It's the aftermath of the 15-season career of Fran McCaffrey at the Hawkeye basketball helm. 17-16 in 2025 pretty much says it all. Slightly above average. That number no doubt led to the reason Iowa has decided to move on. It will now be in the hands of Athletic Director Beth Goetz to put her stamp on the Hawkeye program with her first hire involving a search for a new head coach.
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| After 15 seasons the run is over |
In the time McCaffrey was at Iowa he became the school's all-time winningest coach with 297 wins. However, to further argue the average state of the program, many would look at his all-time record in the Big Ten during that time period (143-141 a .504 mark) as unacceptable. He was known as a developer of talent i.e. Luca Garza and Keegan and Kris Murray. Their superior play made Iowa relevant during the 2018 to 2022 seasons. But the next three years saw records of 11-9, 10-10 and 7-13 in Big Ten Play. Iowa won the Big Tourney just once in 2022, made the NCAA Tournament seven times and never made it to the Sweet Sixteen. The writing was on the wall. It was time for change.
Some felt the two technicals he received in his team's Big 10 tourney game versus Illinois this past week led to his dismissal. That wasn't the case. It was in some respects a final nail in the coffin, but it was not the determining factor.
Others have suggested Fran's relationship with the press and his lack of public relations skills made the decision easier for Goetz. He was not the friendliest coach to deal with and he often displayed an indifferent attitude to reporters in answering questions. Despite some of those assumptions, it came down to winning. And that is something that is now going to fall to another individual.
What was the most disappointing aspect of this news was the way it went down. For several days McCaffrey had been telling everyone he'd be back. Not sure if this was hopes on his part or not. Friday morning, several national reporters made public Fran's dismissal. How awkward that must have been considering he was enroute back to Iowa City as these rumors were being reported. I think he deserved those words coming from Beth Goetz herself. She didn't make the official announcement until the 5 p.m. hour. The both of them should have had the time to meet and discuss the situation. Jump the gun reporting. Kinda sucks....
I wish Fran well and hope he can now enjoy the next few years by watching his youngest son, Jack, when he begins his freshman season at Butler. McCaffrey and his wife, Margaret are familiar with this Indianapolis area. Both have roots at Notre Dame. Margaret as a women's basketball player and Fran as an assistant coach with Men's team. In addition, he has a son, Conor, coaching at Butler and another, Patrick, who completed his career there this season.
So, we move on. Who will be entrusted with the program? Some suggested Darian DeVries who is from Iowa and is currently coaching at West Virginia. Others like Ben McCollum, the head man at Drake, who also has spent time during his childhood years at Storm Lake and Iowa City. As the Bulldog Head Coach, he has taken them to a 29-3 record, one of the best in Drake history. Both men are first year coaches in their programs. Might there be someone else to consider? Time will tell. DeVries and McCollum both have their programs headed to tourney play. That might make naming the new coach a delayed process. Someone else could sneak in the door as a result or their current team might step up and renegotiate contracts.
No matter who the next coach is, this is Goetz's call. She will have a chance to put her stamp on the Hawkeye program. She had the strength to make the tough call to replace McCaffrey. Now comes her next big decision. And hopefully that will put fannies back in the stands at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That would be a win and perhaps more victories on the floor can follow.
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