Iowa dismisses head coach Fran McCaffery after 15 seasons

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery was dismissed after 15 seasons with the Hawkeyes, the school announced Friday.

McCaffery, the school’s all-time wins leader with 297, departs with a record 143 Big Ten victories.

“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 on the institution and the community,” director of athletics Beth Goetz said in a statement Friday. “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.”

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lowa will begin a national search for a new coach immediately, the school said.

Iowa’s season ended Thursday with a 106-94 loss to Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. McCaffery was ejected in the second half after being assessed two technical fouls for arguing with the officials.

The Hawkeyes finished the campaign 17-16 and 7-13 in the Big Ten. There was some optimism after a 12-4 start that included a 25-point win over Indiana on Jan. 11, but they lost 11 of their next 14 games as the season quickly unraveled.

During McCaffery’s 15 seasons at the helm, he led Iowa to seven NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to the second round four times but never reaching the Sweet 16. He consistently produced some of the nation’s best offenses, ranking in the top 20 in adjusted offensive efficiency in each of the past eight seasons.

Iowa has had four players selected in the NBA draft since 2021, including first-rounders Keegan Murray and Kris Murray in 2022 and 2023. That group included Luka Garza, the two-time first-team All-American and 2021 Wooden Award winner.

Since going to four straight NCAA tournaments from 2019 to 2023, however, Iowa has struggled the past two seasons. The Hawkeyes missed the NCAA tournament last season, finishing 19-15 overall and 10-10 in league play.

In 15 seasons, McCaffery went 297-207.

Prior to taking over in Iowa City in 2010, McCaffery was the head coach at Siena for five seasons, going to three straight NCAA tournaments to finish his tenure. He also went to one NCAA tournament apiece as the head coach at UNC Greensboro and Lehigh, and spent time as an assistant coach at Notre Dame, Lehigh and Penn.