The Iowa Hawkeyes Men's Basketball program decided to fire Head Coach Fran McCaffery after 15 years at the helm. The search for a new coach has begun, and there are some notable names that the Hawkeyes should avoid.
Here are the top three coaching candidates Iowa should not pursue in the search for a new head coach.
Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
For obvious reasons, Fred Hoiberg should be nowhere near the call list for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Hoiberg, an Ames, Iowa native, has spent the last six years as the head coach for rival Nebraska, after making stops in Chicago for the Chicago Bulls and Ames with the Iowa State Cyclones.
Coaching Iowa State and Nebraska should automatically disqualify Hoiberg from coaching the Hawkeyes, but it goes deeper than that.
Hoiberg was successful during his time in Ames. He accumulated an overall record of 115-56, with two Big 12 Conference Tournament Titles in his five seasons as head coach between 2010-2015. He led the Cyclones to the NCAA Tournament every year except for his first season.
After five years, he made the disastrous decision to jump to the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. His time in Chicago was marred by ineffective coaching and the players not buying into his philosophy.
In his three and a half years in Chicago, he racked up a whopping 155 losses.
Hoiberg's Bulls teams also ranked near the bottom of the league in offensive efficiency every year he was head coach. The Bulls never ranked higher than 21 in the league in offensive efficiency with Hoiberg at the helm.
Hoiberg moved back to college in 2019 with Nebraska, and the results have not improved. In his six years as head coach, he has a losing record of 80-118 and has only made the NCAA Tournament once (2023).
Nebraska fans are fed up with Hoiberg, and he might be on the move after another season without an NCAA Tournament berth.
Hoiberg is a big name and an Iowa native, but the Hawkeyes should not go anywhere near him.
Ben Johnson, free agent
Ben Johnson has Iowa ties after his time as an assistant coach for the Northern Iowa Panthers from 2008-2012. The Panthers were successful during that time, with a combined 93-77 record.
The Panthers also won 20 games every year Johnson was an assistant coach.
Johnson's most recent stop was in Minnesota for the Golden Gophers. He was fired in the middle of the night after the Gopher's loss in the Big Ten Tournament earlier this week.
His tenure in Minnesota abruptly ended in what some called a "ruthless" firing.
Johnson began coaching his Alma Mater in 2021 and had a 56-71 record in four seasons. Minnesota also did not make any NCAA Tournament appearances.
Johnson was not given much to work with during his time in Minneapolis. Minnesota was always ranked near the bottom of the Big Ten in NIL money and lost big recruits to the transfer portal.
Johnson had to work with what he was given, but his teams never lived up to the expectations. The offense would go stagnant for large stretches, and their defensive efficiency was ranked near the bottom of the conference.
Johnson does have a connection to Iowa, but after his time in Minnesota, the Hawkeyes should avoid Johnson during this hiring cycle.
Bryce Drew, Grand Canyon
Everyone remembers when Bryce Drew hit the three-point basket in the 1998 NCAA Tournament as 13-seed Valparaiso upset Ole Miss. After that moment, Drew had a stint in the NBA before returning to Valpo in 2011 to be the head coach of his Alma Mater.
Drew was successful at Valpo, compiling a 124-49 record, winning the regular season Horizon League Title in four of five years. He also won two Horizon League Conference Tournament Championships and had two NCAA Tournament appearances.
Drew jumped to the SEC in 2016, becoming the head coach for Vanderbilt. He went 19-16 in his first season, making the NCAA Tournament. He went 12-20 and 9-23 in his next two seasons and was fired from Vanderbilt in 2019.
Since 2020, Drew has been the head coach for Grand Canyon University. He has a record of 118-39 in 157 games for the Antelopes and has made three NCAA Tournament appearances.
On paper, Drew would be a big-name hire who is looking for another chance at a higher level of competition. He has been successful at smaller programs, but his time at Vanderbilt scares me.
He did not establish consistency in his time with the Commodores and had a losing record in three seasons. In this age of NIL and the transfer portal, Iowa needs someone with success at the highest level, and Drew has not demonstrated that to this point.
Grand Canyon University is a Division I program, but the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is not a Power Five conference. I need to see success at a higher level of competition before handing Drew the keys.
Due to his success at GCU, Drew's name has been discussed during this hiring cycle. He is a solid coach, but Iowa needs someone different to lead the program.