The Iowa Hawkeyes are going native and hiring an in-state man, an Iowa native and one of many fastest-rising stars in school hoops to be the subsequent coach of their males’s basketball program. Drake’s Ben McCollum is predicted to take the Iowa job, sources instructed CBS Sports activities, with the deal turning into official on Monday.
McCollum, 43, spent 15 seasons in Division II at Northwest Missouri State. He gained 4 nationwide titles and went 395-91, dominating at that stage at a fee few have ever matched. McCollum was a goal for a number of D-I gigs lately however held off till agreeing with Drake in 2024. The Bulldogs have been top-of-the-line tales of this season, going 31-4, successful the Missouri Valley and beating No. 6 seed Missouri within the first spherical of the NCAA Event.Â
Faculty basketball teaching adjustments: Ben McCollum, Niko Medved, Ryan Odom all homecoming hirings in hoops
Matt Norlander
Drake was eradicated Saturday within the second spherical by third-seeded Texas Tech, coincidentally sufficient coached by Grant McCasland, certainly one of McCollum’s greatest associates within the teaching enterprise. McCollum is taken into account one of many whip-smart X-and-O tacticians in school basketball. It is a best-case state of affairs for an Iowa program that ranks close to the underside of the Huge Ten in NIL assets and desperately wants rejuvenation after sagging attendance prior to now two years.
McCollum follows Fran McCaffery, who coached the Hawkeyes for 15 years and gained extra video games (297) than anybody in class historical past. McCaffery was fired on March 14 after a 17-16 marketing campaign. The Hawkeyes made the Huge Dance seven occasions beneath McCaffery, however the faculty hasn’t been to the Candy 16 since 1999.Â
McCollum was born in Iowa Metropolis and grew up in Storm Lake, Iowa, and was certainly one of two top-priority candidates for athletic director Beth Goetz. (Darian DeVries, now at Indiana after leaving West Virginia, was the opposite.) McCollum gained nationwide coach of the 12 months on the Division II stage 5 occasions. He is certainly one of a handful of coaches to start their profession on the Division I stage by successful 30-plus video games in his first season, becoming a member of the likes of Brad Stevens (Butler) and Brad Underwood (Stephen F. Austin).
Iowa has its new head coach — now what? HawkeyeInsider breaks down 5 must-do gadgets for Ben McCollum as he takes over. Learn the total VIP piece for simply $1 your first month, or go annual and save 60% for a restricted time.