
Hawk Central Hour
USA Today
“Hawk Central Hour” airs between 6-7 p.m. on 1460 KXnO-AM on Wednesdays and will feature Des Moines Register Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow and beat writer Tyler Tachman.
Follow their coverage at hawkcentral.com.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Sports & Recreation Podcasts
Networks:
USA Today
Description:
“Hawk Central Hour” airs between 6-7 p.m. on 1460 KXnO-AM on Wednesdays and will feature Des Moines Register Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow and beat writer Tyler Tachman. Follow their coverage at hawkcentral.com.
Language:
English
Episodes
Hawk Central: 1-on-1 with Iowa football general manager Tyler Barnes
6/5/2025
For about 38 minutes, Barnes and the Register's Chad Leistikow go over the future and drive of Kirk Ferentz, the pay model that Iowa is using when revenue sharing (likely) begins July 1 and what recruiting strategies and needs are looming for the Class of 2026.
Duration:00:48:41
Hawk Central: Ben McCollum's first Iowa basketball roster appears complete; how good is it?
5/28/2025
Ben McCollum seems to have put the finishing touches on his first Iowa men's basketball roster, adding two more pieces in the closing weeks of May. The Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by basketball beat writer Tyler Tachman to size up the 13 players (12 scholarship) now in the fold for the Hawkeyes and what our expectations might be for this rotation and roster. We also dig into football and baseball in our final two segments.
Duration:00:50:40
Hawk Central: Emely Rodriguez's impact on Iowa women's basketball, Big Ten baseball preview
5/21/2025
This week's Hawk Central radio show leads off with some newsy developments in Iowa women's basketball, headlined by the addition of Central Florida transfer Emely Rodriguez. The Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by Dargan Southard, who updates listeners on why he's on the disabled list while providing fun conversation about the 2025-26 Hawkeyes. We also preview the Big Ten Baseball Tournament path for Iowa before making room for Register colleague Tyler Tachman, who talks Iowa football with Chad about what we've learned in recent conversations with Seth Wallace and Tim Lester.
Duration:00:49:27
Hawk Central: Postseason awards show for Iowa athletics
5/14/2025
You've (maybe) heard of the Golden Herkys. Now, it's time for the Hawk Central Herkys. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman, on this finals week at the University of Iowa, put a bow on the year of Hawkeye athletics with some unique categories and awards.
Duration:00:48:49
Hawk Central: The finishing portal touches on Iowa's 2025 football roster
5/7/2025
Kirk Ferentz suggested some final transfer-portal additions "wouldn't be headline news," but any roster adjustments for Iowa football warrant headlines. So, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman take a closer look at the impact of incoming transfers Jeremy Hecklinski, Shahid Barros and Ty Hudkins ... and what that tells us about the Hawkeyes' future plans.
Duration:00:49:22
Hawk Central: Full-hour interview with Iowa women's basketball coach Jan Jensen
4/30/2025
This week's Hawk Central Hour features a one-on-one with the Register's Chad Leistikow and special guest Jan Jensen, who gets set to enter Year 2 as Iowa women's basketball coach. She revisits the key moments of Year 1 while looking ahead to the future of Hawkeye women's hoops.
Duration:00:50:39
PODCAST: Recapping Iowa's spring practice, NFL Draft
4/26/2025
Iowa's open practice Saturday at Kinnick Stadium produced plenty of pass-game connections, which got our attention. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman revisit their top takeaways and notebooks from the two-plus hours.
Duration:00:38:15
Hawk Central: Iowa's Alvaro Folgueiras addition, spring football's final week
4/23/2025
The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman take you wire-to-wire on an information-packed episode, starting a a strong 22 minutes on the impact of Robert Morris transfer Alvaro Folgeuiras to the Iowa basketball team. Chad teases a coming commitment for the women's team, too, while the attention turns a deep dive on the final days of spring football and top story lines to watch in Saturday's open practice.
Duration:00:49:09
Hawk Central: Iowa basketball's roster build, football's quarterback situation
4/16/2025
The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman break down the Hawkeyes' in-progress roster build − including with recent additions Trevin Jirak and Brendan Hausen. We also look at what other names might be possible to join the fold. There's some big happenings in Iowa's quarterbacks room in football. And then time to panic with the lack of transfer-portal success for Iowa women's basketball?
Duration:01:02:32
Hawk Central: 1-on-1 with new Iowa men's basketball coach Ben McCollum
4/9/2025
A special edition of the Hawk Central Hour features new Iowa men's basketball coach Ben McCollum, who sat down with the Register's Chad Leistikow for two information-packed segments totaling 40 minutes that you won't want to miss. McCollum discusses how he teaches defense, the misconceptions of his offense, the transfer-portal additions so far for the Hawkeyes and what's to come.
