Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant Jon Budmayr will be suspended one game for a violation related to the recruiting of transfer quarterback Cade McNamara, according to multiple reports.
Ferentz is the longest-serving FBS coach in the country, having led Iowa since the 1999 season. Budmayr serves as the team’s wide receivers coach after serving as a special assistant to Ferentz in 2023 and offensive analyst in 2022. According to media reports, the suspensions are related to an NCAA investigation. Iowa is scheduled to open the season Aug. 31 at home against Illinois State.
Ferentz is scheduled to speak to reporters Thursday afternoon to conclude preseason training camp. The Athletic was first to report the suspensions of Ferentz and Budmayr.
McNamara committed to Iowa on Dec. 1, 2022, just three days after entering the portal as a graduate transfer. He was a starter for Michigan in 2021 as the team won the Big Ten and made the College Football Playoff, but suffered a season-ending leg injury in the third game of the 2022 season. McNamara has battled injuries during his time at Iowa, but opened the 2023 season as the team’s starter. Although Ferentz announced in July that McNamara was the team’s starter, McNamara and Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan have been competing for the job in camp.
Budmayr, a former Wisconsin quarterback, was the offensive coordinator at Colorado State in 2021 before joining the Iowa staff.
