Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - BREAKING: Iowa Basketball FIRES Fran McCaffery, Who's Next For Hawkeye Hoops?

Starting point is 00:00:00 Iowa basketball is moving on from Fran McCaffrey. We come to you from the road with a rapid reaction podcast. What's next for Iowa basketball today? Locked on Hawkeyes. You are locked on Hawkeyes, your daily podcast on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, welcome in. I'm Trent Condon and this is the Locked On Hawkeyes podcast. Thanks for making Locked On Hawkeyes your first listen every day. We're

Starting point is 00:00:35 available wherever you find podcasts. You can also watch us on YouTube. While you're there, make sure you hit the subscribe button. Just takes a moment and helps us get in front of more Hawkeye fans. Today's episode is brought to you by the all-new 2025 Nissan Armada. Stay with us for the Armada team of the week later on in the episode. Glad to have you aboard with us here today as I come to you from the road. We're going to talk about obviously what is next for Iowa basketball. Some of the coaching candidates that make sense.

Starting point is 00:01:04 The two easiest names that are there and then we're gonna dive a little bit deeper into Things and we will get into that as an era comes to a close after 15 years I will moving on from Fran McCaffrey called a firing parting ways Whatever terminology that you want to use the change is here and We have talked about this from all angles. And if you've been listening to me here on Lockdown Hawkeyes for the better part of six weeks, we knew this was inevitable.

Starting point is 00:01:32 Now, I was not reporting that he was gone, but if you've been listening, you're an every dayer, you know the direction that this was heading. And I said as much for the better part of six weeks. This is where we are. And this is what was going to happen. Is it fair to frame McCaffrey? Probably not.

Starting point is 00:01:51 When you look at it strictly in the basketball sense, it isn't. The guy in a place that is difficult to win was a winner. 10 out of 11 years before this season with a winning record in the Big 10. Something only Michigan State accomplished. 10 out of 11 years before this season with a winning record in the Big 10. Something only Michigan State accomplished. NCAA tournaments, and a stretch of 7 out of 8 years.

Starting point is 00:02:11 Something that no coach in Iowa has accomplished. There were successes. There were marks. But there were a couple of major demerits and the biggest one for so many fans was the Sweet 16. We had somebody on the comments yesterday's podcast. I talk about that. Why the sweet 16 for so much of the fan base,

Starting point is 00:02:33 why that is the end all deal. And in a way I completely agree because you can have a very successful program. I was at a very successful program during this run and not get to the second weekend. There's some bad luck involved or some bad games involved. There's some bad coaching involved. All those things go hand in hand with not ultimately getting to that second weekend. And I think we're going to look back and when we look back at this era, I think it's going to be

Starting point is 00:03:02 looked at much more positively. I mean, you look at Dr. Tom Davis, now to continue to see the revisionist history that is out there. Yes, they made the Sweet 16 his final season, but before that, they went a decade without a Sweet 16. Coming on the heels of one of the most successful eras of Iowa basketball, and Dr. Tom couldn't get him back until the decision was made by Bob Bullsby not to renew his contract and he had that lame duck season. That's why he was let go.

Starting point is 00:03:31 It's because of lack of success. Attendance was starting to dwindle. The inability or the unwillingness to go out and schedule at a level in the non-conference that excites the fan base. Hmm, what does this sound like? Yes, they're not exactly the same, but the similarities between the end of the Dr. Tom era and the Fray McCaffrey era are very, very similar. The programs that they built are very, very similar. Fray McCaffrey walked into a hideous situation with the corpse of a program that Todd Lichtleider left them.

Starting point is 00:04:08 Dr. Tom walked into one of the best situations in all of college basketball, maybe in my lifetime. You think of that group that he inherited in the 86-87 team, there was a long time that that roster had the most players that played in the NBA for better part of 15 years. They had the record. Most players had a roster to play in an NBA game. 86-87 Iowa. There's a Kentucky team then that finally beat that record. How nuts is that? It's absolutely crazy. That's what he inherited. So they're completely different. But after those classes moved on, after the first three years for Dr. Tom and for Fray McCaffrey, these are the same programs. So Iowa moves on. And as Iowa moves on, now the next question is, who's going to be the next coach?

Starting point is 00:05:00 What else are they going to do in that direction? We're going to get into that. And that's going to be obviously the basis of our next few shows, unless a decision is made more quickly than anybody can anticipate. Um, I want to say something else though about frame McCaffrey and the outpouring of support. What are the things about frame McCaffrey that we've known throughout his tenure, is he is beloved by his players. He stands up for his guys. His dudes, he's going to be there for him. And does he go for the top sometimes?

