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With North Carolina’s search for its next head coach still ongoing — and the Tar Heels still trying to hit on their A-list candidates — several names in the next tier are starting to surface.
One of those is Iowa head coach Ben McCollum. McCollum led the Hawekeyes to a 24-13 season and its first Elite Eight appearance since 1987, punctuated by a last-second upset of No. 1 seed and defending national champion Florida. The Hawkeyes had advanced past the Round of 32 since 1999 and were coming off a 17-16 year that led to the firing of longtime coach Fran McCaffery.
However, according to CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein, any school eyeing McCollum, including North Carolina, will have to reckon with Iowa’s plans — and his stated intentions.
“Ben McCollum is in the first year of his contract, and the AD at Iowa has told me that they plan to sign him to a contract extension,” Rothstein said. “He has publicly said that he would like to be the head coach at Iowa for a long time.”
It’s also worth noting that McCollum is not only from the state of Iowa but from Iowa City, which is where the University of Iowa is located. It’s hard to pull any coach away from his hometown, and even harder in this case, as this would be the fourth move in four years for McCollum and his family. He coached at Drake last season and at Northwest Missouri State the year before, where he was head coach for 16 seasons from 2009-24.
McCollum took over at Iowa after one season at Drake, where he went 32-4 in 2024. The Bulldogs swept the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles and earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 1971 by upsetting No. 6 seed and nationally ranked Missouri.
Before moving to Division I, McCollum built a Division II power at Northwest Missouri State. From 2009 to 2024, he went 395-91 with four national championships and 20 conference titles (12 regular-season, eight tournament). His 2018-19 team finished 38-0, and he posted a 32-7 postseason record with the Bearcats.
Across Northwest Missouri State, Drake and Iowa, McCollum has a 36-9 record in NCAA Tournament play, an .818 winning percentage, and has won at least one tournament game in 13 of 14 seasons.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Coaching search may turn to Iowa's Ben McCollum
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One of those is Iowa head coach Ben McCollum. McCollum led the Hawekeyes to a 24-13 season and its first Elite Eight appearance since 1987, punctuated by a last-second upset of No. 1 seed and defending national champion Florida. The Hawkeyes had advanced past the Round of 32 since 1999 and were coming off a 17-16 year that led to the firing of longtime coach Fran McCaffery.
However, according to CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein, any school eyeing McCollum, including North Carolina, will have to reckon with Iowa’s plans — and his stated intentions.
“Ben McCollum is in the first year of his contract, and the AD at Iowa has told me that they plan to sign him to a contract extension,” Rothstein said. “He has publicly said that he would like to be the head coach at Iowa for a long time.”
It’s also worth noting that McCollum is not only from the state of Iowa but from Iowa City, which is where the University of Iowa is located. It’s hard to pull any coach away from his hometown, and even harder in this case, as this would be the fourth move in four years for McCollum and his family. He coached at Drake last season and at Northwest Missouri State the year before, where he was head coach for 16 seasons from 2009-24.
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McCollum took over at Iowa after one season at Drake, where he went 32-4 in 2024. The Bulldogs swept the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles and earned their first NCAA Tournament win since 1971 by upsetting No. 6 seed and nationally ranked Missouri.
Before moving to Division I, McCollum built a Division II power at Northwest Missouri State. From 2009 to 2024, he went 395-91 with four national championships and 20 conference titles (12 regular-season, eight tournament). His 2018-19 team finished 38-0, and he posted a 32-7 postseason record with the Bearcats.
Across Northwest Missouri State, Drake and Iowa, McCollum has a 36-9 record in NCAA Tournament play, an .818 winning percentage, and has won at least one tournament game in 13 of 14 seasons.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Basketball: Coaching search may turn to Iowa's Ben McCollum
Continue reading...
