One day after being ejected in his team’s loss to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament, Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery was relieved of his duties.
It is time to examine who the school could hire for his replacement.
The Five Most Logical Choices for Fran McCaffery’s Replacement
McCaffery ended up coaching the Hawkeyes for 15 years and is the school’s all-time wins leader.
While replacing what he brought to the university and the state might be tough, the athletic department has no choice.
Sources: Iowa has parted ways with Fran McCaffery.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 14, 2025
Here are five head-coaching options for the Hawkeyes:
Ben McCollum
Iowa might not need to look too far.
Right down the road in Des Moines, Iowa, sits Drake head coach Ben McCollum. McCollum has guided the Bulldogs to a 30-3 record this season, with the Missouri Valley Conference title being the icing on the cake.
According to insider Matt Norlander, McCollum is considered a top name for Iowa.
“I do believe that Ben McCollum and Darian DeVries are the two top names.”
@MattNorlander reporting on the potential coaching targets for Iowa after moving on from Fran McCaffery. pic.twitter.com/5ky9Nwd4DO
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 14, 2025
Darian DeVries
Norlander has also recently noted that West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries, the head coach at Drake before McCollum, could be a top name for Iowa.
A two-time Missouri Valley Coach of the Year, DeVries knows the state and how to recruit. His Mountaineers are currently on the cusp of the NCAA Tournament at 19-13.
Tom Crean
He has been away from the sidelines for a few years, but Tom Crean might be itching to get back out there.
The former Marquette and Indiana head coach has plenty of experience, including leading Dwyane Wade and the Golden Eagles to the Final Four in 2003. He is also the former Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Crean knows the conference and could be a good candidate for the job.
Chris Carawell
If you are looking for your school’s next head coach, you go to the place where basketball is king.
Duke has always been one of the true blue bloods of the sport, and assistant coach Chris Carawell could be the next great coach to come out of Durham. If the Hawkeyes are looking for someone to bring a winning mentality, they could be interested in hiring the former ACC Player of the Year.
Connor McCaffrey
Patrick McCaffery could be an interesting hire if the Hawkeyes wanted to make an outside-the-box hire while keeping it in the family.
The legendary Hawkeyes player played for his father and was able to post the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in NCAA history during his time in Iowa City (3.59). His 111 career wins are tied for the most in Iowa history with former guard Jordan Bohannon.
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A current assistant under head coach Thad Matta at Butler, the 26-year-old would be an intriguing hire.
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