“Ben McCollum, who led Drake’s men’s basketball team to an NCAA Tournament berth and an upset victory over Missouri in his debut season, has been chosen as the new head coach for Iowa. He will be taking over from Fran McCaffery, who served as the Hawkeyes’ coach for 15 seasons. McCollum inherits a program that finished the previous season with a 17-16 record, tied for 12th in the Big Ten with a 7-13 conference mark. He faces the challenge of rebuilding the team quickly, as seven players have already entered the transfer portal and two incoming recruits have reopened their commitments. However, Iowa is gaining a promising young coach in McCollum, who achieved success at Northwest Missouri State before his successful stint at Drake. In his first year at Drake, McCollum guided the Bulldogs to a historic 31-4 record, including a notable upset win over Missouri in the NCAA Tournament. Now, McCollum will look to continue his success at Iowa after only one year at Drake.”
