Fran McCaffery ditched the basketball court for the baseball diamond, as the Penn Quakers coach threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies before their game against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. Patrick and Connor cheered on their father through social media, celebrating his performance on the mound.
The McCaffery brothers shared their reactions to their father’s first pitch on their Instagram stories. Patrick McCaffery wrote “STRIKEEEEEEEEEE,” describing Fran’s throw. Connor McCaffery, on the other hand, wrote “STRIKE 1!!!!!!!!!” in his caption.
The Butler assistant coach, Connor, also shared a video of Fran McCaffery’s first pitch, which was posted by Penn’s Instagram page. Fran, who wore a Phillies uniform, was seen taking a picture with his family at Citizens Bank Park.
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The love for sports runs deep within the McCaffery family. Both Connor and Patrick played under Fran McCaffery for the Iowa Hawkeyes during their college basketball careers. Connor McCaffery played six seasons at Iowa, suiting up for the Hawkeyes from 2017 to 2023. Patrick McCaffery played five seasons with the Hawkeyes before transferring to Butler for his final year.
Fran McCaffery Begins New Coaching Chapter at Penn After Iowa Dismissal
Fran McCaffery will go down in history as one of Iowa’s greatest basketball coaches. He holds the record for the most wins in school history with 297, 143 of which came in the Big Ten Conference. He led the Hawkeyes to seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament, with Iowa reaching the second round of March Madness four times during his tenure.
McCaffery’s time at Iowa, however, ended this March following a dismal campaign in the 2024-25 season. The Hawkeyes failed to reach the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year after finishing last season with a 17-16 record. They struggled in the Big Ten Conference, posting a 7-13 record during the regular season.
It wasn’t long before McCaffery found a new job, as the Penn Quakers hired him to be their head coach. The Quakers decided to replace Steve Donahue after Penn finished the 2024-25 season with an 8-19 record.
McCaffery had played at Penn, suiting up for the Quakers from 1979 to 1982. He impressed during his senior year at Penn, leading the Ivy League in assists and steals in the 1981-82 NCAA season.
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