Ferentz optimistic about season

Iowa coaches looking forward to upcoming year.

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP
jbohnenkamp@thehawkeye.com

The last month of the season, the one that fans didn't get to see, is the one that has Kirk Ferentz optimistic about the upcoming football season.

The Hawkeyes, who finished 6–7 after a loss to Texas in the Alamo Bowl, lost six of their last seven games.

But it was the practices during December between the end of the regular season and the bowl game that has Ferentz thinking positive about the team's future this season.

"I think the best month of the season for us was December," the coach told a crowd of 340 fans at Tuesday's Des Moines County I–Club Banquet at Comfort Suites. "We made a major step in those practices. We worked hard, had great focus. The seniors from that team set the bar for this team this year."

But Ferentz made it clear that another season like last year won't be acceptable.

"We don't offer up any excuses," he said. "We had a hard time on special teams last year. We gave up too many big plays on defense. We had more turnovers last season than any year. We have to improve in all areas."

Iowa has six offensive starters and eight defensive starters coming back from last season. The biggest positions to fill will be on the offensive line and at quarterback, where Jake Christensen will take over for Drew Tate. The Hawkeyes also lost two starters in the secondary — Miguel Merrick and Marcus Paschal.

"I think we're like another 85 teams in the nation — we have a lot of question marks," Ferentz said. "But that's a good thing. That means that we're going to have a lot of competition."

Ferentz said the improvement he saw in the spring added to his optimism, and he singled out former Burlington High School standout Mitch King, who will begin his third season as a starter on the defensive line.

"Two years ago, we were talking about Mitch making the move from playing middle linebacker to defensive end," Ferentz said. "It was a very unselfish move on his part. And this spring, I don't think anybody had a better, more impressive, performance in the 15 (spring practices) than Mitch King did."

Ferentz praised his outgoing senior class.

"At our banquet at the end of the season, we had 17 seniors at the podium," he said. "Sixteen of them will graduate next week, and one of them has six hours to go."

Women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder is also optimistic despite also having a losing record last season. Bluder's team, bothered by injuries all season, finished 14–16.

But everyone is back, and according to Bluder, everyone is healthy.

"Right now our only injury is a jammed finger," said Bluder, who played with just eight players during a stretch of Big Ten play last season. "I can handle a jammed finger."

The Hawkeyes will take a tour of Greece beginning May 23. They will play the Greece national team three times.

"It will be a great bonding experience for us," Bluder said. "Plus we'll get 10 practices in."

New men's basketball assistant coach LaVall Jordan received a warm reception from the fans.

"We didn't do things like this at Butler," said Jordan, who came over with new head coach Todd Lickliter. "It's been an unbelievable welcome for us."

Jordan said he has one thing to learn about his new school.

"After every game, we would always sing the fight song," he said. "So, I have to learn the fight song."

Wrestling assistant coach Wes Hand said the Hawkeyes' third–place finish in the Big Ten championships and eighth–place finish in the NCAA meet wasn't acceptable.

"We're not where we need to be," he said. "We weren't happy with the season."

Like the other coaches, Hand is optimistic because of the competition within the roster.

"Our guys in our room are starting to understand what's going on," Hand said. "We have more competition than we've had in the past. We're going to make some guys uncomfortable, and that's good."