Who is Ben McCollum? Meet first year Iowa coach that has Hawkeyes in first Elite 8 since 1987
Here is more on Ben McCollum, who is in his first year at Iowa and has led the Hawkeyes to their first Elite Eight appearance since 1987.
Who is Ben McCollum? Meet first year Iowa coach that has Hawkeyes in first Elite 8 since 1987 originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Iowa Hawkeyes are heading to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987. While Iowa is the 2026 NCAA Tournament’s Cinderella team, one of the craziest aspects of their run so far is that the Hawkeyes are being coached by Ben McCollum, who is in his first year with the program. McCollum isn’t new to being a college basketball coach, as he has 16 years of experience.
He got his start at his alma mater, taking over as the head coach at Northwest Missouri State in 2009. McCollum stayed with the Division II program through the 2023–24 season. He finally took his first Division I head coaching job with Drake.
After just one season with the Bulldogs, McCollum returned to his hometown Hawkeyes and took over as Iowa’s head coach for the 2025–26 season. Here is more on McCollum, who has the Hawkeyes back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987. MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Latest news and more Who is Ben McCollum?