The Iowa Men's Basketball program is reeling after firing Head Coach Fran McCaffery last week. McCaffery was dismissed after 15 years at the helm of the Hawkeyes, and chaos ensued.
Five Iowa basketball players, including Owen Freeman, Brock Harding, Pryce Sandfort, Riley Mulvey, and Josh Dix, have entered the transfer portal. Four-star recruit Joshua Lewis has also decommitted from the program.
The Hawkeyes received more troubling news on Wednesday. Darian DeVries, a top head coach candidate and Iowa native, took a similar position with Big Ten Rival Indiana after one season at West Virginia.
Iowa has time to find the next person in charge, but Drake University's Head Coach Ben McCollum must be at the top of the list. McCollum was extremely successful in his 15 seasons with Division II before moving to Des Moines.
In his first season in Des Moines, McCollum has led the Bulldogs to a 30-3 record and an 11-seed in the NCAA Tournament. McCollum would be a home run hire for Iowa for several reasons.
McCollum has had success at every stop
Ben McCollum was born in Iowa City, Iowa, and grew up in Storm Lake, Iowa. He played college basketball at North Iowa Area Community College, before transferring to Northwest Missouri State.
McCollum graduated from Northwest Missouri State in 2003 and returned to coach his Alma Mater as the head coach in 2009.
McCollum compiled a 394-91 record, with four Division II National Titles in 15 years as head coach. In 2024, McCollum moved to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
In his first season at the helm of the Bulldogs, McCollum went 30-3 with a Missouri Valley Conference regular and conference tournament title. The Bulldogs received an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and were given an 11 seed.
McCollum is a winner, and the Iowa Men's Basketball program desperately needs that.
McCollum would cost less money
McCollum's contract details at Drake are unknown, but he signed a six-year deal after leaving Northwest Missouri State. Drake The financial details do not have to be released because Drake is a private university.
In comparison, Darian DeVries made around three million dollars per year at West Virginia and had a 4.66 million dollar release clause.
If DeVries took a different head coaching position (aka Indiana), the hiring school would have to pay West Virginia close to 38 percent of his remaining contract and would have to pay for his release.
The Hawkeyes dodged a financial bullet by not paying DeVries to come to Iowa. Ben McCollum would cost less because he was not a known commodity coming into this season. His stock has risen, but he is more getable than other more known names.
McCollum's deep Iowa roots
I am biased toward coaches with Iowa ties, and McCollum has deep Iowa roots. He spent his high school and college playing careers in Iowa, so he knows the Iowa landscape.
McCollum carries his Iowa background with him, as he is known for his commitment to hard work. McCollum also uses Sun Tzu's "Art of War" to prepare his players. He recruits players who want to work hard and puts them through tough off-season workouts.
McCollum wants his players to impose their will on opponents and make them feel the pressure.
The only knock on McCollum is that he has little Division I coaching experience outside of this year at Drake. This is a bogus knock on McCollum, whose resume speaks for itself. McCollum has been a winner wherever he has been.
McCollum's hard-nosed, old-school style would benefit the Iowa Men's Basketball program. Iowa was regularly criticized for a lack of toughness under Fran McCaffery. They need more toughness, and McCollum will provide that.
If Beth Goetz does not hire him, another big college program will.