Son of embattled Iowa strength coach says he's transferring from Hawkeye football team
Dillon Doyle is looking for a new college football team.
The son of Iowa strength coach Chris Doyle said Tuesday that he’s transferring away from Iowa. Chris Doyle is currently on administrative leave as numerous players have complained about the program’s culture and the way he treated them.
“I’d like to take this time to thank Iowa football for my time in the program,” Dillon Doyle wrote on Twitter. “Growing up in Iowa City it has always been my dream to wear the Tiger Hawk and I have taken great pride in representing the state of Iowa for the last two seasons. The relationships I’ve formed through this program will last forever and I’m so incredibly grateful for each of the people I’ve met during my time here.”
— Dillon Doyle (@dillondoyle_) June 9, 2020
Doyle appeared in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman in 2019 and had 23 tackles.
Chris Doyle spoke out on Sunday
Doyle was placed on administrative leave Saturday after myriad players spoke out about their negative experiences at Iowa. Much of that criticism was levied at Doyle and assistant Brian Ferentz, the son of coach Kirk Ferentz. Multiple players noted that changing Iowa’s culture started with a change in the weight room.
Doyle has been Iowa’s strength coach for 21 years and is the highest-paid strength coach in college football with a salary of $800,000 a year. He said Sunday that he was told to stay silent but couldn’t do so. In his statement, he said that he has never shown racial bias.
“I have been asked to remain silent, but that is impossible for me to do. There have been statements made about my behavior that are not true. I do not claim to be perfect. I have made mistakes, learned lessons and like every American citizen, can do better. At no time have I ever crossed the line of unethical behavior or bias based upon race. I do not make racists comments and I don’t tolerate people who do. I am confident that a complete review of the body of work over 21 years will speak for itself and I am trusting the process to respect the rights and experiences of all parties involved. There are countless men of character who are better fathers, husbands, activists, leaders and contributors to society due to their experience at Iowa Football. The record will show this.”
Ferentz, 65, has been Iowa’s coach for the duration of Doyle’s tenure with the school. He said in a Sunday news conference that he’s the one who’s accountable for any negative experiences that players had while Hawkeye football players.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
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