Hawkeye Football: Iowa Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Doyle Issues Statement After Being Placed on Administrative Leave

Iowa Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Doyle issued a public statement Sunday afternoon both praising former players for coming forward with their stories in recent days while simultaneously denying any wrongdoing.

The statement, posted to the coach’s Twitter page, starts by describing his time at Iowa, the joy it’s brought him, as well as the sadness he has after hearing the stories shared over recent days. Doyle notes the courage it must take to step forward and states, “I am proud of them.”

Doyle’s remarks then turn to the allegations at hand, which he denies, stating, “At no time have I ever crossed the line of unethical behavior or bias based upon race. I do not make racist comments and don’t tolerate those who do.” He goes on to state his belief that the ongoing investigation into the allegations will prove them unfounded.

Doyle’s statement comes a day after head coach Kirk Ferentz placed him on administrative leave. As noted by Doyle, he has been of Iowa’s staff for 21 years alongside Ferentz.

The action comes as myriad former players have taken to social media to share their stories of their time at Iowa.

This is an ongoing situation with updates from players, coaches and staff expected. Kirk Ferentz is engaged in a Zoom call to address the situation with the media currently. Updates will continue to be published to the linked story stream as they become available.