Iowa needs a new offensive-line coach after Tim Polasek's departure for Wyoming

Chad Leistikow
Hawk Central
Tim Polasek (right, alongside Trisan Wirs in August 2019) spent four years on the Hawkeye staff.

If there's one opening on an Iowa football coaching staff that shouldn't be too worrisome, it's offensive line. The Hawkeyes' head coach, Kirk Ferentz, is a longtime guru at that position and should be well-connected and well-equipped to make a good hire for that role.

That said, it is a big loss to see four-year offensive line coach Tim Polasek leave the program.

On Wednesday, Polasek was officially named offensive coordinator at Wyoming. The move reunites him with Cowboys head coach Craig Bohl. They worked together at North Dakota State, where Polasek was the offensive coordinator under Bohl before joining the Hawkeyes in February of 2017.

Perhaps Polasek's most obvious achievement at Iowa was coaching and developing Tristan Wirfs, from start to finish of his three-year Iowa career. Wirfs became a first-round draft pick of the Tampa Buccaneers and had a remarkable rookie season protecting Tom Brady and walked away with a Super Bowl victory.

The Hawkeyes had their best rushing season in a while in 2020, averaging 4.62 yards per carry — the program's highest average since 2008. Iowa ranked second in the Big Ten Conference in scoring (31.8 points per game).

"A huge thank you to Kirk Ferentz for taking a shot on an offensive coach who had never coached the O-line," Polasek said in a statement released by Wyoming. "I've learned so much in my four years at Iowa, and I will forever be grateful. He taught me what is really important in this business and what is just noise. In my time at Iowa, I can honestly say that I learned something from him every day. Coach Ferentz and his staff exemplify what it is to be true professionals. I wish them all the best moving forward."

Polasek officially becomes the first Iowa full-time assistant coach to voluntarily leave for another job since linebackers coach Jim Reid became Boston College's defensive coordinator following the 2015 season. 

Iowa has another opening on its offensive staff. The school confirmed Wednesday afternoon that running backs coach Derrick Foster is leaving for an NFL job. A recent AL.com report said Foster was going to serve as an assistant for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers.