Maybe we've lost the sight of what the purpose of college athletics is," Farley said. "For me, that's giving Iowa farm kids the chance to go play college football and get a college degree."

Farley is the winningest football coach in UNI and Missouri Valley Football Conference history, with a total of 182 wins under his belt.

“From the first time I met Mark and every other meeting, the thing that has stood out about him, one, is his tenacity,” University of Northern Iowa president Mark Nook said. “It shows. He is a very tenacious person. He cares deeply about this institution and has from the very beginning.