Iowa Hawkeyes set to honor Bill Brashier with helmet decal during Nebraska game
Legendary Iowa defensive coordinator Bill Brashier passed away earlier this month at the age of 93.
Of course, Brashier was a foundational piece of the Hawkeyes’ successes under former head coach Hayden Fry. In fact, Brashier was one of the members of Fry’s original coaching staff in 1978, serving as the Hawkeyes’ defensive secondary coach.
He eventually was named defensive coordinator and then assistant head coach prior to the 1983 season. Brashier retired from coaching following Iowa’s 38-18 win over Washington in the Sun Bowl to conclude the 1995 season.
During Brashier’s 17-year stint with the program, the Hawkeyes won three Big Ten titles and appeared in 12 bowl games, including three Rose Bowls. The Hawkeyes won eight or more games in 10 of Brashier’s 17 seasons on staff.
Brashier was a three-year starter at North Texas as a defensive back, quarterback and punter (1949-51). He collected 10 interceptions in 1951 and had 19 career thefts. Both are school records that still stand. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from North Texas and returned as an assistant coach at North Texas for 11 seasons prior to joining the Iowa staff.
“Bill Brashier was a tremendous defensive coach. Leadership was an integral part of every victory and championship our program achieved in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and I was honored to coach alongside him as a young assistant. He got the absolute best out of all of his players every single day. They loved and respected him as a leader and as a person.
“Bill was never flamboyant or flashy. He didn’t seek the spotlight. As a coach, he was without peer. On top of that, Bill was an incredible mentor to young coaches like Barry Alvarez, Dan McCarney and me. There was no better person for a young coach to be around. Mary and I send our heartfelt condolences to Bill’s wife, Ann, his family, his former players and all of his friends,” Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz said of Brashier in a statement after his passing.
Now, the Hawkeyes are honoring Brashier this Friday against Nebraska with helmet decals that bear his initials just above the American flag.
Honoring a legend… 𝘽𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝘽𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙧#Hawkeyes
— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) November 22, 2022
What a cool gesture from the Hawkeyes to honor a man that was a big reason for Iowa’s successes throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s in particular, but also during these past 24 years under Kirk Ferentz as well. Alongside head coach Hayden Fry, Bill Brashier helped build the foundation of winning football at Iowa that fans enjoy today.
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