Iowa is reshuffling the staff on the offensive side of the ball with longtime QB coach Ken O’Keefe stepping down on Wednesday.

According to the release from the Hawkeyes, O’Keefe will leave his on-field role as QB coach and step into an off-the-field role with the program. O’Keefe originally spent 1999-2011 with the Hawkeyes as OC and QB coach. Following a stint in the NFL, O’Keefe rejoined Iowa in 2017 as the QB coach.

“My entire family and I are incredibly grateful to coach Ferentz, the players – – especially the quarterbacks I have been privileged to work with – – the staff, the University of Iowa, and the great Hawkeye football fans for all of their support these many years,” said O’Keefe. “When you love what you do, and where you do it, when you love being around the staff and working with tremendous men like I do day-in and day-out, it is hard to walk away. But I am confident that the time is right for me to step off the field and embrace a new opportunity.”

“Ken has been an important part of our football program for almost two decades,” said Ferentz. “He was one of the key components of building our program’s foundation 23 years ago and has been a friend for far longer than that. Ken hired me to be on his staff at Worcester Academy in 1978, and it has been a professional and personal honor to work alongside him all of these years.”

According to the release, Iowa will honor the details of O’Keefe’s contract.

“This Hawkeye program is in great shape heading into the future,” said O’Keefe. “I look forward to helping out behind the scenes while also getting to spend some long overdue time with my wife, Joanne, and our family.”