Iowa Men’s Basketball Hires New Coach
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On March 24, the University of Iowa announced that they had hired Ben Mcollum as their new men’s basketball head coach.
McCollum, the former head coach of Drake men’s basketball, led the Bulldogs to their first round of 32 appearance in 54 years. He coached only one season at Drake, leading them to a strong 31-4 record. McCullom will now take over just two hours east, at the University of Iowa. He was born in Iowa City and raised in Storm Lake, with many believing he was meant to become Iowa’s head coach.
In a press release, Iowa Athletic Director, Beth Goetz, said, “We are excited to welcome Coach McCollum and his family back to Iowa City. Ben has a track record of success both on and off the court. His talent for developing student-athletes and fostering a strong team culture has been evident throughout his career.”
Iowa’s basketball program was underwhelming last season, ending the year with 17-16 overall and 7-13 in the Big 10. They will have to adapt to losing key players such as the Sandfort brothers. Coach Fran McCaffery parted ways with the Hawkeyes at the end of the season, with McCollum hired to turn the team around. McCollum will look to start his Iowa career off with a rebuild to acquire the squad that he needs to lead Iowa to success.
Northwest High School student and lifelong Iowa fan, Jake Mandel, said, “I really liked Fran McCaffery, but I think having a young coach like McCollum will help us in the long term.”
McCollum is known for his possession-based style of play, valuing a strong defense. His goal will be to implement those methods into this current Iowa team and bring in players that can effectively play his system. Coach McCollum will hope that those tactics will translate into winning.
Iowa play-by-play broadcaster Gary Dolphin, known as the ‘Voice of the Hawkeyes’, stated, “It all starts with conference championships. Everyone wants to be in the NCAA tournament, but if you are winning your conference championships, you should be in the tournament. Your number one goal should be to win the Big 10 title. Ben will be given the time and resources to turn Iowa into a winner for years to come.”
Hawkeye fans will hope that Coach McCollum is the right man for their project, and that he can take Iowa Men’s basketball to the next level.