The Courier speculates on five names to replace Mark Farley

CEDAR FALLS – The impact Mark Farley has made on the University of Northern Iowa football program and the University itself will be hard to replace.

Sunday, after 24 years, Farley, the winningest coach in Missouri Valley Football Conference history announced he was going to retire at the end of the season.

During a press conference Monday, UNI Director of Athletics, Megan Franklin, said the university has hired College Sports Associates of Raliegh, N.C. to lead a nationwide search for Farley’s replacement.

Without any inside information on where the search may head or on any potential candidates, the Courier breaks down five names that could emerge as potential replacements.

The candidate, the Courier believes, probably needs to have some kind of ties to Iowa, although that should not preclude any potential replacements.

None of these candidates have said publicly they are interested; it is a speculative list.

Former Northern Iowa football player and NFL player, Bryce Paup returns to UNI as an assistant defensive line coach for the panthers, photograph during practice Monday, April 1,2013, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (COURTNEY COLLINS/Courier Staff Photographer)

BRYCE PAUP: If UNI was to go in house, Paup should be a strong candidate.

The veteran coach and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year was named assistant head coach starting with the 2022 season.

Paup has been part of Farley’s staff over two stints. He was defensive line coach from 2013 to December of 2016, before leaving to join PJ Fleck’s staff at Minnesota for the 2017 season.

Paup rejoined the Panthers in 2018 as defensive line coach and has served in that role adding the assistant head coach and run-game coordinator duties over the last seven seasons.

Why Paup would be an excellent hire: This is a name known to the Cedar Valley and he could hit the ground running not only on the recruiting trail for players but keeping Farley’s deep ties to the football programs donor base.

Northern Iowa defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson instructs during a Panther practice in 2018.

Jeremiah Johnson, Defensive Coordinator at Louisiana Tech: Another name that would enlist excitement in the Cedar Valley.

Johnson served under Farley for 16 seasons over two stints, 11 of them as defensive coordinator. The Panthers won four conference titles with JJ directing the defense.

He spent the 2022 season as defensive coordinator at Kent State, returned to UNI for the 2023 season before being lured to Ruston, La by Tech coach Sonny Cumbie.

Jeremiah Johnson

Why Johnson would be an excellent hire: If you could corner Johnson, he would probably tell you he bleeds purple and gold. Like Paup, he knows UNI’s Iowa recruiting base, plus he knows how to recruit the Kansas City area where UNI has gleaned many great players.

Johnson is a Midwest guy, his family still lives in the area, and his wife is from the state. And finally, like Farley, he is a defensive coaching wizard.

Joe Woodley, Grand View Head Coach: Woodley is in his sixth year as head coach and 17th with the Vikings. Grand View has been to the NAIA FCS Championship semifinals twice under Woodley and have made the NAIA FCS playoffs all five of his seasons. A native of Clive, Woodley played at Iowa State. Woodley currently has a career record of 67-5 and the Vikings are 9-0 this season.

Wartburg College head football coach Chris Winter speaks Tuesday during the Knights' media day.

Chris Winter, Wartburg College: I think this would be a long shot. Winter is a Knight, through and through, but it is hard to miss the success he has had with Wartburg since taking over for Rick Willis. Winter is in his fourth season as head coach and has been part of the Knights’ staff for 17 years and served as defensive coordinator for many of those seasons.

The Knights are currently ranked No. 11 in Division III. Winter is 41-6 with two Division III National Semifinal playoff appearances under his belt.

Nebraska defensive coordinator Erik Chinander watches warmups before a game against Michigan last Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

Erik Chinander, Defensive Coordinator at Boise State: Stick with me here. Chinander is a native of the Allison/Bristow area, played football at Iowa for Kirk Ferentz from 1998 to 2002 where he was a member of the Orange Bowl championship team.

After a season as an assistant at Ellsworth Community College, Chinander joined Farley’s staff where he served as an offensive assistant/tight ends coach from 2004-09. He left UNI to become an intern at Oregon and then served as a graduate assistant at Oregon (2014-15) before following another former UNI assistant, Scott Frost, to Central Florida in 2016. Then in 2018 he followed Frost to Nebraska where he was defensive coordinator for the Cornhuskers until 2022. Chinander joined Boise State’s staff in 2023 and was promoted to Broncos’ defensive coordinator last December.

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