IOWA FOOTBALL

Hawkeye football staff makes two hires

Chad Leistikow
cleistik@dmreg.com

Iowa’s football staff officially added another Ferentz family member on Friday.

The university announced two hirings, including Tyler Barnes as director of recruiting. Barnes is married to head coach Kirk Ferentz’s daughter, Joanne. Barnes was with the Vanderbilt staff for three years, in 2013 as co-recruiting coordinator and the last two as director of player personnel.

Athletics director Gary Barta clarified that Barnes' hiring followed all nepotism policy requirements, and that he would report to a senior member of the athletic staff instead of Ferentz.

Ferentz’s oldest son, Brian, reports to Barta. He has been on staff since 2012 as Iowa’s offensive line coach.

"This process has worked well for us previously," Barta said, "and we expect it will in this case as well.”

The Iowa Hawkeyes logo.

Barnes essentially back-fills the role held previously by Kelvin Bell, who was elevated to recruiting coordinator and assistant defensive line coach in late February. Prior to going to Vanderbilt, he spent four years in the Hawkeye program as a student assistant, graduate assistant and administrative assistant.

Also Friday, Broderick Binns was named director of player development. The former all-Big Ten Conference defensive end at Iowa had been a graduate assistant under Ferentz the past two seasons.

He replaces Chic Ejiasi, who recently left the program to become director of player engagement with the NFL's Tennessee Titans.