The background to my phone.

The F-Bomb isn’t in this. Family website. PG 13 or TVMA or whatever.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said it and immediately apologized in response to a reporter’s question about the Peter Gray mess. Gray, whose title was associate director of athletic student services, resigned last week amid accusations that he provided football tickets and money for sexual favors and inappropriately touched student-athletes.

Associated Press sports reporter Luke Meredith cited a radio report. Ferentz wanted to know specifics. Meredith cited KCJJ after initial evasiveness. Ferentz questioned the question and then said, “You sit in here every week and you ask that [expletive] question?” Ferentz immediately apologized for the language.

Ferentz was clearly upset. You can read what led up to the exchange here (again, thanks to HawkeyeNation.com’s Jon Miller):

Q: Do you envision the day that you have a quote unquote full time recruiting coordinator, where that is all that person does?

Kirk Ferentz: Not necessarily right now. Things have changed so much in just five years and even three years, maybe two years. I wouldn’t rule it out. I wouldn’t rule it out. We kind of had that back when we got here, but things have changed so much. But I wouldn’t rule it out.

Q: How much have Eric’s responsibilities shifted from on field obligations to recruiting related obligations?

Ferentz: I can’t give your percentages, but it has increased due to the nature of the way things are. That individual has to have more freedom to leave a staff room and attend to things. The way it has accelerated has been a big challenge to get anything done football wise.

Q: So you are not thinking that direction

Ferentz: Not right now. If two years from now it’s the best thing, the door is not shut.

Q: It has been out there that you had your players cut off contact with Pete Gray after learning about his behavior…is that true?

Ferentz: Where was that?

Q: A radio station reported it (KCJJ, item linked here) 

Ferentz: Then we know that is true…with all due respect. I do an hour of radio a week and I know everything I say.

Q: Did you have players cut off contact with that person?

Ferentz: I would not know that. I have yet to decide that.

Q: What changes in your preparation for Denard Robinson, maybe like Dan Persa who is mobile and and can buy time.

Ferentz: The balance would be more towards designed runs. Dan didn’t have many of those but with Denard there are a lot of designed plays to keep the ball or be an option to keep the ball.

Q: What changes defensively with a QB who has more designed runs?

Ferentz: It is an equal challenge. You don’t know what the percentage of calls are going to be…I’m sorry, I’m distracted by that ‘It’s Out there’ (question on Pete Gray). I’ve got to apologize, but that is so bad.

Q: I was trying to confirm something that we heard.

Ferentz: From where?

Q: It was a from a radio station, I guess. I was trying to get it from the horse’s mouth.

Ferentz: What is your question, I will answer it, but not just something ‘that is out there’.

Q: With this person that was let go last week, did you shut off contact with your players after you heard about the allegations?

Ferentz: I am trying to figure out how it all…the person in question didn’t work with our players.

Q: So he never worked with..

Ferentz: He did in the past, it has been a while…a significant while.

Q: Maybe this is coming from a few of your former players tweeted about it.

Ferentz: I am not out there where I know all of that stuff.

(Iowa Sports Information Director Steve Roe cuts in:)  ”Coach can’t comment on that anyway.  Let’s move on.”

Ferentz:  What was the last question…I am totally distracted here.

Q: About sustaining what you guys can do, thinking about a guy like Matt Tobin, a guy you find, a guy you find and can make into a player. What the state of Iowa basically provds….the bounty that our state can give you is a guy like him.

Kirk Ferentz: Hopefully. Bruggeman, guys like that. No matter what offense you want to run, you need linemen. We are more apt to find a lineman than a running back. Weisman could have grown up in Iowa.

Q: You can find those guys more so than a Percy Harvin.

Ferentz: Those guys probably aren’t going to walk on.

Q: Not going to find them in Iowa

Ferentz: You might, but the entire world will know about them. He was like that back in high school.

Q: Tobin, do you take satisfaction in how he has progressed?

Ferentz: Oh yeah. He has worked his tail off to do it. He is a self made guy. We liked him…just like Greenwood coming out of high school but you never know how things will develop and materialize.

Q: Turnover margin is a key stat. You lead the Big Ten, so are you surprised that has not led to more success?

Ferentz: Yes and no. It is an important stat, it’s something we have always believed. The one thing about it is that it doesn’t guarantee success in terms of wins and losses. Flipping it around it’s a challenge to be bad in that area and still win. You have to be talented. We have been up high and not had a great year. I think 2007. It sure helps your chances, it’s a really important stat.

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Transcript from main news conference (will have video soon):

Coach Ferentz - 11 13 12

Captains, passing mention to the medical (DE Joe Gaglione, LB James Morris should be back). Another medical question at 1:06. FB Brad Rogers might be back. They are going on as though RB Mark Weisman won’t be with them this week. Some Michigan questions regarding QB and OL. 3:54 — What went into passing on the FG last week vs. Purdue?

Are you afraid of it getting worse? No fear, he said. Looking at program as a whole. :29 — Struggling to build it back up. 1:20 — I ask about injured OL and Conor Boffeli, who came through for Iowa, at least a little, last weekend at guard. 3:20 — Asked if it’s just bad luck (Iowa has lost six games by three points or less), he said if you’re hanging around for luck, you probably shouldn’t be doing football.

Linebackers are nicked up. Morris has a chance to be ready. I ask about defense and scheming and whether or not they’re tempted to try to scheme. Lecture, probably deserved it. They do scheme on D. They are doing what they think will help them win. I was shooting bigger picture. Michigan’s pass defense.

Interesting question on whether or not the NFL and college styles of football continue to drift apart. At 2:39, he’s asked about mediocrity. Bigach and Gaglione, Iowa DLs and not a detective show on the USA Network.

No guarantees anything is just going to get better.