Iowa’s Ben McCollum shuts down rumors to college basketball openings

The college basketball world moves fast, and even though the NCAA Tournament is still going on, another form of March Madness is in full swing. Teams have moved on from coaches, while others remain in limbo, creating potential job openings at the titans of college basketball.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have moved on from Hubert Davis, and the Kansas Jayhawks are awaiting news on whether Bill Self is going to remain in charge. The openings and speculation have led to Ben McCollum, the Iowa Hawkeyes’ head coach, being tossed around as a potential target.

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Amid leading Iowa to the Elite 8 in his first season as the program’s head coach, McCollum gave a definitive answer in shutting down any rumors or speculation and intends to return to Iowa as the head coach next season.

“Yeah, those are all lies. The only person that would ever know would be – well, three people – would be my athletic director, my wife, and that’s about it. I guess two people,” McCollum said about the rumors.

Ben McCollum, a native of Iowa City, Iowa, is currently at what many believe to be his dream job after putting in his dues at lower levels. McCollum spent 2009 to 2024 as the head coach of Northwest Missouri State, where he won four NCAA Division II national titles, before moving up to become the head coach of Drake during the 2024 season, in which he led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament and a postseason win in the first round.

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In his career, Ben McCollum holds a 450-107 overall record, only providing further evidence of his ability to win anywhere he goes. His current contract at Iowa is a six-year deal for $22.75 million, running through the 2030-31 season.

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire : Iowa’s Ben McCollum shuts down rumors to college basketball openings

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/iowas-ben-mccollum-shuts-down-235521006.html

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Publish date : 2026-03-27 23:55:00

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