Is Kirk Ferentz related to Brian Ferentz?

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has recently come under fire for promoting his son Brian Ferentz to the position of offensive coordinator of the Hawkeyes.

Iowa has struggled offensively this year, winning games without even playing an offensive snap in enemy territory. The fact that they are currently 6-2, and on top of the Big Ten West standings, is a testament to their defensive prowess and an indictment of the level of play in their division. Truth be told, Iowa would be much further down in the Big Ten East.

To add trouble to their toils, starting quarterback Cade McNamara is also out for the season forcing Brian Ferentz to improvise with an already lackluster offense.

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Is Kirk Ferentz related to Brian Ferentz?

Brian Ferentz was born to Kirk and Mary Ferentz on March 28, 1983, in Iowa City, Iowa. At the time, his father was the O-line coach for the Hawkeyes. Brian played football for his father as an offensive lineman from 2001 to 2005 at the University of Iowa. He earned an honorable mention in the All-Big Ten honors in his senior year. He went undrafted in the 2006 NFL Draft

Brian spent two seasons in practice squads in the NFL, first for the Atlanta Falcons and then for the New Orleans Saints. He started his coaching career under Bill Belichick at the New England Patriots as a scouting assistant, and would eventually rise to tight ends coach. Under him, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez would set NFL records for receptions, yards, and touchdowns by tight ends.

From there, he moved to Iowa to work under his father as an offensive line coach in 2012. He has spent a decade at Iowa, and currently is the offensive coordinator.

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What's left for Kirk Ferentz and Iowa this season?

The Hawkeyes, who are currently 6-2, have four encounters left against Northwestern, Rutgers, Illinois, and Nebraska.

If they win all the games, or if they lose one of them, they should earn a spot in the Big Ten title game. There, they'll probably face the winner of the game between Ohio State and Michigan. Winning that last game is far-fetched for Kirk Ferentz and Co.