Iowa Football Promotes Jon Budmayr to Wide Receivers Coach: Assessing the Decision
In an expected move, Iowa football has completed its coaching staff by promoting Jon Budmayr to the position of wide receivers coach. Budmayr, who had been representing the receivers in staff meetings since January, has worked as an offensive analyst and special assistant to the head coach at Iowa for the past two seasons. With his wealth of knowledge and familiarity with the program, Budmayr is seen as an excellent fit for the role, according to Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.
Budmayr’s journey to becoming a wide receivers coach has been an interesting one. He played quarterback at Wisconsin until 2010 when an injury forced him to retire. After working as a student assistant with the Badgers for two years, he became a graduate assistant at Pittsburgh under head coach Paul Chryst. When Chryst returned to Wisconsin, Budmayr followed him and served as a quality control assistant and eventually quarterbacks coach for three seasons.
In 2021, Budmayr was hired as offensive coordinator at Colorado State before joining Iowa in an off-field role primarily focused on quarterbacks and the passing game. Now, with his promotion to wide receivers coach, Budmayr will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on a position group that has struggled in recent years.
The decision to elevate Budmayr to wide receivers coach has sparked some skepticism within the Iowa fanbase. The position has seen high turnover and limited production over the past decade-plus. Out of the 24 receivers signed as freshmen from 2012-2021, only five finished their careers at that position at Iowa. Additionally, in the last two seasons, Iowa’s receivers caught just 76 passes each year, tying for the lowest output at the position since 1982.
Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz has a history of hiring coaches based on their coaching abilities rather than their experience at a specific position. While this approach has worked in some cases, such as with Seth Wallace, a former college wide receiver who is now one of the nation’s top linebackers coaches, there have been instances where it backfired. Brian Ferentz, for example, was primarily a coach for offensive line and tight ends before shifting to quarterbacks.
Given Iowa’s track record with recruiting, developing, and retaining quality receivers, it’s understandable that there is skepticism surrounding Budmayr’s hiring. Although he possesses football acumen, Budmayr did not play receiver and has not directly coached the position. Until the wide receivers group becomes at least net neutral rather than the team’s worst unit each year, the skepticism surrounding Budmayr’s appointment seems warranted.
In conclusion, Iowa football has made the decision to promote Jon Budmayr to the position of wide receivers coach. While Budmayr brings a wealth of knowledge and familiarity with the program, there are concerns about his lack of experience playing and coaching the position. It remains to be seen how Budmayr will fare in his new role and if he can help improve the performance of Iowa’s wide receivers group. Only time will tell if this decision proves to be a successful one for the Hawkeyes.