The Rise of Ben McCollum: Going Back Home

Picture: © Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Following a fantastic first season coaching at the Division One level, Ben McCollum is leaving Drake to take the head coaching position at the University of Iowa. McCollum’s Bulldogs fell 77-64 to the Texas Tech Red Raiders ending Drake’s historic season in the second round of the NCAA tournament. In McCollum’s first season with the Bulldogs, he recorded the most historic season in program history where the team finished 31-4, won the Missouri Valley regular season and postseason title, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1970. Now McCollum leaves Des Moines to head 114 miles east along I-80 to replace Fran McCaffery as the coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

For McCollum taking the job at Iowa is a homecoming, born and raised in Iowa City, McCollum looks to bring the same success he has had at each previous job to the Hawkeyes program. Before Drake, McCollum was the head coach of Northwest Missouri State where he won four national championships and five National Coaches of the Year awards; he was an unknown commodity to most when he replaced Darian Devries at Drake after Devries took the job at West Virginia, but McCollum may have been the best hire of the coaching carousel. McCollum brought his stifling defense and methodic offensive approach to Des Moines and dominated the MVC in his first year. A team that was picked fifth in the preseason poll, the Bulldogs dominated conference play going 17-3 winning both the regular season and postseason titles. McCollum would be named MVC coach of the year and led the Bulldogs in an upset of the Missouri Tigers in the first round of the NCAA tournament before being knocked out by Texas Tech.

Now McCollum takes over an Iowa program that has struggled recently going 17-16 this past season while being just 7-13 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes parted ways with longtime coach Fran McCaffery as they look towards the future and getting the Hawkeyes back in the NCAA tournament. They knew exactly who they wanted in the coaching search and got their man in McCollum. A known winner and someone who will bring some help from Drake with him; McCollum will most likely bring with him MVC Player of the Year Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks who averaged double figures for the Bulldogs. The Hawkeyes also have some players who if they stay will give McCollum a great starting point for next season, with players such as Josh Dix and Owen Freeman who both averaged over 14 points per game this past season.

With newly gained resources moving to a high-major program, expect McCollum to continue his success as he leads the Hawkeyes for years to come. His coaching style has proven to translate to the Division One level, a team that will methodically break you down and not give up any easy baskets will be perfect for the Big Ten. Even if they are not the most talented team on the floor, they will not take a possession off on either side of the floor, McCollum is a coach players want to play for. As he attracts more talent, expect greater success for the Hawkeyes.