Mark Farley
UNI Director of Athletics David Harris announced a five-year contract extension for veteran head football coach Mark Farley which will keep Farley at the helm of Panther football through the 2026 season.
The winningest coach in UNI and Missouri Valley Conference history, Farley is the current FCS leader in playoff wins. He has coached the Panthers to seven MVFC titles and 12 FCS playoff appearances. The 2005 team advanced to the FCS title game. He has also led two teams to the FCS semifinals and five teams to the FCS Quarterfinals. He was named the 2007 Eddie Robinson Award Winner and this spring he became the only coach in MVFC history to win 100 Valley games.
“Our family is extremely fortunate to call UNI and Cedar Falls home,” Farley said. “I want to thank David Harris and President Nook for trusting me to continue to lead our football program. We have an excellent group of coaches and student-athletes who are committed to competing at the highest level and we are so appreciative of the fans and donors who generously support us. I have dedicated most of my career to UNI Football and felt it was important to help our athletic department during these challenging financial times. I am looking forward to the years ahead as we continue to elevate our football program.”
Farley was an All-American and the Conference Defensive Player of the Year as a linebacker for the Panthers in 1985. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at UNI before becoming the linebacker coach in 1989. In 1997, he joined Terry Allen’s staff at Kansas for four seasons before returning to take the head coaching job at UNI in 2001.