New Iowa Men's Basketball Head Coach Ben McCollum received more recognition before coaching his first game in Iowa City. McCollum had a record-setting season for the Drake Bulldogs before leaving to take the job at Iowa.
McCollum guided Drake to a 31-4 record in his first and only season. The 31 wins are a Drake program record.
The Bulldogs won the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season and conference tournament titles en route to a NCAA Tournament berth. Eleven-seed Drake upset six-seed Missouri 67-58 in their NCAA Tournament first-round matchup.
The win was Drake's first NCAA Tournament win since 1971.
After his first season at the helm of the Bulldogs, McCollum was named the MVC Coach of the Year. He received further recognition on Monday.
2025 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year@CoachMcCollum x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/guROE35PVh
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) March 31, 2025
McCollum was named the 2025 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year recipient. The award is given to first-time Division I head coaches.
The Joe. B Hall Award is named after Kentucky Men's Basketball Head Coach Joe B. Hall. Hall was tasked with replacing legendary Kentucky Head Coach Adolph Rupp. Hall compiled a 297-100 record between 1972 to 1985, including a National Championship in 1978.
Hall received four Southeastern Conference (SEC) Coach of the Year awards during his 14-year career as Kentucky's head coach. Hall died in January 2022.
McCollum is no stranger to receiving coach of the year awards. Before joining the Bulldogs, McCollum was extremely successful at Divison II Northwest Missouri State (his alma mater). He was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II National Coach of the Year five times (most all-time).
McCollum was named the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Coach of the Year nine times.
He is also the only non-Division I recipient of the John McLendon Award (2019), which is presented to the best collegiate men's head basketball coach.
MCollum's trophy case is filling up, and he aims to bring his success to the Iowa Hawkeyes program.