Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and wide receivers coach Jon Budmayr will not coach the Hawkeyes’ season opener Aug. 31 against Illinois State due to self-imposed one-game suspensions.
Ferentz and Budmayr will not participate in the game after being notified of potential recruiting violations related to quarterback Cade McNamara’s transfer from Michigan to Iowa in 2022.
“I frequently tell our players to respect the rules, and in this case, I did not,” Ferentz said in a statement released by the school on Thursday. “In 26 years as head coach at Iowa, and more than four decades as a coach, this is my first potential NCAA Level II violation.
“I made a mistake and I would like to apologize to our players, to the leadership of the University and to our Hawkeyes football fans. I know Coach Budmayr shares those sentiments.”
During a news conference Thursday, Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz said the school was notified of the violation by the NCAA and made the decision to self-impose the sanctions on Ferentz and Budmayr.
Ferentz said the violation related to contact with McNamara before he entered the transfer portal. Budmayr had previously recruited McNamara when he was an assistant at Wisconsin.
McNamara committed to Iowa on Dec. 1, 2022, three days after entering the transfer portal. He was a starter for the Wolverines in 2021, leading the team to the Big Ten title and the College Football Playoff. His season came to an end during the third game of the season after injuring his knee.
Last season with Iowa, McNamara threw for 505 yards and four touchdowns in five games before suffering a torn ACL.
McNamara remains eligible to play and would be the starting quarterback if the season started this season, Ferentz said.
After taking over the Hawkeyes program in 1999, Ferentz is the longest-serving FBS head coach. Budmayr joined as an offensive analyst in 2022 and served as a special assistant to Ferentz last season.
Assistant coach Seth Wallace will take charge of the game against Illinois State.
