More than his playing career, Brian Ferentz’s net worth got a significant boost after he became a football coach. It did make him a millionaire.
But after 15 seasons as a coach at the Univerisity of Iowa, Brian is saying goodbye to the Hawkeyes in the 2024 season.
The departure was evident as the Hawkeyes struggled to collect the designated 25.0 points per game, unlike the deal in the amended contract with Ferentz in early 2023.
The contract clause cut off $50k of his salary and gave him two options- either to meet the standards and get a bonus or a waiver.
Brian Ferentz, an offensive coordinator at the University of Iowa, is the eldest of five children of Kirk Ferentz, head coach of Iowa Hawkeyes (since 1999).
He has four younger siblings: two brothers (James & Steve) and two sisters (Kelly & Joanne).
After five years in the Hawkeyes, Brian became offensive coordinator in 2017.
However, during his tenure until 2022, the Hawkeyes faced constantly dropping offensive stats. It eventually led him to depart from the team.
Before Iowa, Ferentz worked in the NFL’s New England Patriots (under head coach Bill Belichick) from 2008 to 2011.
Brian Ferentz Net Worth: Contract And Salary In 2023
As of 2024, Ferentz has an estimated net worth of $3 million.
His primary source of income is none other than his hefty salary from his coaching career, notably at the Hawkeyes.
In the wake of struggling seasons in the past years, Ferentz signed a revised one-year contract with Iowa in February 2023 (effective from February 1). His rolling two-year contract was put on hold.
The new contract cut off $50K of his $900K salary, leaving his salary at $850K for the 2023 season.
While the amended deal snatched a gulp of his paycheck, it also promised him performance-based incentives at the cost of his tenure with the Hawkeyes.
So, as per the new contract, Brian Ferentz must make the Iowa Hawkeyes reach 25 points per game by any means.
If those standards were met, he would have gotten a raise to $925,000 and a bonus of $112,500, totaling his salary of over $1 million in 2024. But if not, then his contract would officially terminate on June 30, 2024.
Earlier in 2022, he earned a salary of $900k, a raise of $40k from his previous paycheck of $860k in 2021.
A decade earlier, when Brian joined the University of Iowa in 2012, his annual earning was only $202,400. But it saw subsequent growth in the later years, especially after he became offensive coordinator in 2017.
Check out his salary over the past decade:
| Year | Salary |
|---|---|
| 2012 | $202,400 |
| 2013 | $240,000 |
| 2014 | $290,034 |
| 2015 | $317,500 |
| 2016 | $425,000 |
| 2017 | $625,000 |
| 2018 | $685,000 |
| 2019 | $775,600 |
| 2020 | $774,600 |
| 2021 | $860,000 |
| 2022 | $900,000 |
Did Brian Play In The NFL?
Brian did play football for his alma mater, Iowa, and was an undrafted (of 2006) signee of the Atlanta Falcons. He even had a fling with the Saints, but none gave him his NFL debut or massive paychecks.
So, he left his playing career for good and tried out his hands in coaching.
He joined as a scouting assistant in 2008, where his dad served as offensive line coach under head coach.
With the Patriots, he assumed different roles: offensive coaching assistant (2009), offensive coaching assistant (2010), and tight ends coach (2011).
In 2012, Brian joined the University of Iowa’s coaching staff, and the rest is history!
Ferentz Won’t Return To Hawkeyes In 2024
On October 30, 2023, it was reported that Brian Ferentz would not return as offensive coordinator at Iowa. Why?
Per his amended contract, he was to make 25.0 points per game, but they reached 25 points in only two games and none since September 30.
The injuries of Cade McNamara and tight ends Luke Lachey and Erick All had a significant impact.
Moreover, in 2022, the Hawkeyes second-last total offense, but in 2023, they slipped to the last position at a paltry 232.4 yards per game.
With a 6-2 record in the 2023 season, they average 19.5 points per game and rank 120th in the country. With four games remaining, to reach the mark of 25 points each game, they must average 36 points per game.
Even if some claim the termination didn’t preclude Iowa from bringing him back on a new contract, Iowa has made a final decision.
