After 15 years of representing the Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team, head coach Fran McCaffery will reunite with his alma mater at Penn.

McCaffery joins the fifth team of his head coaching career as he enters his 30th year as a head coach (44th overall). Penn marked the start of his career, being an assistant from 1982 to 1983.

“Barring a late-stage change of heart, Fran McCaffery will be the next coach of Penn men's basketball, sources confirmed to CBS Sports. Am told they're in the final stages of negotiations. McCaffery, 65, is a Penn alum,” CBS Sports' Matt Norlander said.

What's next for Iowa after Fran McCaffery

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffrey reacts during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center.
Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The Iowa Hawkeyes will begin a new era of men's basketball after firing Fran McCaffery.

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McCaffery was successful throughout his 15 years with the program. He finished with a 297-207 overall record (143-141 Big Ten), making 11 postseason appearances in that span. This includes seven NCAA Tournament berths, advancing to the second round four times.

However, the last three years of his tenure saw some stagnancy. While they were all winning seasons, the team was unable to break the mark of 20 wins in each of those seasons.

The 2024-25 campaign marked the first time since the 2017-18 season where Iowa did not appear in any postseason. They finished with a 17-16 overall record, having gone 7-13 in Big Ten Play. The Hawkeyes averaged 82.5 points on 49% shooting from the field and 38% from beyond the arc. As a result, they get past opponents by a margin of 2.8 points per game.

With Fran McCaffery's departure, the Hawkeyes will transition to their next head coach in Ben McCollum, who led Drake to the second round of the NCAA Tournament this year.