IOWA CITY — After his time as a graduate assistant with Iowa football from 2012 to 2014, Chris Polizzi’s path took him to a handful of places.
He worked on staff at Western Carolina, Tennessee Tech, UT Martin and Tulsa, spending time as defensive coordinator at both UT Martin and Tulsa. He was also UT Martin’s co-special teams coordinator for kickoff and kickoff return.
But there was a common thread between all the stops he made after leaving the Hawkeyes: it didn’t feel like it did at Iowa.
“I guess I use the term, you can’t enjoy the sweet until you’ve tasted the bitter,” Polizzi said. “Everywhere I went (after Iowa), there was something off or just didn’t feel right about where it was. And believe me, I had tremendous experiences there. But it just wasn’t Iowa. And I think it all stems from the head coach.”
More: Why Iowa football is place where players want to stay, not leave
He rejoined the program as an analyst and spent last season assisting defensive coordinator Phil Parker with the secondary. Polizzi provided a helping hand to special teams coordinator LeVar Woods, but it was on a much more limited basis.
“When my hand hits the door handle here in this building, I absolutely love it,” Polizzi said. “And I can’t say that that’s the same in a lot of other places. I can’t wait to be here. I can’t wait to work with these players. I can’t wait to be in this building. It’s just a great feeling.”
After the conclusion of last season, Woods left Iowa to become the assistant head coach and special teams coordinator for Big Ten foe Michigan State.
He enters his first season as the Hawkeyes’ special teams coordinator, taking over a group that looks vastly different than it did in 2025.
This change is a big deal. Iowa's special teams are rich in tradition. That's part of how the Hawkeyes gain an edge and win in the margins. Iowa’s ability to continue to thrive in what almost feels like a new era of special teams is an important storyline ahead of the 2026 campaign and beyond.
More: Jeremy Hecklinski brings swagger to Iowa football QB battle | Leistikow
“I want to highlight some of the things that are the same as far as special teams go,” Polizzi said. “The structure — it's been very productive over a number of years. The techniques that produce the results are the same, and the expectations, frankly, from within the building and outside the building are the same.”
“The communication style,” Polizzi said. “I love LeVar. He's a friend of mine. We're different people, different coaches. And the standard — the standard of what was special teams when coach Woods took over is completely different now than what the standard is of today… The standard is what the players and the previous coaches have set, and we cannot go backwards from that standard.”
More: 5 spring things we learned from Iowa football's Tim Lester | Leistikow
The Hawkeyes' special teams unit has endured a major overhaul. Woods, who had great success leading that unit, is gone. So is Kaden Wetjen, the program’s all-time leader in combined return touchdowns, and Drew Stevens, the program’s all-time leading in made field goals. On top of that, punter Rhys Dakin followed Woods to Michigan State.
None of those departures will be easy to fill, particularly Woods, Wetjen and Stevens.
“Event, response, outcome,” Polizzi said. “You're going to control about 10% of the world around you, 90% of it is going to be your response to the events. Again, leading back with coach (Kirk) Ferentz, you see how he handles responsibility and opportunities and change and flux, and it's always with a steady hand at the wheel. It's never with a knee-jerk reaction.”
Polizzi threw out a handful of names for who could replace Wetjen in the return game: Zach Lutmer, KJ Parker, Jaylen Watson, Brevin Doll, and Reece Vander Zee. Lutmer, who had a breakout 2025 campaign at defensive back, has shown that he can be dynamic with the ball, which he flashed during his pick-six against Minnesota last season.
“I'd say there's nobody out of the competition at this point,” Polizzi said. “You should see the line for the Jugs machine. (It's like) when the Dairy Queen down on Riverside opens up. That line is down around the corner. It's a long and distinguished line of guys that are working towards it.”
Iowa has a pair of newcomers competing for the punting job. Transfer Tanner Philpott, a Waukee Northwest grad, was an AFCA Division III Coaches’ second-team All-American at Simpson College last season. Meanwhile, Boston Everitt comes from a far different background as a native of Australia, who has never played in a game of American football before.