Kinnick a 'perfect' homecoming for Dan McCarney

[Harry]

McCarney, 62, used to crawl under a snow fence and sneak into Iowa games at Kinnick Stadium as a kid. Later, he used tickets his mom, June, got through her job at the dental school.

"Then they started giving me tickets because somehow, some way, I fooled them into thinking I was a Division I player," said McCarney, who graduated from City High.

Growing up in Iowa City had other advantages. Dan's father, Patrick, was a policeman who worked his way up to chief.

"I've been known to have a lead foot, and I'd get pulled over for speeding," McCarney said. "(The officer) would tell me, "I can either give you a ticket or call your dad. I always told them, "Hey, call mye dad, will ya?' "

McCarney was small by today's standards. He was captain and started his senior season as a 227-pound right guard. Jordan Walsh, who will start at right guard for Iowa against McCarney's team, weighs 290.

McCarney stuck around after graduating in 1974 to work as a graduate assistant at Iowa. He became a full-time assistant in 1977 and was one of two coaches Fry retained when he left North Texas to replace Bob Commings at Iowa following the 1978 season.

Fry reversed fortunes in a hurry with a staff that included future head coaches like McCarney, Kirk Ferentz, Bill Snyder, Barry Alvarez and Bob Stoops.

"You cherish the relationships you have through all these years, the players that you coach, the opportunities that coach Fry gave us," McCarney said. "He saw things in each of us we probably didn't see in ourselves."

read more:  http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2015/09/23/kinnick-stadium-dan-mccarney-north-texas-iowa-hawkeyes-football/72678916/