When Fran McCaffery took over as Iowa’s head men’s basketball coach in 2010, he inherited a program that was in ruins following the disappointing tenures of Steve Alford and Todd Lickliter.
Returning the Hawkeyes to national prominence seemed like a difficult task for McCaffery, but he had Iowa in the postseason in just year two, followed by his first NCAA tournament appearance two seasons later.
McCaffery, who turns 66 in May, has led the Hawkeyes to six additional NCAA tournaments since then, but as the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.”
It’s time for new blood in Iowa City.
Though McCaffery is Iowa’s all-time winningest coach, he is about to miss the Big Dance for a second consecutive season in 2024-25 and might not even qualify for the Big Ten tournament. While the Hawkeyes have battled their fair share of injuries this year, that’s a pretty embarrassing thought for a program that has historically ranked in the upper echelon of the Big Ten.
Iowa didn’t enter this season with massive expectations, but many fans hoped for at least a return to the NCAA tournament. Barring a miracle Big Ten tournament title run, that’s not going to happen. I believe there is a lot of talent on this roster, but the pieces just haven’t fit together for one reason or another.
And not only are the Hawkeyes losing, but they are also struggling to even compete with some of the Big Ten’s best. It’s one thing to lose close games to good teams, but Iowa has lost six games on the road by double digits, including losses by 31 and 26 points at Maryland and Wisconsin, respectively.
Then there’s the Sweet 16 issue. Despite producing the likes of Luka Garza, Keegan Murray, Kris Murray, and so many others, McCaffery’s Hawkeye squads have never once reached the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. That’s an accomplishment the program hasn’t earned since 1999, but with the way things are going, it’s hard to see McCaffery come close to making one at this point in his tenure.
The Hawkeyes’ on-court issues are certainly telling, but to me, the primary reason it’s time for a change is the ongoing attendance problem in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Sure, it’s one thing to experience a decrease in attendance during a down season, but this has been something that has been a problem for years.
McCaffery’s up-tempo offensive style was initially praised for bringing enthusiasm back to Iowa basketball, but the bad combination of poor defense and rebounding has soured the minds of many fans. It hasn’t helped that McCaffery has refused to make any changes to that gameplan, further angering fans who correlate that style with the lack of success in March.
Two weeks ago, Chad Leistikow of The Des Moines Register reported Iowa averages roughly 5,000 tickets scanned for men’s basketball games. Remember, that’s the amount of people who are actually in the door, not the phony-reported announced attendance.
That’s when the athletic department really needs to get involved. If the Hawkeyes were still drawing in respectable crowds to games, they may sway toward keeping McCaffery. Since that’s not remotely the case, it causes the university to lose money on not only ticket revenues, but also alcohol and food sales.
By not showing up to games, the fanbase is telling Athletics Director Beth Goetz they want a change. There is no business without the fans, and if they want change and seem checked out, then it might tell Goetz she needs to rip the Band-Aid off before things continue to go downhill.
While Iowa fans should still consider the McCaffery era a success, it’s clear that the program has reached its ceiling under its longtime coach and is desperate for a new look.
There’s no guarantee that a new head coach would have the same level of winning history as McCaffery, but it’s a risk that Goetz must take in order for this program to return to national prominence.