Well, that's part of the puzzle of the 2016 Iowa coaching staff solved:
Seth Wallace moves from recruiting coord. to Iowa linebackers coach. https://t.co/O8LIyhPQb1 #Hawkeyes #Until pic.twitter.com/gAvxzB1HaJ
— The Iowa Hawkeyes (@TheIowaHawkeyes) January 22, 2016
Seth Wallace will switch from recruiting coordinator to linebackers coach on the Iowa staff. Iowa had a vacancy at linebackers coach since Jim Reid left to become the defensive coordinator at Boston College earlier this month. We speculated that Iowa could make an internal hire to replace Reid, but the most likely name there seemed to be LeVar Woods, who played linebacker for Iowa and several NFL teams and who helped coach linebackers at Iowa from 2012-14. Instead, it looks like Woods will be remaining at tight ends coach, while Wallace takes over for Reid at linebackes coach.
Wallace has previous experience coaching on the defensive side of the ball. He was defensive coordinator at Valdosta State from 2010-13, while also coaching defensive backs (2009-12) and the defensive line (2013) while he was with the Blazers. He also worked on the defensive side of the ball as a graduate assistant when he was with Iowa from 2006-08 and has assisted in coaching defenders (defensive line in 2014, cornerbacks and nickelbacks in 2015), since he returned to the program as recruiting coordinator in 2014. As linebackers coach, he'll be tasked with continuing to develop returning starters Josey Jewell and Ben Niemann (who both made big strides last season) and in further developing the depth behind those two (as well as replacing Cole Fisher, Iowa's third starting LB in 2015).
This little bit of musical chairs does still leave Iowa short one official coach and in terms of responsibility, it leaves Iowa looking for someone to handle the recruiting coordinator gig (the main job) and also assist with coaching cornerbacks and nickelbacks (as Wallace did in 2015). In the press release announcing Wallace's move to LB coach, Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz indicated that they would announce the new coaching hire for that open job after National Signing Day (February 3, 2016).
As for who could replace Wallace... GA Kelvin Bell seems like a popular name:
I think Kelvin Bell maybe gets a bump. On-campus recruiting coordinator, has been out recruiting since Reid left. Coached ST as a GA at Iowa
— marcmorehouse (@marcmorehouse) January 22, 2016
My first guess for recruiting coordinator if promoting from within would be Kelvin Bell. Has done great work in on-campus role.
— Tom Kakert (@HawkeyeReport) January 22, 2016
Candidate for recruiting coordinator will likely be staffer Kelvin Bell. He's done some off-site recruiting in places like Indy past 2 weeks
— Derek Young (@DYoungScout) January 22, 2016
Bell was a defensive lineman for Iowa in 2000, but between a redshirt season and long-term injuries, he didn't have much of a playing career. He bounced around the lower division coaching ranks for several years before becoming a graduate assistant coach at Iowa in 2012-13; more recently he's served as the director of on-campus recruiting for Iowa, which is probably why the move to recruiting coordinator seems like such a natural fit. Wallace is widely credited with spearheading the overhaul of Iowa's recruiting efforts and modernizing their approach to things like social media. Given the overwhelmingly positive feedback Wallace's initiatives have received from recruits, I'd expect Bell (or whoever replaces Wallace) to keep things going in much the same fashion. Hopefully that -- plus the recent success on the field -- starts paying dividends in the form of more high-profile recruits (why, hello there, Mr. Epenesa) and improved recruiting classes. In any event, it sounds like we'll find out in a few weeks who will be replacing Wallace as recruiting coordinator and what the Iowa coaching staff will look like for the 2016 season.