Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz tests positive for COVID-19
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has tested positive for COVID-19.
Iowa announced Friday that Ferentz had the coronavirus. The school said he was asymptomatic and that he would be in isolation away from the team and other coaches until Dec. 27.
Per the release, Ferentz tested positive on Thursday and a follow-up test confirmed the initial positive result.
“We have been fortunate this season to have played eight games and to have very few positive cases,“ Ferentz said in a statement. “When the team returns to practice on Tuesday, I will participate via Zoom and our collective focus will be on preparing for the bowl game.”
Iowa is not scheduled to play on Saturday after its game vs. Michigan was canceled due to COVID-19 cases at Michigan. Iowa said that it had given players the week off for finals and to enjoy the holiday season because of the cancellation.
Iowa’s game against Michigan was one of two Big Ten games canceled on the final week of the season. Purdue and Indiana were unable to play their rescheduled rivalry game on Saturday because of COVID-19 cases at both schools.
The Hawkeyes are set to finish the regular season at 6-2 after an 0-2 start. Iowa lost to Purdue and Northwestern to start the season and won five of its final six games by two scores or more.
Many other coaches have tested positive
Ferentz joins a large list of college football coaches who have said they tested positive for COVID-19 during the season. Fellow Big Ten coaches Jeff Brohm (Purdue), Paul Chryst (Wisconsin), and Ryan Day (Ohio State) have all revealed they tested positive. Alabama coach Nick Saban missed the Iron Bowl against Auburn after his positive test. That was Saban’s second positive test, though his positive test in October was determined to be a false positive after he tested negative on three consecutive days after the positive test.
Other coaches like Kansas’ Les Miles, Florida’s Dan Mullen, Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Arkansas’ Sam Pittman have all revealed they tested positive during the season.
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