Reports: Iowa finalizing 6-year deal with coach Ben McCollum

Field Level Media|published: Fri 8th May, 14:12 2026

Mar 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum calls a timeout against the Florida Gators in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Ben McCollum is finalizing a deal with Iowa that would keep him as the Hawkeyes basketball coach for the next six years, ESPN reported Friday.

McCollum is coming off his first season at the helm in Iowa, when he took the Hawkeyes on their deepest NCAA tournament run in almost 40 years.

Compiling a 24-13 record, the Storm Lake, Iowa, native led the No. 9 Hawkeyes on a run to the Elite Eight that included a 73-72 second-round upset win over top-seeded Florida and another win over No. 4 Nebraska before being eliminated by Illinois in the regional final.

McCollum, 45, came to Iowa last spring after one season at Drake, which he led to the NCAA Tournament after guiding the Bulldogs to the Missouri Valley regular season and conference tournament titles in his first year with the program. Drake finished with a 31-4 record after falling to Texas Tech in the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament.

He previously spent 15 seasons with NCAA Division II power Northwest Missouri State University, helping his alma mater capture four national championships (2017, 2019, 2021, 2022).

During his 17-year coaching career, McCollum has amassed a record of 450-108.

McCollum was reportedly pursued by North Carolina in their search for a head coach to replace Hubert Davis, who was fired after five seasons. Former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone was ultimately hired to coach the Tar Heels.

--Field Level Media

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