Only two Big Ten men’s basketball coaches had longer tenures than Iowa’s Fran McCaffery entering this season, but McCaffery’s 15-year run as Iowa basketball coach won’t get a 16th year. Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz fired McCaffery at the season’s conclusion, which ended in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. McCaffery helped turn Iowa into a respectable Big Ten team, turning around a program that had a losing conference record in eight of 11 years before becoming head coach. Under McCaffery, Iowa went at least .500 in Big Ten play in 11 of his final 13 seasons.
College athletics are changing in the NIL era and Iowa may target a younger coach it feels can succeed in the new climate. Iowa doesn’t come with the brand name of Big Ten programs like Michigan and Ohio State, but it’s still an opportunity in an elite conference to prove yourself and elevate a program. If you love the Hawkeyes, or just want to know who will be calling the shots for Iowa in the future, be sure to see what the proven team of experts are saying at Hawkeye Insider, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Iowa.
Hawkeye Insider’s Iowa experts are providing on-the-ground updates on every development surrounding McCaffery’s firing and the future of the Iowa basketball program, including insights from Sean Bock and David Eickholt, both of whom have deep-rooted ties inside the Iowa program. Get all the inside scoop on the basketball program, plus and VIP intel on Iowa football, recruiting and more, as well as access to the Hawkeye Insider’s VIPs forums, where you can connect with other Iowa fans and insiders.
And right now, Hawkeye Insider is offering 60% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at Hawkeye Insider already has a list out of several potential candidates and there are some surprising names on the list. Head to Hawkeye Insider now to see them al.
Top Iowa basketball coach candidates
One name the staff has identified as a potential target on the Iowa basketball coaching hot board is Drake head coach Ben McCollum. The 43-year-old was born in Iowa City, grew up in Iowa and his college playing career included two years at North Iowa Area Community College. He’ll have the unique ability to connect with the local community, which could help fundraise and create NIL opportunities to allure some top talent.
McCollum won four Division II national championships at Northeast Missouri State before becoming head coach at Drake in 2024. He took over a Drake program with six straight 20-win seasons and made it even more successful with its first 30-win season in program history this year. The Bulldogs won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in a 30-3 season, including 17-3 in conference play, entering the NCAA Tournament.
Despite being just 43 years old, McCollum has already proven himself at both the Division II and Division I levels. If he’s not scooped up by a power conference team this coaching cycle, it likely won’t be too much longer until that happens, and McCollum’s local connections could make this a perfect pairing. See more candidates at Hawkeye Insider.
How to get insider Iowa coaching staff search updates
The rest of the list includes several other exciting possibilities, including a power conference head coach who the Hawkeye Insider staff considers “the No. 1 target.” You can only see who it is at Hawkeye Insider.
Who are the top names in the Iowa basketball coaching search, and which power conference head coach could the Hawkeyes be zeroing in on? Go to Hawkeye Insider to see their Iowa coaching hot board and more, all from a team of reporters with extensive experience covering the Hawkeyes, and find out.
And reminder, Hawkeye Insider is offering 60% off an annual VIP membership as a coaching search special, so subscribe now before it’s too late.
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