Troy High School head coach and former Iowa standout Jordan Canzeri will be watching a familiar college football landscape from a different sideline this weekend as UAlbany visits Iowa in the season opener. Canzeri, who once considered the University at Albany before Iowa swooped in and signed him in 2011, found a path to national prominence with the Hawkeyes, rushing for more than 2,000 career yards and helping Iowa reach the Rose Bowl in his senior year.
“Back then, you didn’t see the four-star, five-star recruits choosing Iowa, but there were plenty of stories of players who weren’t highly rated who thrived there,” Canzeri recalled this week. The surprise path he followed has become a defining part of his own coaching philosophy at Troy, where he serves as head coach and also acts as a principal’s assistant, emphasizing effort and character to his program.
Now Canzeri will have a front-row seat to see his other alma mater on the national stage when UAlbany takes on Iowa at Kinnick Stadium, a venue with a capacity of 69,250, for a Saturday night showdown airing on FS1 at 6 p.m. The Great Danes will face a strong test against a Hawkeyes team looking to start its season on the right note.
Canzeri didn’t anticipate the sight of UAlbany on Iowa’s schedule, but he’s embraced the connection it creates. He expects a lively atmosphere in Iowa City, noting that while Hawkeye fans can be loud, the environment is rarely hostile, and the proximity of the stands to the sideline will make for an intense, though not derisive, vibe.
One Iowa tradition that adds a human touch to the game is the Hawkeye Wave, a first-quarter moment when players and fans honor pediatric patients and families at the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, which overlooks Kinnick Stadium. The hospital opened in 2017, two years after Canzeri finished his tenure with the Hawkeyes, and he has visited the hospital and attended games connected to the tradition.
Ferentz, who is entering his 27th season as Iowa’s head coach, remains a steady presence in Canzeri’s life. The two maintain a close relationship, and Canzeri says Ferentz’s emphasis on the little things and on doing the right thing every day has shaped his own approach to coaching and leadership. If Iowa can secure a win on Saturday, Ferentz would reach 205 victories, tying Ohio State’s Woody Hayes as the Big Ten’s all-time leader among coaches.
Canzeri, who starred for Iowa as a senior in 2015 with a team that went 12-2, has watched the program evolve with continued success. Iowa added transfer quarterback Mark Gronowski, the 2023 Walter Payton Award winner from the Football Championship Subdivision, to bolster the offense as they head into the new season.
“I’m hearing that we have some quality players on both sides of the ball who are expected to be looked at as potential high draft picks,” Canzeri said, speaking about the Hawkeyes’ depth and talent. He also highlighted the importance of consistency and accountability, traits he tries to cultivate in Troy, where he continues to emphasize hard work and character as fundamental elements of his program.
As UAlbany visits Iowa City, Canzeri sees a lot of meaningful intersections between his two football lives. The former Hawkeye and current Trojan coach understands what’s at stake for both programs: a season-opening win in a storied stadium, and a chance to watch his own program continue to grow under his leadership, inspired by the standards Ferentz has set for decades.
For observers, the matchup offers a chance to see whether Iowa’s blend of experienced leadership and new talent can translate into a strong start to the season, while UAlbany looks to pull off an early upset on the road against a program steeped in college football tradition. The game also serves as a reminder of Canzeri’s journey—from a smaller recruit to a college star and then to a coach shaping young players with a similar love of the game.