Maryland football head coach Mike Locksley has added former Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz to his staff as an analyst, a spokesman for the school said Friday.

Ferentz, 41, is the son of Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz and served as the Hawkeyes' offensive coordinator from 2017-2023. He spent five seasons as the Hawkeyes' offensive line coach from 2012-2016 prior to that.

Ferentz began his coaching career in 2008 following a brief stint playing in the NFL, serving as an offensive quality control coach for Bill Belichick's staff in New England. He served in that role for three years before being promoted to tight ends coach in 2011.

Iowa then-interim athletic director Beth Goetz fired Ferentz last October, effective at the end of the season, as the Hawkeyes had one of the nation's least productive offenses for a third straight season.

Despite the Hawkeyes' recent offensive struggles, Ferentz is considered one of the best offensive line and tight ends coaches in the game, with players like future NFL Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski crediting Ferentz for teaching him how to block. He also helped former Washington Redskins Pro Bowl offensive guard Brandon Scherff win the Outland Trophy in 2014 while serving as Iowa's offensive line coach.

Despite having graduated from Iowa City High School and having played for the Hawkeyes, Ferentz has some ties to Maryland. His father served as the Baltimore Ravens' offensive line coach from 1996-1998 and he attended Baltimore (Md.) Gilman School for two years before moving out to Iowa.

For Locksley, the analyst role is a familiar one, as he spent the 2016 season working as an offensive analyst for Nick Saban at Alabama. He was promoted to an on-field role as co-offensive coordinator in 2017 and helped lead the Tide to their 17th national championship before winning the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant while calling plays for Alabama in 2018.

Locksley has used the analyst role on his own staff to help other coaches looking to get their careers back on track, like former Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin, who now serves as the Terps' associate head coach and tight ends coach.

Ferentz will serve in an off-field role and is expected to be an extra set of eyes for Locksley on the offensive side of the ball and in game preparation.