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Iowa confirms decision to move on from Fran McCaffery

Cory Nightingale

By Cory Nightingale

Published:

Iowa announced on Friday afternoon what had been reported earlier in the day, that Fran McCaffery had been fired as head men’s basketball coach after leading the Hawkeyes for the past decade and a half.

The 65-year-old Philadelphia native became a mainstay in the Midwest and in the Big Ten since he took the Iowa job in 2010. McCaffery spent the previous 5 seasons as the head coach at Siena and the 6 seasons before that at UNC Greensboro.

But it was at Iowa where he made his career. On Friday though, that all came to an end, as Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz released a statement that confirmed the reports of McCaffery’s firing earlier in the day.

McCaffery’s firing came 1 day after the Hawkeyes were eliminated by Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. McCaffery was ejected midway through the second half of what turned out to be his final game as head coach of the Hawkeyes.

Goetz’s statement was full of appreciation for what McCaffery has done for the program. But Iowa went just 17-16 this season and will miss the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.

McCaffery led Iowa to the NCAA Tournament 7 times, and it would have been 8 if there had been a 2020 March Madness. But the Hawkeyes didn’t make it to the Sweet 16 even once under McCaffery.

Cory Nightingale