UNC basketball head coach search profile: Ben McCollum

The search for the next head basketball coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels is underway, and there have already been plenty of names thrown around.

The name mentioned most right now is Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, and rightfully so. He led the Wildcats back to the Final Four for the first time since 2001. Considering his success, along with the fact that he was the top assistant for Roy Williams’ longtime friend Mark Few at Gonzaga, many believe he is the surefire top candidate for UNC.

Advertisement

However, there is another coach whose team was still alive going into Saturday: Iowa’s Ben McCollum.

Ben McCollum’s prior experience

Mar 28, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Ben McCollum looks on in the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Interestingly enough, McCollum was coaching at the Division II level at Northwest Missouri State just two seasons ago. He was the conductor of a well-oiled machine that ran through everything in its path.

McCollum led the Bearcats to a 395-91 record from 2009 to 2024, winning four national titles and 20 conference titles (12 regular-season, eight tournament), and he had a 32-7 record in the postseason. His 2018-19 national championship squad went 38-0.

In 2024, he took his coaching talents to the Division I level at Drake. The Bulldogs went 32-4 with a Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament title, which is quite the accomplishment in one of college basketball’s better mid-major conferences. In the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs upset No. 6 seed and nationally ranked Missouri in the first round, and it was their first NCAA Tournament win since 1971.

Advertisement

He spent one season with Drake before getting the job at the University of Iowa, which is in his hometown of Iowa City. The Hawkeyes had not made the NCAA Tournament in several seasons and were coming off…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/unc-basketball-head-coach-search-170504820.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-03-29 17:05:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.