Ben McCollum's winning legacy continues with Iowa's March Madness run
Though the stage keeps getting bigger, coach Ben McCollum continues to prove he’s a winner. McCollum and Iowa’s underdog March Madness run ended with a loss to Illinois on Saturday, but his success in his first season with the Hawkeyes proved he can win at any level. McCollum won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State before spending one season at Drake.
HOUSTON (AP) — Though the stage keeps getting bigger, coach Ben McCollum continues to prove he’s a winner. McCollum and Iowa’s underdog March Madness run ended with a loss to Illinois on Saturday , but his success in his first season with the Hawkeyes proved he can win at any level. McCollum won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State before spending one season at Drake.
He led the Bulldogs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before moving on to Iowa. Last season, the Hawkeyes went 17-16 overall and 7-13 in Big Ten play, and Fran McCaffery was fired after 15 seasons. Iowa finished 2025-26 at 24-13.
“It’s got to be the biggest impact a first-year head coach has ever had in Iowa history,” the Hawkeyes' Cooper Koch said. “What he’s done is pretty special, and there’s going to be many years of this to come. ” McCollum reflected on the ride he’s been on since leaving Northwest Missouri State after 15 years.
“You have to make yourself uncomfortable,” he said. “And it’s been uncomfortable for a couple years. But we’re getting there.