Ben McCollum’s contract details released

The new Iowa men’s basketball coach will earn $3.35 million in his first season. There are also bonuses for Big Ten championships and NCAA tournament appearances.

Brad Schultz, Assistant Sports Editor

May 3, 2025

Wyatt Goodale

Newly hired Iowa Men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum speaks at a press conference at Carver Hawkeye area on March 25, 2025. McCollum is an Iowa City native and held previous coaching jobs at Northwest Missouri State and Drake. His coaching record is 426–95. Wyatt Goodale Daily Iowan.

New Iowa head men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum is set to earn $3.35 million in his first season of a six-year contract, per an open records request obtained by The Daily Iowan. McCollum’s contract includes an annual base salary of $500,000 with a supplemental income of $2.85 million, resulting in the total wage of $3.35 million.

That figure makes McCollum, 44, the 14th-highest paid coach in the Big Ten Conference, ahead of Penn State’s Mike Rhoades, Northwestern’s Chris Collins, new Minnesota coach Niko Medved, and Ohio State’s Jake Diebler. UCLA head coach Mick Cronin and legendary Michigan State coach Tom Izzo are the league’s top-earning coaches, with projected 2025-26 salaries of over $6 million. Former Iowa coach Fran McCaffery made $3.4 million in his final season.

McCollum’s compensation will increase to $4.1 million by the end of his contract in 2030-31, and the coach will earn additional bonuses for Academic Progress Rates [APR], Big Ten championships and other incentives. Those numbers are listed below:

APR bonuses

$25,000 if the APR is greater than or equal to 940
$50,000 if the APR is greater than or equal to 960
$75,000 if the APR is greater than or equal to 980

Team regular-season performance

$75,000 Big Ten regular season champions or co-champions
$50,000 Big Ten Tournament championship win

NCAA tournament

$50,000 for NCAA tournament invitation or First Four win
$75,000 for NCAA tournament advance to Round of 32
$100,000 for NCAA tournament advance to Sweet 16
$150,000 for NCAA tournament advance to Elite 8
$200,000 for NCAA tournament advance to Final Four
$300,000 for NCAA tournament advance to National Championship
$400,000 for NCAA tournament championship win

Coach of the Year

$50,000 for National Coach of the Year
$25,000 for Big Ten Coach of the Year

Buyouts

If McCollum resigns or leaves Iowa before the end of his contract, he will be required to pay the university $5 million if he leaves before April 1, 2026, $4 million if he leaves before April 1, 2027, $3 million if he leaves before April 1, 2028, $2 million if he leaves before April 1, 2029, and $1 million if he leaves before April 1, 2030.

On the flip side, if McCollum is terminated by the Hawkeyes before the end of his contract, Iowa is required to owe him 80 percent of McCollum’s remaining scheduled compensation through 2028 and 60 percent through 2031.