

Ferentz has led the Hawkeyes to three Big Ten West division titles and two Big Ten championships. He is also the winningest coach in Iowa history.

Ferentz's Iowa finished last season with an 8-5 record and lost the Music City Bowl to Missouri.

It will be interesting to see if Ferentz can lead Iowa to double-digit wins in the 2025 season. The Hawkeyes will also be eyeing a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

About the author

Arnold is a journalist covering College Sports and the NFL at Sportskeeda. He has been with the company since August 2022.

Arnold graduated with a degree in Mass Media from MIC. As a sports fanatic, he pursued writing to express his thoughts and opinions on sports events across the globe. He has also worked at Wizcraft and Publicis.

Arnold began supporting the Kansas City Chiefs after watching Patrick Mahomes lead them to Super Bowl glory in 2020. He also has a soft corner for the New York Yankees since he's lived in New York for two years. Arnold's favorite coach of all time is Andy Reid, and the Chiefs dynasty looks far from over.

In his free time, Arnold enjoys reading, exercising, and traveling. He follows several other sports including football, cricket, tennis, basketball, boxing and F1.

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Edited by Parag Jain