Iowa made a significant decision on Friday, terminating longtime head coach Fran McCaffery after the men’s basketball team recorded its worst season in seven years in terms of wins and Big Ten standing. The 65-year-old McCaffery, whose contract extended through 2028, had expressed his desire to return for another season despite speculation about his retirement.
However, Athletic Director Beth Goetz decided it was time for a leadership change, citing decreasing attendance at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. She also approved McCaffery’s $4.2 million buyout. By the end of his tenure, McCaffery had amassed a 297-207 record, with his last game being a 106-94 loss to Illinois in the Big Ten tournament, a game during which he was ejected in the second half after disputing a foul call.
McCaffery leaves his mark as Iowa’s all-time wins leader and its longest-serving coach. Athletic Director Goetz praised McCaffery for his contributions, saying, “Fran McCaffery has been an integral part of our Hawkeye family for the past 15 years. He is a tremendous coach and teacher, and we are grateful for the positive impact he has made both on the institution and community. We deeply appreciate his dedication to our student-athletes and his passion for the game that will have a lasting impact on our program.”
This season, the Hawkeyes finished with a 17-16 record, which took a negative turn after lead scorer Owen Freeman’s season-ending injury. The team struggled, losing seven out of nine games in February, and criticism mounted after a major 101-75 loss to Maryland following a squandered halftime lead.
Despite a strong performance at the end of the regular season, where Iowa defeated Nebraska 83-68 in a crucial match, the Hawkeyes tied for 12th in the Big Ten with a 7-13 conference record. They did manage a surprise victory against Ohio State in Indianapolis with a 77-70 score.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo openly supported McCaffery, emphasizing the challenges Iowa faces in attracting top talent due to limited financial resources for player compensation. He noted, “They don’t have the resources here. Everybody has different amounts of resources. They’re not on the middle or high end.” McCaffery’s recruiting class of 2025 is ranked fifth in the Big Ten, reflecting potential despite these constraints.
The new coaching regime will coincide with the upcoming revenue sharing initiative in Division I scheduled for July. The incoming coach will be tasked with rekindling interest in the men’s program, which has seen interest shift towards the women’s team due to Caitlin Clark’s rise to stardom. The women’s team has consistently sold out games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, ranking second nationwide in average attendance.
Meanwhile, Iowa’s men’s team drew fewer spectators, ranking 10th in the Big Ten with an average attendance of 9,161 per game—a noticeable decline from previous years.
Before joining Iowa in 2010, McCaffery held head coaching positions at Lehigh, UNC Greensboro, and Siena. Over his time with Iowa, he led the team to eight seasons with at least 20 wins and had four NCAA Tournament wins from 2012-13 to 2022-23.
The McCaffery family is well-regarded in Iowa City, with sons Connor and Patrick having also played for the Hawkeyes. The community showed immense support for the family during Patrick’s battle with thyroid cancer as a teenager.
McCaffery’s most successful seasons with Iowa were in 2020-21 and 2021-22. The former season featured Luka Garza, the AP national player of the year, where the Hawkeyes achieved 22 wins, a third-place Big Ten finish, and made it to the second NCAA Tournament round, maintaining a top-10 ranking almost throughout. The following season, led by high-scorer Keegan Murray, saw Iowa earn 26 victories, fourth place in the Big Ten, and a Big Ten Tournament championship, although they were unexpectedly ousted by Richmond in the NCAA opener.