Duration:00:49:20
Hawk Central: Ben McCollum's roster starts to take shape, first eyes on Mark Gronowski as Iowa quarterback
4/3/2025
Iowa basketball has a lot of positive momentum right now, and the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dig into the early roster-building stages of the Ben McCollum era. Iowa football also is in full swing, and we've got updates on the quarterbacks, the offense and plenty to discuss there, too, after a glimpse into Thursday's practice. And what to make for Aaliyah Guyton's portal entry? Chad is joined by Dargan Southard to discuss the latest there.
Duration:00:49:18
Hawk Central: The Ben McCollum era begins, and so does portal season for Iowa basketball
3/26/2025
What a week. First, Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman of the Des Moines Register break down Ben McCollum's introduction as Iowa's men's basketball coach and look at the potential roster that he might be able to assemble. Later, Chad and Dargan Southard look back on the Iowa women's basketball season and preview portal additions for Jan Jensen and Co.
Duration:01:06:32
Podcast: What kind of immediate energy does new coach Ben McCollum bring to Iowa basketball?
3/24/2025
Monday morning delivered the news Iowa fans had been waiting for. Ben McCollum is the Hawkeyes' new head coach after one year at Drake that ended in the NCAA Tournament second round. A program with potential but in need of restoration is now McCollum's to turn around. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect the coaching search and Beth Goetz's eventual decision.
Duration:00:58:20
Hawk Central: Darian DeVries or Ben McCollum? Iowa basketball coaching search, women's preview
3/18/2025
The Iowa men's basketball coaching search is evolving by the minute, and the Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dig into the transfer portal, Darian DeVries and Ben McCollum on this Tuesday morning. Chad is later joined by Dargan Southard to preview the Iowa women's basketball path in the NCAA Tournament. Could this team make a Sweet 16 run?
Duration:00:56:03
Fran McCaffery's time leading the Hawkeyes has ended. Where does Iowa basketball go from here?
3/14/2025
What was long rumored became official Friday afternoon. The Fran McCaffery era has ended at Iowa after 15 seasons. As a result, AD Beth Goetz faces her most crucial hire yet in hopes of re-igniting energy around the Hawkeyes basketball program. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman dissect the good and bad of McCaffery's tenure, while analyzing what Iowa might do next.
Duration:00:40:27
Hawk Central: One last stand for Fran McCaffery? Iowa women's NCAA preview
3/12/2025
This week's Hawk Central Hour dives into a full hour of Iowa basketball, starting with the surprising men's victory at Nebraska to earn a Big Ten Tournament berth. The Register's Chad Leistikow and Tyler Tachman discuss the extension of the season and the future of Fran McCaffery while previewing Wednesday's matchup against Ohio State. Chad and Dargan Southard spend 30-plus minutes on Iowa women's basketball, reacting to the top story lines of the Big Ten Tournament while looking ahead to Selection Sunday.
Duration:01:05:15
Podcast: Iowa women's basketball outlasts Michigan State to advance in Big Ten Tournament
3/7/2025
The No. 11 seed Hawkeyes are marching on in the Big Ten Tournament after a gritty second-round win over Michigan State. Live from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, the Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard dissect the win and look forward to Friday's quarterfinal vs. Ohio State.
Duration:00:27:41
Hawk Central: Big Ten women's preview, what to know about Warren Ruggiero
3/5/2025
The Iowa women's basketball team is playing well entering Indianapolis, and the Register's Chad Leistikow and Dargan Southard delve into the key story lines heading into its path at the Big Ten Tournament. Chad also talks with Tyler Tachman about the new football hire for the Hawkeyes, and Eli McKown comes aboard to help preview the Big Ten Wrestling Championships.
Duration:00:48:31
Hawk Central: On a big-time win for Iowa women's basketball, Ladell Betts' departure
2/27/2025
The Register's Chad Leistikow kicks off this Thursday Hawk Central Radio Hour with Dargan Southard, who was in Ann Arbor to cover the Hawkeye women's 79-66 win at Michigan. Chad does an audio version of his "five thoughts" column to underscore the importance of Wednesday's W. Later, Chad and Tyler Tachman discuss the big loss of Ladell Betts from Iowa's football staff and the Iowa men's basketball team's Big Ten Tournament chances.
Duration:00:48:50
Hawk Central: Looking at the final days for Iowa men's basketball, Hawkeye women's big game vs. UCLA
2/19/2025
A podcast-only edition of the Hawk Central Radio Hour, as the Register's Chad Leistikow is joined by teammate Tyler Tachman to discuss the Hawkeyes' week out East and the future of Fran McCaffery. We talk about Chad's balanced, deep dive on the decision Beth Goetz is facing in the coming weeks. Dargan Southard later jumps on to break down his trip to Columbus, where the Iowa women dropped a crazy overtime game to No. 8 Ohio State. We look at potential seeding ahead for Indianapolis and the NCAAs.
Duration:00:56:13