Starting point is 00:05:34 Yeah. But you know he is there supporting his guys. You know that he is going to be there every single time with their back. That's Fray McCaffrey. That's who he is. That's how he's built. And when we go through and we look at the outpouring of support on social media from his former players,

Starting point is 00:05:56 it shouldn't come as a surprise. We know that they love him and he loves them. In today's environment, with Transfer Portal being what it is, the ability to trash programs on the way out, you don't see that. You didn't see that during Fram and Caffrey's tenure. So don't take it as some kind of knock

Starting point is 00:06:18 on the athletic department, and I have a basketball on the future of the program because players are upset that their coach got let go. Yeah, Connor's going to say his thing because Connor always says something. Connor McCaffrey, he's a loudmouth and that's okay. He's got a lot of that dilly that his dad has in him. He's not your choir boy Midwest guy. Right.

Starting point is 00:06:42 And that's okay. His dad just got fired at a place that he's the all-time winningest coach. And for not just the sons, but for all the former players to say things, take this and be frustrated by it. You can understand that's okay. And I think all of us, when we get a little bit more separation, we're going to realize the good things that Fran did, the good things that he created with this team and with this program. And there's going to be those positive things. Fireings are not easy.

Starting point is 00:07:12 It's not. And the likelihood is I was next coach. Are they going to be able to sustain success? Be a solid program year after year, like brand McCaffrey? Probably not. What has to change? Well, you start with this. There needs to be an investment

Starting point is 00:07:30 in the men's basketball program. And that starts at the top. Yes, NIL is a huge component to it. We'll get to that. But at the top, the athletic department needs to make a concerted effort that they are going to invest in this program. That they're going to do the things necessary to generate interest. The marketing department, here you go.

Starting point is 00:07:52 Here's your opportunity. For Iowa sports, it's pretty easy. We're at the point with women's basketball and wrestling and football. Put up the tickets, people are buying. That's not the case for men's basketball. Men's basketball is supposed to be your second cash cow as an athletic department. In general, that's the case across the country. It hasn't been that case at the University of Iowa.

Starting point is 00:08:16 You're going to have to go out and engage. And the new coach is going to have to engage. And not just engage the fan base, which is going to be a huge part in getting people in the building, but also they're going to have to engage and not just engage the fan base which is going to be a huge part in getting people in the building but also they're going to have to engage those big money boosters. That's what they need to make happen. They need to be able to make waves in the financial part and catch up. Britain said it after their final game against Illinois. They needed upwards of six million dollars to compete in the Big Ten. Iowa's at a million. They're operating at, at best, one-fourth of the budget needed to be there. And that also shows you the incredible job

Starting point is 00:08:55 that Fray McCaffrey's done. Before NIL, pay-for-play, and the things that have been created in college athletics now, He did it with less. There was no cutting corners. There were not the things that you see at other programs. He's by the books and he was able to have that success. And in today's environment without the financial backing, he still was able to have successes. He's a good coach. I'm going to miss Fran. I am. I'm not going to miss the divisiveness of the fan base. I'm not gonna miss how checked out the fan base is for men's basketball. I've told you before, Iowa men's basketball, Iowa hoops is what made me a Hawkeye fan.

Starting point is 00:09:38 As a little kid in the 80s, it was it. That was the thing. More than Iowa football, more than Iowa wrestling. It was Iowa basketball. And though it'll never be back to the level that it was, I get that. Things change, things evolve. It can still be back to being an important part of being a Hawkeye fan. That's what I'm looking forward to. So where does Iowa turn? Beth Getz has a decision. Who is going to be the next Iowa head coach? We'll talk a decision. Who is going to be the next Iowa head coach? We'll talk about some of the intel, some of the things that we've been hearing here as we continue. This is Locked on Hawkeyes. Today's episode is brought to you by Nissan. We're all about the stats because numbers

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Starting point is 00:12:38 and how about this South Bend Indiana, Framon Caffrey former assistant in Notre Dame and yes on the road make her way out to my niece's baptism. So we will be on the road with you here the next couple of days. Well, on the road means you get plenty of windshield time, plenty of opportunity to talk to people. And I've been talking to some people. Now, this goes back for weeks. And as we passed along to you, as we do with any rumors in a window on the Lockdown Hawkeyes podcast with also always putting in the caveat with the understanding that yes, these are a lot of times rumors. This is not official. This is not breaking news. Don't go running off and tell your friends

Starting point is 00:13:15 continents reporting. It's not reporting. I'm speculating and connecting dots. And during this whole time, I've continued to hear about Darren DeBries. Darren DeBries, his connection to the state of Iowa, his understanding of the Iowa basketball program, the depths of knowledge that he has, the people that he knows, as I mentioned yesterday on the podcast, I think that's something that needs to also be remembered. Darren is a winner and Darren after being at Creighton for an incredibly long time after doing it under two great coaches, Dana Altman and Greg McDermott. What he learned there, what he translated to Drake. Drake I think now maybe

Starting point is 00:14:01 our ideas, our perceptions are a little bit different of what that program was. That was a morbid program. Yeah, they had the great year in what, 2008, 2009? But outside of that, we're talking about a program that you have to go all the way back to even the early 80s before you're talking to any kind of real success. They call it the Drake Invitational. That was the opening round of the Missouri Valley Tournament when the 8, 9, and 7, 10 games were happening on the first night of the tournament Valley tournament when the eight, nine, and seven, 10 games were happening on the first night of the tournament.

