What does Iowa coaching history show?
Iowa coaching history on this page spans 21 tracked head coaches, led by Kirk Ferentz with 204 wins from 1999-2025.
Program history
Iowa Football History
Program history, coaching eras, title years, and signature seasons.
Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City • IA
Big TenKinnick Stadium
Seasons Indexed
133
All-Time Wins
681
Winning Seasons
54%
Last 10 Win %
68.4%
History guide
Iowa program history explained
This history tab puts Iowa into a longer program timeline: season records, winning and losing streaks, coaching-era context, title references, playoff runs, and decade-level performance.
The current dataset includes 133 indexed seasons, and 21 coaching tenures. Use the national record links to compare the program against broader college football leaderboards.
Program History
Explore the program's most dominant seasons, toughest stretches, and era-by-era trends.
Use the snapshot to scan program-wide benchmarks, standout seasons, and decade-level performance trends.
Total Wins
681
Across 133 seasons
Winning Seasons
54%
Share of winning records
Average Record
5.1-4.2
Per season
Last 10 Seasons
68.4%
Win rate since 2026
Signature Season
2015
12-2 (85.7% win rate)
Toughest Season
1973
0-11 (0.0% win rate)
Peak Seasons
Most wins in program history
Highlights the seasons that produced the biggest win totals for the program.
| Year | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 12-2 | 85.7% |
| 2009 | 11-2 | 84.6% |
| 2002 | 11-2 | 84.6% |
| 1991 | 10-1-1 | 87.5% |
| 2004 | 10-2 | 83.3% |
Challenging Seasons
Years that tested the fan base
Surfaces the seasons with the heaviest loss totals and weakest win rates.
| Year | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 0-11 | 0.0% |
| 1999 | 1-10 | 9.1% |
| 1971 | 1-10 | 9.1% |
| 1965 | 1-9 | 10.0% |
| 1978 | 2-9 | 18.2% |
Era Performance
Win rate by decade
Buckets every season into decade groups so long-run rises and dips are easier to spot.
| Decade | Record | Win % |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 51-24 | 68.0% |
| 2010s | 81-49 | 62.3% |
| 2000s | 80-45 | 64.0% |
| 1990s | 62-53-2 | 53.8% |
| 1980s | 77-40-4 | 65.3% |
| 1970s | 29-78-2 | 27.5% |
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