Explanation why Tyler Barnes has a new job title
Tyler Barnes, Director of Recruiting, talks about Iowa Football’s new additions
Tyler Barnes, recruiting director for the Iowa football team, discusses various topics on National Signing Day in December.
One of the topics Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz discussed during his press conference on Friday was a change in his program’s personnel.
Specifically, Tyler Barnes’ title has changed from director of recruiting to chief of staff and general manager of the football team.
Ferentz said the change reflects the evolving landscape of college football recruiting and the fact that Barnes’ responsibilities are different today than they were just a few years ago.
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“Coaching is still coaching, but what’s changed is the world of recruiting, and that was challenging even 25 years ago,” Ferentz said. “Pat Fleury was our recruiting coordinator and the first year he had a lot of trouble leaving the office because of all the paperwork that had to be done, all the bureaucracy when it came to recruiting. At that point, it was pretty obvious that we needed to change our approach, and that’s what we did, and that’s kind of evolved.
“Tyler is basically a huge help in overseeing our entire HR group. Before, I was just doing recruiting, now you have NIL, you have a portal, there are all kinds of things, all kinds of moving parts. With him by my side, I can really do some of the things I want to do.
“With all of these changes, the work that Tyler and his team are doing is really critical because it allows our coaches to actually coach the guys that we’re recruiting. And when we recruit players, we promise them and their families that we’re going to try to coach them and help them progress,” Ferentz said. “You have to be here for that and you have to be present mentally and physically.”
More: Iowa Football: What Coach Kirk Ferentz said in his press conference on media day
Ferentz said the change is in line with what other programs across the country have done recently.
“It’s really interesting how things have shifted a little bit, and I think it’s more of a challenge now than it’s ever been,” Ferentz said. “I really want to compliment our personnel department. They’re doing a good job, and I think it allows the coaches to do what they enjoy most and hopefully do best.”
Gus Martin is Digital Producer/Content Director for The Des Moines Register. Follow him on X at @GusMartin_DMR.
