Photo by dan carlson on Unsplash

The University of Iowa has reached an agreement with Drake University’s Ben McCollum to become the next head coach of the men’s basketball program.

McCollum takes over after a successful lone season at Drake, where he guided the Bulldogs to an impressive 31-4 record and secured their first NCAA Tournament victory since 1971.

Before his tenure at Drake, McCollum built an outstanding résumé as the head coach of Division II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State.

Over 15 seasons, he led the program to remarkable success, capturing four Division II national championships.

McCollum replaces Fran McCaffrey, who was dismissed after 15 seasons at the helm.

Despite McCaffrey’s long tenure, Iowa struggled to make deep tournament runs, failing to advance past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 1999.