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Iowa's recruiting coordinator is leaving his post to open a Culver's in Tennessee

Iowa's recruiting coordinator is leaving his post to open a Culver's in Tennessee

Are there similiarities between college football recruiting and operating a fast-food franchise? Eric Johnson is about to find out.

The Iowa assistant announced Saturday he was leaving his job as the Hawkeyes' recruiting coordinator and moving to Tennessee, where he's going to open a Culver's restaurant in November.

“I know Eric and his family have given this decision great attention and thought and we all wish them the best as they move forward,’’ Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement.

The statement said only that Johnson was going to pursue an opportunity outside of football. He revealed the Culver's detail on Twitter.

Johnson arrived with Ferentz at Iowa in 1999 and has been the recruiting coordinator for the past 10 seasons. He's helped with the defensive line in the past two seasons. Before coming to Iowa, he was an assistant at Vanderbilt, the school he graduated from.

Culver's, a burger and frozen custard chain, is headquartered in Wisconsin, so there's obviously not a rule against franchisees supporting rival Big Ten teams. And we're wondering if Ferentz and the Iowa staff have asked for a free food hookup on Tennessee-area recruiting trips now.

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Nick Bromberg

is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!