Speculation surrounding the Iowa football team’s coaching changes has been “out there” for a few weeks now.
Two different recruits spilled the beans to a couple recruiting web sites recently when they said that Erik Campbell was no longer the wide receivers coach and DJ Hernandez would be coming on board as a graduate assistant.
Iowa denied any staff changes at that time, but Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz made the rumors into reality earlier this week when the school sent out a press release confirming the departure of Campbell and the addition of Hernandez.
“DJ has joined our staff as a graduate assistant, replacing David Raih,” said Ferentz. “DJ comes highly recommended and will work with our tight ends.”
Raih had been a graduate assistant at Iowa for three years but has also left the program after taking a position at Texas Tech.
Campbell has coached the Iowa wide receivers for the past five seasons. The school is saying that he left the program to “pursue other opportunities” but he has been linked to the Eastern Michigan coaching staff.
“David has accepted a position at Texas Tech,” said Ferentz. “David did a tremendous job for us and will be a great asset to the Texas Tech program. Erik has left the staff to pursue other opportunities. I am appreciative of his many contributions to our program and wish him the best in the future.”
Hernandez joins the Iowa program after serving as an offensive graduate assistant a year ago at Miami, Fla., where he worked primarily with the Hurricane wide receivers and special teams.
Miami, in 2012, featured six players with over 300 receiving yards and seven receivers with more than 20 receptions. The Hurricanes averaged 295.4 passing yards per game in earning a share of the Coastal Division title in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Prior to joining the staff at Miami, Hernandez, the brother of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, was the quarterbacks coach at Brown University in 2011, helping that program post a 7-3 record. He also assisted with special teams at Brown.
Ferentz and the University of Iowa Sports Information Department has said that no other changes are expected, but Lester Erb has been rumored to also be on his way out.
The Hawkeyes will begin spring practice in late March.
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