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Fran McCaffery reportedly nearing deal with Ivy League program
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Fran McCaffery is nearing a deal to become the next head coach at Penn, according to a report.
That’s per Sam Federman, who noted that a deal is “imminent,” citing multiple sources. McCaffery is a Penn alum, so this deal would have him returning to his alma mater.
BREAKING: Penn is nearing a deal with former Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery. A deal is “imminent,” multiple sources told me.
— Sam Federman (@Sam_Federman) March 26, 2025
McCaffery spent the last 15 seasons at Iowa, but was fired after the Hawkeyes were eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament earlier this month.
McCaffery began his collegiate career at Wake Forest, but transferred to Penn after 1 season. He played for the Quakers from 1979-82 and helped take the program to 2 NCAA Tournaments.
He then started his coaching career as an assistant at Penn back in 1982. This will be his first time back coaching at Penn since leaving for a role at Lehigh back in 1983.
If confirmed, McCaffery would take over a Penn program that has struggled in recent years. The Quakers have made the NCAA Tournament just 1 time in the last 17 years and that was as a 16-seed back in 2018. It’s been a rough couple of decades for a program that was once a frequent participant in March Madness, but McCaffery will be looking to turn things around in the coming years.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.