Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz (record over the last three years: 19-18) has a salary higher than Ohio State’s Jim Tressel (National title game two years in a row), Mack Brown of Texas (title in 2005), and Mark Richt at Georgia (title this year?). This … something seems wrong about this. Intern Parrish wonders why the heck Ferentz is making so much loot and yet the Hawkeyes aren’t winning jack and the mediocre Big 10. When will the Iowans put pressure on a coach who hasn’t accomplished squat since 2002, and hasn’t won a bowl game since 1/1/2005?

Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, Les Miles, Nick Saban, Charlie Weis and Kirk Ferentz. Now, just like Sesame Street taught us, which one (or two in this case) does not belong? Once you take out Charlie Weis and his stupendous contract, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz takes home the award for grand larceny.

All of those coaches, save Ferentz and the Chuckster, have won national titles, yet somehow Ferentz seems to escape the pressure that should accompany his member ship of the $3 million and over club. That’s right kids; Kirk Ferentz makes mo’ chedda’ than Mack Brown, Tommy Tubberville, Rich Rodriguez, Mark Richt and national runner-up Jim Tressel. Not only does Ferentz seem to avoid public scrutiny, the university seems intent on protecting him.

His agent must be worth his weight in gold; maybe floating his name around every season for various new jobs has its payoffs.

In the last three years, Ferentz has led Iowa to a 19-18 record—going 11-13 in the awful Big 10—with its last bowl win coming after the 2004 season. According to Rivals.com, Iowa has finished 6th in the Big 10 (38th nationally) in recruiting rankings from 2002-2008—slightly better than Wisconsin, Michigan State and Purdue—yet all three have performed better on the field.

Wisconsin and Illinois seem to have improved in the last five years, whereas Iowa looks as though it is heading to the back of the pack. In a time when the Big 10 may be at its weakest, Iowa has fallen far too hard for its coach to earn as much as Ferentz does.

In some ways, I feel for Iowa. The university felt it had an amazing coach who could come in and channel Hayden Fry and bring Iowa to the promise land. Instead, they have a decent coach who won the Big 10 twice and then cashed out. Also, Ferentz did not exactly weave through a gauntlet to get to the top of the Big 10. Iowa played only two top-25 teams in the regular season in which it co-shared* the Big 10 title and missed playing No. 1 Ohio State in conference. Way to go Big 10. Later that year, the Hawkeyes were bitch slapped by to USC in their lone BCS appearance.

You have to believe that one is worth what one is paid, but it sure seems as though Ferentz is stealing money. Iowa is struggling while the Big 10 is at its worst and it appears to me that if Ferentz does not win this season, those in charge may need to reevaluate their program.