Ben McCollum is close to finalizing a six-year agreement with Iowa that would keep him as the Hawkeyes’ men’s basketball coach, according to a report from ESPN on Friday.
McCollum just completed his debut season in Iowa City, leading the Hawkeyes to their deepest NCAA tournament run in nearly four decades. The Storm Lake, Iowa native compiled a 24-13 record, guiding the No. 9 seed Hawkeyes to the Elite Eight. Their run included a thrilling 73-72 upset of top-seeded Florida in the second round and a victory over No. 4 Nebraska before falling to Illinois in the regional final.
The 45-year-old coach arrived at Iowa last spring after a single season at Drake, where he led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament after capturing both the Missouri Valley regular season and conference tournament titles. Drake finished 31-4, losing to Texas Tech in the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament.
Before his time at Drake, McCollum spent 15 seasons at NCAA Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State University, his alma mater, where he won four national championships (2017, 2019, 2021, 2022). Over his 17-year coaching career, McCollum has amassed a record of 450-108.
Reports indicate that North Carolina had pursued McCollum in their search for a head coach after firing Hubert Davis, but the Tar Heels ultimately hired former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone.
