Which Coaches on Iowa Football's 2026 Schedule Are on the Hot Seat?

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Oct 11, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell and Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz meet at mid field before the game at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ross Harried-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Is Kirk Ferentz on the hot seat for the Iowa Hawkeyes?

No. Never. He gets to be the one and only person who decides when he is done as Iowa's head coach. It's as simple as that.

The same can't be said for coaches throughout the Big Ten, though. Especially a few dotting Iowa's 2026 schedule.

Iowa Could Shape the Fate of Several Head Coaches

I've long said being a fired college football coach might be the best gig in America. Paid to stay home, hang out, and watch football? Once you get past the whole getting fired thing, it sounds pretty nice.

No one actively roots for a guy to lose his job. Well, maybe some schools. But fans want to win, and firing a head coach only delays that process.

On the Hawkeyes' 2026 schedule, a few coaches could be on the hot seat, with a matchup versus Iowa serving as the final nail in the coffin or with an interim head coach on duty.

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

Nov 29, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The seat in Madison is hot. After leaving Cincinnati, Luke Fickell was one of the hottest names in the coaching circuit. It simply has not panned out for the Badgers.

In four years, Fickell has a record of just 17-21 with a 10-17 mark in Big Ten play. If he starts slow this season, how long does Wisconsin give him before moving on?

With Iowa looming on Halloween, could the Hawkeyes, whom Fickell has never beaten, serve as his final game as Wisconsin's head coach?

Barry Odom, Purdue

Purdue has seemingly become one of the hardest places in the Big Ten to win at. It's bad in West Lafayette right now.

The last three years have seen Purdue go 4-8, 1-11, and 2-10 last year, which was Odom's first year in charge. Do the Boilermakers have that short of a leash if another measly year is unfolding?

You don't want to assume so, but Ryan Walters only got two years and a 5-19 record before change happened. A mid-November game at Iowa could be a harsh reality for Purdue.

Matt Rhule, Nebraska

Oct 11, 2025; College Park, Maryland, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule walks on the field during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Is 19-19 overall and 10-17 in the Big Ten good enough at Nebraska?

If you ask their fans, it's a resounding and decisive "no." If you ask America, that's more the level of college football Nebraska resides on.

That's Matt Rhule's record at Nebraska. It includes an 0-3 mark against Iowa. With the annual Black Friday game waiting as the regular-season finale, could Iowa make it four in a row while ushering Nebraska to the coaching carousel?

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/iowa as Which Coaches on Iowa Football's 2026 Schedule Are on the Hot Seat?.

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