Chicago Sports Today

Chicago Sports News continuously updated

Fran McCaffrey Out as Iowa Basketball Coach After 15 Seasons

by

In the last several years, it has become clear that if you can’t deliver winning seasons or a push to make the NCAA tournament every season, your leash isn’t long. That seems to have come true in Iowa City. Fran McCaffrey, who has served as the head man of Iowa Hawkeyes basketball for the last 15 seasons, has officially been let go.

It’s a tough thing to see happen, as Fran McCaffrey has been one of the staple coaches in the Big Ten during his tenure. What makes it a little worse is he was ejected from his final game, as his Hawkeyes were bounced by Illinois during the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. It was a sour end for a guy who gave Iowa every thing he had and produced some high-level players during his tenure.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Fran McCaffrey Out as Iowa Basketball Coach After 15 Seasons

The news was made official according to Eric Olson from the Associated Press on Friday, after McCaffrey’s Hawkeyes finished with their worst season in seven years. They not only finished with their lowest win total in seven seasons, with only 17 victories, but they also had their worst finish in the Big Ten in years. They were the last team into the Big Ten Tournament, as they pretty much won a play-in game to keep Nebraska out.

Payton Sandfort tried his best to help get the Hawkeyes as far as he could. His effort was in vain, as he played his heart out to the final second against the Illini. The biggest issue for Fran McCaffrey this season was when star center, Owen Freeman, went down with a hand injury midway through the season. One of the most explosive offensive units in the Big Ten couldn’t get stops defensively this season.

Leaves as Winningest Coach in Hawkeye History

It appeared that even with some talk of a possible retirement. Fran McCaffrey had expected to be back for his 16th season, as he was under contract until 2028. Missing the NCAA tournament two years in a row certainly soured the end of his tenure.

Iowa’s Athletic Director Beth Goetz made the news official in a press release and cited the decline in attendance at Carver-Hawkeye as a factor. She also detailed that the school would pay his 4.2 million dollar buyout.

“Fran McCaffery has been an integral part of our Hawkeye family for the past 15 years,” Goetz said. ” He is a tremendous coach and teacher, and we are grateful for the positive impact he has made on the institution and the community. We have a deep appreciation for his dedication to our student-athletes and his passion for the game that will have a lasting impact on our program.”

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

His character was certainly one of the best in the Big Ten, as he always brought some intensity to the sidelines.

Reflecting on His Tenure

Fran McCaffrey leaves Iowa with a 297-207 record. His tenure at Iowa was also the longest in school history. He took the Hawkeyes to seven NCAA Tournament trips, along with several NIT appearances.

That included a runner-up finish in the NIT during the 2012-13 season. He also led Iowa to a Big Ten Tournament Championship in 2021-22 with two NBA players, in Kris Murray and Keegan Murray.

Next year is going to be weird without Fran McCaffrey, but the guy can still coach, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him land on his feet somewhere.

Other Coaches Make a Case for McCaffrey

Following their Big Ten regular season championship-clinching win at Iowa, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo came to the defense of Coach McCaffrey. Izzo cited lack of resources when it comes to NIL to keep big names in Iowa City.

Whoever is the next guy, Iowa has to make some changes to keep the Hawkeyes competitive because that’s something Fran McCaffrey did a great job at. Sad to him go, but obviously, Iowa was looking for a change.

Photo credit: © Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The post Fran McCaffrey Out as Iowa Basketball Coach After 15 Seasons appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.