Fran McCaffery

Coach

Fran McCaffery is an acclaimed American college basketball coach and the current head coach of the men’s basketball team at the University of Iowa. He has taken a staggering four Division I programs to postseason tournaments, including the Iowa Hawkeyes. McCaffery’s coaching career has been marked by success and consistency, with a track record of taking programs to postseason tournaments and reviving struggling programs.

McCaffery started out playing college basketball for one season at Wake Forest before transferring to Penn, where he acquired the nickname “White Magic” and “Conductor” on the court. He began his celebrated coaching career with a stint at Penn as an assistant coach before moving on to Lehigh, where he was the youngest head coach in Division I when he was promoted in 1985. McCaffery then spent 11 years as an assistant at Notre Dame before becoming the head coach of the UNC Greensboro Spartans in 1999, leading them to the Southern Conference Championship and the NCAA Tournament in 2001. Following this, he spent five seasons at Siena from 2005-2010, where he guided the Siena Saints to four 20-win seasons, including three consecutive MAAC Regular-Season and Conference tournament Championships. McCaffery’s tenure at Siena is widely considered the greatest in program history as he revived a program that had a record of 6–24 prior to his arrival. Since 2010, McCaffery has served as head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes, taking them to 12 NCAA Tournaments and six conference tournament championships from four different leagues, including the Big Ten. With his lengthy experience and success as head coach, McCaffery continues to be an incredible asset to the University of Iowa and the Hawkeyes basketball program.

Throughout his career, McCaffery has also maintained a focus on player development and academic success, with a 100% graduation rate for players completing their NCAA eligibility. He is an inspiration to players both on and off the court, and will continue to evolve with the sport as he coaches the next generation of talent.