Starting point is 00:14:26 And Drake was there seemingly every year. I think it was 15 out of 16 years, something like that, that they were playing in that opening round. That's how bad that program was. And he turned them into consistent winner. Now he goes to West Virginia, place that hadn't had much success

Starting point is 00:14:38 over the last couple of years. Turned them into a winner, and maybe an NCAA tournament team, and did it, losing his son in the process, 10 games into the season. He knows people in the state, he knows people with money in the state, and not just his brother, but other people in the state. You have a guy that knows how to win, knows what it is to be a Hawkeye, understands as

Starting point is 00:15:01 an Iowan what this job is going to be. And he knows the game. I think it would be a home run. I believe it is a number one. There are still things that need to be worked out. There's still contracts that need to be sent. And the biggest part is also the financial part. But because Beth gets made this decision so quickly, I think we know that Beth gets knew this was also coming and she's been working the back channel. She's been working with the people that

Starting point is 00:15:28 have the money that can make these things happen. You got the $4.2 million that's gonna go to Fran and to buyout. To buyout, Deirdre Brees, you're talking about another four and a half million dollars. New coaching staff, all the things that go along with it. That's a reality. That is how things work. And then building up the budget as it pertains to NIL. These are all things that need to happen and if Iowa can show Darren DeVries, if Beth Getz can show Darren DeVries that all those things are happening, all those things are possible, then he's going to be the next head coach. I truly believe that. If everything works, everything is

Starting point is 00:16:02 shown and Iowa can show the ability to make it all right, then he will be Iowa's next head coach. If not, then we go next. Ben McCollum is another guy on the list that makes a ton of sense. The Iowa angle is not important. The Kayden Fry wasn't an Iowan. Kirk Ferrence not an Iowan. Lou Olson not an Iowan.

Starting point is 00:16:23 Dr. Tom not an Iowan. Lou Olson, not an Iowan. Dr. Tom, not an Iowan. Graham McCaffrey, not an Iowan. Being an Iowan is not a prerequisite, but in a program and understanding, it's not a bad thing. And it's a good place to start. Ben McCollum, born in Iowa City, lived in Storm Lake, was an All-State player there, went to Northwest Missouri State,

Starting point is 00:16:43 and basically never left. Built that program into a D2 power. What he's done at year number one at Drake has been absolutely eye-opening. He's a stud. He wins and he's going to win wherever his next job is. Now, is Indiana involved there? That's a question that needs to be asked because the Virginia job is much, or the Indiana job, excuse me, is much more coveted than the Iowa job. The Virginia job might be more coveted than the Iowa job. But all those things aside, that would be obviously a slam dunk number two if you can bring a guy in. Even with that slow down style, you win with any style, people are going to come back. Winning cures all. It's as simple as that. You win, people are going to show up. And they'll make excuses for your program when you're winning, even if it is a boring,

Starting point is 00:17:29 boring style of basketball. Yes, it didn't work for Licklider. That doesn't mean it wouldn't work for McCullum. Chris Chance is the one that I've been talking about a ton. He has squeezed about as much as you can out of the Mississippi State Apple. You look at that program as a whole and what he's been able to accomplish. Good coach, another Iowa background, a lot of things. Again, it comes down to Darren DeBrice and that's where this conversation starts. So that's why we start the conversation there. I believe

Starting point is 00:17:55 if everything happens, Iowa shows the ability that they got the money that they are going to be able to arm him with an NIL budget to compete in the Big 10 level that he'll be the guy. We will see. On the road, Lockdown Hawkeyes. Thanks for being with us here today. Again, we'll be back with you throughout the weekend. Anything happens, we got you covered as well. That's a great thing. We can go remote and we will be doing that coming up this weekend from Cleveland, Ohio. Yes, spring breaking in Cleveland. Nothing better than that. Thanks for being with us and making Lockdown Hawkeyes your first listen every day for this bonus edition on the road here on Saturday morning.

Starting point is 00:18:33 We'll talk to you again tomorrow. Until then, go Hawks.

Locked On Hawkeyes - Daily Podcast On Iowa Hawkeyes Football & Basketball - BREAKING: Iowa Basketball FIRES Fran McCaffery, Who's Next For Hawkeye Hoops?

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