‘First-class all the way around’: Kirk Ferentz excited to welcome Abdul Hodge back to program as tight ends coach
Former Hawkeye linebacker Abdul Hodge is returning to the program as Iowa’s tight ends coach. Hodge has spent the past three years as outside linebackers coach and NFL liaison at the University of South Dakota.
During his player career with the Hawkeyes, Hodge was a star. The former team captain was a three-time All-Big Ten linebacker with Iowa and he finished his career with 453 tackles. In 2005, Hodge racked up 13.2 tackles per game and 158 on the season, which ranks second best for the Hawkeyes in a single season.
Hodge sold Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz on switching over to coaching the offensive side of the ball as he returns to Iowa City.
“Obviously great to get Abdul back in the program. I think most of you know, or the guys who have been around here know that just a tremendous player, tremendous person, first-class all the way from start to finish. And has done a great job in his adult life. It’s scary how many years have passed by a little bit, but he is a young adult now. Has done a great job in his personal life and professional life. And really waited until his daughter went off to college, she was a softball player, wanted to get her established in a college situation before he ventured into college coaching. Has been up at South Dakota now for several years and has done a great job up there. Outstanding to get him back.
“He knows the program obviously and I think nobody knows better than Abdul or appreciates the role a coach has in terms of developing a real meaningful relationship with the players. He had that with the coaches here. And conversely I know he’ll have that with the players that he coaches as well as other players in the program, too, so really great to have him back,” Ferentz said.
Ferentz related the hiring of Hodge to the hiring of running backs coach Ladell Betts. Ferentz said it was the pair’s approach as players that gave him confidence each would make good assistant coaches.
“Look at Abdul, his career was prolific as a player in terms of production, but the guys that I consider to be really great players, they do more than make plays, they do more than tackle guys or make yards. They just make your team better. And Abdul was always just such a strong, dominant—in a very quiet way—but a very strong, dominant personality, if that makes sense. It’s a contradiction in terms, but there was never any doubt about what he was thinking about out there on the field, his intensity, his focus, his concentration. He just had that when he walked in here. We didn’t give it to him.
“And I’ve kind of witnessed that over the years talking to him. And, to me, the ultimate, when he moved his wife—talk about being a recruiter and a salesman, he got his wife to move from Fort Lauderdale to move to South Dakota—with all due respect—or Iowa. He got them and his son A.J. to go up there. It’s a pretty good sale. She’s part of the community. She’s teaching at the college up there. And they jumped in and were part of the community, not just there for a transactional stay. So everything about him just speaks, he’s a solid, standup productive guy. He’s got a great personality,” Ferentz said.
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