The Iowa Hawkeyes needed a new leader after firing Fram McCaffrey, and while Darian DeVries was the frontrunner, he took the Indiana job instead. So instead, the new Hawkeyes head man will be the former Drake coach, Ben McCollum.
Ben McCollum Is the New Hawkeyes Coach
Iowa is heading into a new era in their hoop legacy. After having two rather disappointing seasons, McCaffery has been pushed out.
Following the Hawkeyes’ loss in the Big Ten Tournament, Iowa opted to part ways with the long-tenured coach. This is also partly because of how the last match went down.
During the last game that the Hawkeyes had under McCaffery, he was ejected in the second half of his final game. That was the final straw.
Now, McCollum is officially the next head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
BREAKING: Iowa is set to hire Drake’s Ben McCollum as its next head coach, per multiple reports pic.twitter.com/lEch42MLHh
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 24, 2025
ESPN insiders Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello broke the news that Iowa has reached a deal with the former Drake coach. McCollum arrives in Iowa City after just one season at Drake. But boy-oh-boy, was that a season to remember.
In McCollum’s lone season, he led the Bulldogs to a 31-4 record, a Missouri Valley Conference title, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32.
Now, these numbers say that Ben McCollum is a great replacement for the Hawkeyes, especially considering that under McCaffery, Iowa finished last season with a 17-16 overall record and a subpar 7-13 mark in the Big Ten. So, what is the issue with the Hawkeyes?
Well, the Hawkeyes’ defense needs a lot of work. They have been allowing nearly 80 points per game. McCollum might be able to solve this issue, considering he is known for his disciplined play and suffocating defense.
During Drake’s game against Missouri, the Ben McCollum squad was able to limit their opponents to 57 points in the NCAA Tournament. Let’s not forget, this was no one-time wonder either!
Before taking over as the head coach of Drake, McCollum spent 15 seasons at Northwest Missouri State. At Missouri State, he won four Division II national championships in a six-year span.
He ended his coach run with a 394-91 record. When he took over, the Bearcats had only won four MIAA titles in their previous 62 seasons. That’s a coach who can rebuild a program.
So What Else Can Ben McCollum Bring to Iowa?
Well, first, he can bring stability. Over the last 14 seasons, McCollum-coached teams have won at least 21 games every single year. Now, the Iowa Hawkeyes haven’t done that since their 2021-22 season.
There is no doubt that McCollum’s teams play tough, structured basketball with a focus on efficiency on both ends of the floor. The Hawkeyes, after their struggle under McCaffery, could use that. However, there are also some concerns.
One of them is McCollum’s lack of experience at a power conference school. Most of McCollum’s wins are at the Division II level. And the Big Ten is a different beast. However, McCollum has already shown he can compete.
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Drake, after all, went 4-1 against power conference teams last season, taking down Miami, Vanderbilt, Kansas State, and Missouri.
Iowa is making a large gamble with Ben McCollum. But if history is testimony, McCollum can bring his defensive philosophy and culture of consistent winning to Iowa. The program could finally take the step forward it has struggled to make in recent years.
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