Kirk Ferentz wants Iowa alumni advisory committee to continue

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Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said Wednesday he wants to restructure an advisory committee of former players formed after a 2020 investigation found evidence of racial bias against Black players in his program.

The timeline of when a new committee will be formed, and who will be on it, was unclear.

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"This is a time right now to think about football, think about a lot of things," Ferentz said at a news conference. "This is one we want to give thought to before we really formulate things."

Former offensive lineman David Porter, the leader of the original 10-person committee, suggested in early January that it was time for Iowa to part ways with Ferentz. The coach said he had decided to restructure the committee last fall, before Porter’s comments were made in a text message to other members of the committee.

"We’ve been in existence 16-18 months, and there were a lot of hours spent," Ferentz said. "So, probably in fairness to the guys on the committee, maybe (it’s) a chance to give them a reprieve and get some fresh faces. I’m not quite sure where we’ll go, and there may be some repeat members if they volunteer and they’re open to it."

Ferentz said he wants some of the members of the new committee to be players who have been on the team recently. Defensive back Jordan Lomax was the youngest player on the previous committee, having last played for the Hawkeyes in 2015.

"I think it’s like anything, sometimes a little change is good," Ferentz said. "I want guys who are willing, not tired or fatigued or whatever. We’ll go from there."

Asked about Porter’s statement that Ferentz should be replaced, the