Hawk Central Hour

The Hawkeyes are saddled with some injury questions in Week 3, highlighted by star tight end DJ Vonnahme likely missing the Northern Iowa game. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman get you updated on the health front, the upside of this defense, the quarterback competition that is continuing and a preview of the UNI game.

The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman bring you a Labor Day podcast to dig deeper in Iowa football's Week 1 win over Northern Illinois and discuss quarterback play and what we think will and should happen against Iowa State.

The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman have lots to discuss after a 40-0 Hawkeye shutout of Northern Illinois at Kinnick Stadium, including a 500-yard day of offense, breakouts from Tony Diaz and Kamari Moulton and a shutout from the defense, which got a lot of guys some playing time. 

Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register spoke with NIU interim head coach Rob Harley to preview Iowa’s 2026 season-opener

The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman react to the Hawkeyes' Week 1 depth chart reveal, which still provided no answers (or did it?) at quarterback between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski. There was still plenty of other news to discuss as well, with unexpected names at several positions.

The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman outline their thinking of the 2026 Iowa football season and provide rationale for their record predictions, along with where they might be overhyping or underselling the Hawkeyes. 

Less than two weeks before Iowa's 2026 season kicks off, the Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow break down notable developments from the Hawkeyes' fall camp.

Three days removed from Kids Day at Kinnick, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman take another look at the day of quarterback performances from Jeremy Hecklinski, Hank Brown and up-and-coming Jimmy Sullivan. We also go back to our media-day reporting and Saturday viewing to come up with some of the Hawkeyes' biggest risers during this fall camp. 

It was just one practice out of nine, Kirk Ferentz reminded us. But Jeremy Hecklinski's dominant performance at quarterback has certainly shifted the QB conversation with Iowa football, 3 weeks ahead of the season opener. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman react to what they saw at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, August 15.

Only three-plus weeks until the season, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman convene to offer their, mild, hot and ghost-pepper takes on the Iowa football season ahead. We choose 10 bold predictions in all, covering the offensive and defensive sides of the ball completely. And with media day on Aug. 14 and Kids Day at Kinnick to follow, Chad and Tyler provide a preview of what they're looking to learn.

Back from vacation, the Register's Chad Leistikow reconvenes with Hawk Central teammate Tyler Tachman about the recently completed Big Ten Media Days while looking ahead to the start of fall camp for the Hawkeye football team. We discuss the potential of Tony Diaz living up to expectations, what a QB battle might look like that extends into September and the benefits of brewing competition at center and in the secondary. We also touch on the Tavion Banks news that he is definitely not returning to Iowa basketball.

The Register's Tyler Tachman recaps the most important storylines from Iowa football's appearance at Big Ten Media Days in Chicago.

After some vacation and the departure of our radio show on KXnO, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman are back together for a fresh episode of Hawk Central after an action-packed Wednesday in Hawkeye sports. Chad and Tyler break down what they've seen so far from Iowa men's basketball practice and who are "locks" to make Ben McCollum's rotation. We also talk receivers and quarterbacks in football after some interesting interviews.

For the third straight summer, Iowa offensive coordinator Tim Lester sits down with the Des Moines Register's Chad Leistikow to talk football and preview the upcoming Hawkeye season. Big topics covered include the quarterback battle ahead, the Shanahan system evoluation at Iowa and whether Lester has the pieces to finally run the offense he wants.

The Register's Chad Leistikow sits down with George Barnett, who is entering his sixth year as Iowa's offensive line coach, and they cover a lot of good ground. This is Barnett's first interview since his offensive line won the Joe Moore Award. We discuss the impact of that honor, the NFL Draft, how his father's death shaped his coaching journey and what's next for the Iowa offensive line in 2026 and beyond. 

The Register's Chad Leistikow outlines how the layoffs at KXnO impact Hawk Central going forward before bringing on Tyler Tachman to discuss Iowa basketball's latest schedule addition (Virginia Tech) and the NBA Draft experience for first-rounder Bennett Stirtz. The last 70% of the show is Chad's sit-down interview with Iowa football assistant defensive line coach Jay Niemann, who provides insight into a potentially concerning position group. 

The Register's Hawkeye beat reporter Tyler Tachman breaks down where the Iowa football and men's basketball programs stand on the recruiting trail. 

Sean Bock of 247Sports joins the Register's Tyler Tachman to talk all things Iowa men's basketball. We dive into recruiting, along with potential lineup combinations and schemes for the 2026-27 season.

The summer program is about to begin for Iowa football and men's and women's basketball, and it is a really big summer for all three. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman start with football's biggest summer story lines, including of course the quarterback situation between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski. Oh, and highly acclaimed QB recruit Tradon Bessinger arrives soon, too. Chad recaps his recent conversation with Iowa women's coach Jan Jensen while Tyler unpacks a lot of the top story lines for Ben McCollum and the Iowa men.

Readers wanted to know who would be tougher to replace, Kirk Ferentz or Beth Goetz? Is Iowa's next football coach on staff? How much patience will Goetz have with Tom Brands? And in the back half of our show, Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman take questions about the manner in which we cover the Hawkeyes. We lead with the Iowa women scheduling a home-and-home series with national power UConn.

