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I was once told by someone working for a pro sports team I won’t name that the best time to release information is Saturday morning. He said it’s the time when the fewest amount of people are paying attention, and soon the weekend’s obvious stories would cover it up. People are either waking up late, worried about their weekend plans, or too hungover to bother with anything related to news.

So, when news auspiciously leaked out that one Brian Ferentz was moving from the New England Patriots as a TE coach to his old stomping grounds in Iowa City to be an OL coach, nary anyone really noticed. Other than me, and Patriots bloggers, I guess. But the move is significant in that I think we’ll look back on it from a B1G perspective and say it was a fairly crucial move for the future of Iowa football.

First off, Kirk, Iowa’s erstwhile coach, the “weatherman of college football” I lovingly have referred to him as since before I hit puberty…has ties to Bill Belichick. Those ties probably were instrumental in Brian going from nearly-made-it-but-didn’t NFL offensive lineman to Patriots employee. Belichick notoriously likes to hire his own.

That being said, Ferentz, the Brian variety, has been with the Pats since 2008, ample time for his dad to hire him. Kirk has been rumored for every job in the nation over the past decade, from prime minister of Russia to the Miami Dolphins. Why would he stay in Iowa, everyone clamored? Well, because whether you know it or not, Iowa is a bad ass college football environment, and they pay him inordinately well to be good every 2-3 years. Hence the weatherman reference. Kirk’s money 50% of the time, and the second you start believing in him, he lays a stinker and calls for 90 degrees and sunny before it snows 3 inches. And then he gets a bunch of rumors about leaving and a massive pay raise. Not a bad gig, if you can get it.

Which is why this move is significant. In my oft-beer-induced opinion, this smells like a succession plan eventually, and smells like Kirk saying he’s sticking at Iowa for the long haul. The latter part is surprising and it’s not. Eventually, you assume the guy will move on. But he never does, and he never gets younger, even though he sort of looks not as old as he is. Not bad, for a coach.

This move looks like he’s finally bringing on his son after some tuteledge under the Hoodie with the intentions of passing this program on to him. Think of it ala Joe and Jay Paterno. We’re assuming this one works out a little better, even if Brian doesn’t end up getting the job. That being said, young Ferentz is a damn good coach, and a total heist under the radar. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez were drafted in the second round for a reason. One because they weren’t sure he could ever lift much weight again (Gronk failed a physical for the Colts before the draft) and one for a myriad of reasons. Yet both, in no small part to their quarterback…but in no small part to Brian…have become top 10 at their position in the game in only two years.

So this succession plan looks iron clad. Then again, so many things have in college football in the past 12 months that haven’t, from Jim Tressel to whatever the hell just happened at Penn State (grabs vomit cup, fills it up). Kirk, in my opinion, has made the move to usher in the next phase of Iowa football. The sooner Brian improves, the closer we get to the end, probably. From here, it looks like the Iowa Ferentz’ are good for years and years to come.

By now, it’s afternoon, and everyone who would only casually care doesn’t want to talk about Iowa assistant football coaching changes. It’s Saturday, and there’s more beer to drink. Mark my words: this day will be brought up years from now when the Hawks are hoisting up one of those meaningless crystal footballs. You know, if they still exist.