Iowa football hires Chris Polizzi as new special teams coordinator

IOWA CITY — The Hawkeyes have found their new special teams coordinator.

Iowa football is expected to name Chris Polizzi as its new coordinator, according to a report from CBS Sports. Polizzi’s social media bio on X (formerly Twitter) also reflected the change on Thursday afternoon.

The internal move promotes Polizzi from his defensive analyst position he held last year. Polizzi was also a graduate assistant at Iowa from 2012-14. During that time, he helped coach former-Hawkeye and All-Big Ten Safety Micah Hyde, and was a member of Iowa’s 2013 Outback Bowl and 2014 Gator Bowl appearances.

The Great Barrington, Mass.-native spent time at UT Martin and University of Tulsa as a defensive coordinator for a combined five seasons. Polizzi was also a special teams coordinator for kickoffs and kick returns in 2018, before taking on the defensive coordinator position. He also made coaching stops at UCLA, Utah, Western Carolina and Tennessee Tech.

Along those coaching stops, Polizzi was also a recruiting coordinator, a linebackers coach, cornerbacks and safeties coach.

Polizzi is an alum of Lake Forrest College (2001-04), where he played cornerback, and was coached by Iowa’s assistant coach head coach Seth Wallace in 2003.

Polizzi steps into the special teams coordinator role after long-time Hawkeye LeVar Woods joined Pat Fitzgerald’s staff at Michigan State. The Hawkeyes also lost punt returner and two-time Jet Award winner Kaden Wetjen and kicker Drew Stevens from eligibility, and punter Rhys Dakin to the portal since Iowa’s ReliaQuest Bowl in on New Year’s Eve.

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“The trick will be to find the next LeVar Woods. He's done a fantastic job,” Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz said of Woods’ departure in December.

Ferentz said during Woods’ departure announcement that the Hawkeyes were planning to make a hire during the offseason, but didn’t specify a time frame after the bowl game. He did, however, mention that waiting until August wasn’t an option.

“I guess I'm describing what we're looking for, a guy who's a good coach, who's eager to take a challenge on, and immerse themselves in that world,” Ferentz said. “Special teams is a unique niche, if you will.”

Since the transfer portal opened however, the Hawkeyes have already picked up a new kicker in North Dakota State’s Eli Ozick. With Dakin following Woods to Michingan State, Iowa is still in search of a new punter and new punt returner.

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