Tyler Stith
Not many Hawkeye fans know the progress the men’s golf team has made the last two seasons under head coach Tyler Stith’s guidance.
The team has finished second place in back-to-back years at the Big Ten Championships. It also qualified for the NCAA regional in both of Stith’s two years as coach. Last season, Stith guided the Hawkeyes to a seventh place finish at the event.
This season, Stith captured his first tournament title in the fall of his second year on the job, guiding Iowa to a team title at the Sept. 25-27, 2015, GolfWeek Conference Challenge.
He also led the team to three top-five finishes in the Oct. 10-11, 2015, David Toms Intercollegiate, the April 2-3 ASU Thunderbird, and the April 16-17 Hawkeye Invitational.
Not only have team scores improved, but Stith has molded better individual scores, too. Senior Nate Yankovich has had his best season under Stith’s coaching. His development has helped the Hawkeyes become a real threat at the upcoming May 16-18 NCAA regional.
Stith’s leadership and overall team improvement, as well as back-to-back second place finishes at the Big Ten Championship, should make him a valid candidate for Coach of the Year.
— Connor Sindberg
Fran McCaffery
Fran McCaffery took Iowa basketball to a place this year that it had not been since the glory days — the Dr. Tom days.
After losing first-team All-Big Ten performer Aaron White to graduation, projections did not have the Hawkeyes even sniffing the top 25 for the 2015-16 season.
McCaffery did have a solid core returning, however, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament seemed attainable. Seniors Mike Gesell, Adam Woodbury, Anthony Clemmons, and Jarrod Uthoff were all back to lead an experienced squad.
But after an exhibition loss to Augustana, a Division-2 school, many fans questioned how competitive McCaffery’s team would be.
But once the season rolled around, McCaffery’s up-tempo style had the Hawkeyes running circles around the competition. Wins against Marquette, Wichita State, and Florida State in the nonconference led into ranked conference wins against Michigan State (twice) and Purdue (twice).
The Hawkeye’s win over Michigan State on Dec. 29, 2015, was the program’s first victory over the No. 1 team in the nation since Nov. 12, 1999, when Hawkeyes beat No. 1 UConn in Madison Square.
Iowa steadily climbed in the college basketball rankings throughout the year, peaking at No. 3 in the AP Poll after an 83-71 victory over No. 22 Purdue in Carver-Hawkeye.
McCaffery and the rest of his staff blew away the expectations that were placed upon the team before the year started. Many were skeptical on whether the Hawkeyes could make the NCAA Tournament.
By mid-January, the skepticism turned to whether the Hawkeyes could win a national championship.
— Blake Dowson