The Register's Chad Leistikow hosts a special-edition Hawk Central with the architects of the Iowa women's basketball offseason in LaSondra Barrett (recruiting coordinator) and Sean Sullivan (general manager). The coaches explain how the five-player class (four college transfers, one freshman) came together over the course of nearly 40 minutes. To finish the show, Chad is joined by Register colleague Tyler Tachman to discuss the Big Ten's preferred 24-team football playoff format and what it means for Iowa.

A heavy men's basketball episode of Hawk Central this week, as head coach Ben McCollum's new contract opens up a lot of discussion about the future of the program. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman, who is at the NBA Combine, talk through the particulars plus look ahead to the recently-revealed Big Ten schedule breakdown. Chad also offers insight into a change for the Iowa women, and we react to the Washington football game being on a Friday night in Seattle.

With spring football and the NFL Draft in the books, we truly usher in the offseason Iowa's major sports, and it's a good time to reflect on the some award-winning performances. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman debate the top transfer, top freshman, most surprising story and more in this early-May episode of Hawk Central. We also discuss some of the best moments from Tyler's 1-on-1 interview with basketball coach Ben McCollum.

Coming out of Iowa's spring football practices, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman rank the team's position groups, one through nine, to provide context about where the 2026 Hawkeyes should be strong and where they could suffer. Chad and Tyler have completely different rankings 1 through 4, but then become more aligned when getting to the team's biggest weaknesses.

Live from Iowa City, the Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow dissect all they saw from Iowa football's open spring practice.

There's a lot happening in Hawkeye sports in late April, starting with the double-weekend pickups for Iowa men's basketball in Ty'Reek Coleman and Andrew McKeever. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down their arrivals while evaluating the Ben McCollum Year 2 roster as a whole. We also explore Iowa football's QB battle between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski. Finally, Dargan Southard makes his final Hawk Central appearance to take stock of Amari Whiting's signing with Iowa women's basketball.

A breaking-news Tuesday starts with Iowa football being forced to vacate four wins from its 2023 season from a recruiting violation related to old friend (or foe, perhaps?) Cade McNamara. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman delve into the NCAA ruling, Ben McCollum's quiet portal moves and Jan Jensen's big Georgia splash.  

With the Big Ten claiming national championships in men's and women's basketball, we now turn our attention to the offseason fully. The women's portal exits are done, but what can we expect on the men's side? The Register's Tyler Tachman and Chad Leistikow wander through Ben McCollum's roster, his decision to turn down a North Carolina interview and more ... including an early women's portal visitor and spring-football conversations.

The Monday-night news of Addie Deal intending to enter the tranfer portal shook the Iowa women's basketball fan base, but how should this news be absorbed? Big-picture conversations about the dwindling roster numbers for Jan Jensen's squad and what the concern level should be. On the men's side, how can Ben McCollum capitalize on an Elite Eight run as portal season is set to begin on the men's side? Plus, a little spring football talk with Chad Leistikow, Tyler Tachman and Dargan Southard.

Live from Houston, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down Iowa basketball's season-ending loss to Illinois in the Elite Eight.

Live from Houston, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down every element of Iowa basketball's improbable Sweet 16 win over Nebraska. In Ben McCollum's first year, Iowa is headed to its first Elite Eight since 1987.

Live from Houston, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect every element of Iowa basketball's Sweet 16 matchup against Nebraska.

One Hawkeye basketball team is moving on (surprisingly), and the other is staying home (also surprisingly). The Iowa men are headed to the Sweet 16, and the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman revisit the stunning upset of Florida while looking ahead to a quick turnaround to a Thursday game against a familiar rival in Nebraska. Chad and Dargan Southard also unpack the stunning upset loss for the No. 2 seed Iowa women to Virginia, looking at three things that caused that result and a look ahead to portal season.

Live from Tampa, the Register's Tyler Tachman joins Chad Leistikow to dissect Iowa basketball's stunning upset over defending national champion Florida. In Ben McCollum's first season, the Hawkeyes are headed to their first Sweet 16 since 1999. Up next...Nebraska.

Live from Tampa, the Register's Tyler Tachman joins Chad Leistikow to break down Iowa's basketball's win over Clemson. In Ben McCollum's first season, the Hawkeyes have their first NCAA Tournament win since 2021.

On this three-segment show of Hawk Central, the Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by Iowa men's basketball beat writer Tyler Tachman, who previews the first-round matchup with Clemson and we buy or sell Iowa's chances as a Sweet 16 team. On the women's side, Chad and beat writer Dargan Southard look at the Hawkeyes' surprising tournament-tested stature for being a young team and wonder: If the game's on the line, who gets the last shot? It's NCAA Wrestling Championships week, too, in Cleveland. Eli McKown joins Chad to preview the paths of Iowa's nine NCAA qualifiers.

The Register's Chad Leistikow, Tyler Tachman and Dargan Southard break down the NCAA Tournament paths for Ben McCollum's bunch and Jen Jensen's squad after learning their March Madness journeys on Selection Sunday.

