New Iowa men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum has hired Luke Barnwell as an assistant coach, per a press release on Wednesday afternoon.

“I have known Luke for a number of years,” McCollum said in the release. “He is an elite recruiter, excellent coach and has had a ton of success at the prep level. He also has a lot of experience at the Power 5 level with one of the top coaches in the country in Grant McCasland. We’re excited to have Luke join our program.”

Welcome to Iowa, @CoachLuke137 #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/wgHsRp5Y40

— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) April 9, 2025

Barnwell previously spent two seasons as an assistant coach under Grant McCasland at Texas Tech, where he helped guide the Red Raiders to 51 wins and an Elite Eight appearance during his tenure. Barnwell was credited with the development of stars JT Toppin, Darrion Williams, and Chance McMillan. All three players earned postseason honors, highlighted by Toppin earning All-American and Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors.

Prior to arriving in Lubbock, Barnwell served as the head coach of Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Air, Kansas, where he compiled an overall mark of 178-28 and five consecutive GEICO Nationals. He coached over 75 NCAA Division I players and six NBA players during his tenure.

Now, Barnwell returns to the Midwest to join an Iowa program that looks to return to national prominence under McCollum.

“I am incredibly blessed to be a part of the University of Iowa and coach McCollum’s staff,” Barnwell said. “My family and I look forward to being back in the Midwest to work for this university, community and program.”