# Mark Farley

Mark Farley (born April 5, 1963) is a former American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Northern Iowa, a position he held from 2001 until his retirement in 2024. Farley started at inside linebacker at Northern Iowa from 1983 to 1985. He led the team in tackles in 1984 and 1985, was named Gateway Football Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 1985, first team all-conference three times, earned honorable mention All-America honors twice and twice named Academic All-American.
He then became an assistant at Northern Iowa. In 1989, he was named linebackers coach by new head coach Terry Allen. In 1997, he followed Allen to the University of Kansas, but left in 2001 when the head coaching position at his alma mater opened up. Acting as his own defensive coordinator, Farley's squads perennially rank among the top defense teams in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision. In early 2008, Farley served as the interim director of athletics at Northern Iowa. With a win over in-state rival Iowa State on September 3, 2016, Farley passed Northern Iowa legend Stan Sheriff in all-time wins as a football coach. Farley notched his 150th Northern Iowa career win with a home victory over Southern Utah on September 7, 2019. He recorded his 175th win with a road victory at Idaho State on September 16, 2023. On November 10, 2024, Farley announced he would retire following the end of the current season.

## Head coaching record

| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | TSN/STATS$^#$ | Coaches'$^°$ |
| Northern Iowa Panthers (Gateway Football Conference / Missouri Valley Football Conference) (2001–2024) ||||||||
| 2001 | Northern Iowa | 11–3 | 6–1 | 1st | L NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal | | 4 |
| 2002 | Northern Iowa | 5–6 | 2–5 | T–6th | | | |
| 2003 | Northern Iowa | 10–3 | 6–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal | | 5 |
| 2004 | Northern Iowa | 7–4 | 5–2 | 3rd | | | 25 |
| 2005 | Northern Iowa | 11–4 | 5–2 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I-AA Championship | | 2 |
| 2006 | Northern Iowa | 7–4 | 5–2 | T–2nd | | | 17 |
| 2007 | Northern Iowa | 12–1 | 6–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division I Quarterfinal | 5 | 4 |
| 2008 | Northern Iowa | 12–3 | 7–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal | 4 | 4 |
| 2009 | Northern Iowa | 7–4 | 5–3 | T–3rd | | 18 | 18 |
| 2010 | Northern Iowa | 7–5 | 6–2 | 1st | L NCAA Division I First Round | 18 | 19 |
| 2011 | Northern Iowa | 10–3 | 7–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division I Quarterfinal | 5 | 6 |
| 2012 | Northern Iowa | 5–6 | 4–4 | T–6th | | | |
| 2013 | Northern Iowa | 7–5 | 3–5 | T–7th | | | |
| 2014 | Northern Iowa | 9–5 | 6–2 | 3rd | L NCAA Division I Second Round | 10 | 10 |
| 2015 | Northern Iowa | 9–5 | 5–3 | T–3rd | L NCAA Division I Quarterfinal | 8 | 6 |
| 2016 | Northern Iowa | 5–6 | 4–4 | T–4th | | | |
| 2017 | Northern Iowa | 8–5 | 6–2 | T–2nd | L NCAA Division I Second Round | 19 | 19 |
| 2018 | Northern Iowa | 7–6 | 5–3 | T–3rd | L NCAA Division I Second Round | | |
| 2019 | Northern Iowa | 10–5 | 6–2 | 2nd | L NCAA Division I Quarterfinal | 5 | 5 |
| 2020–21 | Northern Iowa | 3–4 | 3–4 | 6th | | | |
| 2021 | Northern Iowa | 6–6 | 4–4 | 6th | L NCAA Division I First Round | 23 | 25 |
| 2022 | Northern Iowa | 6–5 | 5–3 | T–3rd | | | |
| 2023 | Northern Iowa | 6–5 | 5–3 | T–3rd | | | |
| 2024 | Northern Iowa | 3–9 | 1–7 | 10th | | | |
| Northern Iowa: | Northern Iowa: | 183–112 | 117–66 | | | | |
| Total: | Total: | 183–112 | | | | | |
| National championship  Conference title  Conference division title or championship game berth ||||||||