In 1974, Bob Commings became the third Iowa graduate to lead the Hawkeye football team, joining John G. Griffith in 1909 and Leonard Raffensperger in 1950–1951. Occasional upset victories kept Commings in Iowa City for five years. Iowa had 3–8 records in 1974 and 1975, and then the Hawks went to the brink of a winning record with 5–6 records in 1976 and 1977. But Commings' Hawkeyes slumped to a 2–9 record in 1978, and Commings was fired after five seasons.