Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery was give the Coaches vs. Cancer Champion Award on Sunday in Indianapolis. The award is given annually to a coach engaged in the Coaches vs. Cancer program through “fundraising, education, and promotional initiatives and has demonstrated leadership in the fight to save more lives from cancer.”

McCaffery’s efforts along with his wife, Margaret, when their son Patrick, was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in March 2014, were a large reason in the head coach was given the award. They used the attention to raise awareness and raise funds for cancer research.

Since they arrived at Iowa in 2010, the McCafferys have raised more than $1.3 million to support the American Cancer Society.

“The American Cancer Society, in conjunction with the NABC, is pleased to recognize coach Fran McCaffery and his wife Margaret for their outstanding work with Coaches vs. Cancer,” said John Seffrin, the American Cancer Society’s CEO. “Together, they pose a formidable force in the fight against cancer, and we are grateful for their ongoing commitment to the society’s lifesaving work.”

— by Danny Payne