The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman start Hawk Central on the men's side, soaking in two close calls last week against Michigan and Nebraska while looking ahead to a Wednesday-morning matchup vs. Oregon or Maryland. Chad and Dargan Southard offer a lot of perspective about the Hawkeye women's performance at the Big Ten Tournament, including how to balance a 51-point loss to UCLA with an impressive run to the conference championship game.

Live from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard dissect Iowa's Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal win over Illinois and look ahead to the Hawkeyes' semifinal matchup vs. Michigan.

The Iowa men's basketball team is picking up the pieces after a jarring loss at Penn State in which lineup combinations were baffling. The Register's Tyler Tachman joins Chad Leistikow to unpack the issues and two big games ahead as Ben McCollum's squad looks to relieve NCAA Tournament pressure. Meantime, the Iowa women are rolling into Indianapolis. What to make of this overachieving journey so far? Chad and Dargan Southard break it down and preview the Hawkeyes' postseason path.

An eventful Sunday of Iowa basketball has become a 75-minute Monday podcast surrounding the Hawkeyes' fortunes. First, the Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by Iowa women's basketball writer Dargan Southard. They break down the Hawkeyes' 62-44 win over then-No. 5 Michigan, with big-picture commentary about Jan Jensen, Ava Heiden and Hawkeye seniors Hannah Stuelke and Kylie Feuerbach. Register men's basketball writer Tyler Tachman joins Chad after the Iowa men lost at Wisconsin, 84-71. We look ahead to matchups against Ohio State and Penn State that could make or break the Hawkeyes' postseason opportunities.

After Iowa's 57-52 win over ninth-ranked Nebraska, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman react from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. How did Iowa win this game despite shooting 25% (7-for-28) in the second half? What about the court storm and Pryce Sandfort's treatment? We break down the on-floor and off-floor impacts of this top-10 victory for the Hawkeyes in a 30-minute podcast.

The Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard discuss what the No. 11 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament Selection Committe's Top 16 Reveal means and how the Hawkeyes are trending with Taylor Stremlow at the 2 spot going forward after an 80-67 win at Nebraska. We also discuss the slim margin for error that remains for this team, which is only a reliably 6 deep at the moment.

On a Friday bonus edition of the Hawk Central podcast, the Register's Chad Leistikow hosts an hour-plus conversation on the state of Iowa basketball. First, the more positive side of things with the Hawkeyes men, who are on a five-game winning streak with a good chance to make it seven in a row soon. Chad is joined by Tyler Tachman to boil down Ben McCollum's developing squad and sprinkle in some football talk, too. Dargan Southard joins Chad in the back half of the show as the Iowa women have dropped three in a row on the heels of an eight-game Big Ten winning streak. What buttons does Jan Jensen need to push next?

A basketball-only edition of Hawk Central starts with Tyler Tachman from the Pacific Northwest. The Register's Iowa men's basketball writer discusses what he saw from Bennett Stirtz, Alvaro Folgueiras and Brendan Hausen in an impressive 84-66 win over Oregon. He and Chad Leistikow look ahead to a big toss-up game vs. Washington before turning it over to women's basketball. Chad and Dargan Southard detail the Taylor McCabe injury fallout (both emotional and on-court) while picking up the overreaction pieces from Iowa's 0-2 trip to Los Angeles.

Chad Leistikow hosts a Tuesday edition of the Hawk Central Hour, and women's basketball leads the conversation after the Hawkeyes' 91-70 rout of No. 11 Ohio State and the career-ending injury to guard Taylor McCabe. Chad and Register teammate Dargan Southard analyze the (Addie) Deal going forward and more. Chad and Tyler Tachman follow up by breaking down the "bye week" for the Iowa men and look ahead to Wednesday's game against USC.

Live from College Park, the Register's Chad Leistikow joins Dargan Southard to dissect Iowa women's basketball's crazy overtime win over Maryland.

Both Iowa basketball teams are coming off big weekend wins. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard detail a 2-0 week for the Iowa women, including a top-15 home win against Michigan State on Sunday. We explore the play of Hannah Stuelke, the emergence of Addie Deal and the latest on Emely Rodriguez. Chad and Tyler Tachman delve into the Iowa men's trip to Indiana, which resulted in a dominant victory at Assembly Hall.

The Hawkeyes have been busy in the transfer portal, with a run of 11 football commitments in eight days. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman size up the big-picture approach and discuss the 11 newcomers who will arrive this month. Chad and Tyler also surmise what happened with Iowa men's basketball in a 0-2 week, while Chad and Dargan Southard have a different conversation after the Hawkeye women find a way to go 2-0 without playing their best basketball.

During Iowa's bowl trip in Tampa, Iowa athletics director Beth Goetz sat down with the Register's Chad Leistikow for about an hour, most of it in podcast form, to tackle a lot of crucial categories in today's college-sports landscape. Goetz is asked about football succession plans, the nerves of the Ben McCollum hire, her thoughts on Iowa wrestling and, most importantly, Iowa's financial position in a revenue-sharing world.