Kirk Ferentz has been the head coach at Iowa since the 1999 season. Though the 2022 season did not go as hoped for the Hawkeyes, Ferentz has still produced an impressively long stretch of sustained success.

With the official placement of Iowa in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, Ferentz has now led the Hawkeyes to 20 bowl games during his time as head coach. The Hawkeyes are currently 9-9 in those games (the bowl game following the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID).

Here is what Ferentz had to say about the accomplishment and what the bowl games mean for the program during Sunday’s press conference:

Also, as has been mentioned, it is our 20th bowl now since 2001, and I think each one of them represent, I think a significant accomplishment, and then the other part about it, each one is really something that’s appreciated by everybody in our team, our program. They are special opportunities for our team, most importantly our players, and just to have this happen is really a good thing.

In general terms, the way I’ve always looked at it, it’s one more chance for our entire football team to compete together and work together for another couple weeks, which is great. For the seniors, it’s exactly that because this will be the last time they get a chance to compete with the Tigerhawk on their helmet, and I can tell you, it’s really special before they go off to their adult lives or whatever chapter is next for ’em.

And then for the younger guys, it’s significant from that standpoint as well as just it’s an opportunity to continue to develop, and these are really important opportunities for all the players that haven’t played a lot or even guys that have played that are younger to continue to move forward as players. And really the way you learn how to play football, there are a lot of different things that go into it, but the most important part is you have to go out and do it and practice it.

And we only have limited opportunities, so to pick up this month is really beneficial for everybody. And if you want to have a highly competitive team, competitive program, it’s just a really important opportunity.k

(H/T ASAP Sports)