Fran McCaffery Has Two-Word Message About His Future at Iowa

The end of the road could be near for the longtime Hawkeye head coach.

Mar 6, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery reacts during the first half against the Michigan State Spartans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

If that was the end, Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery went out with a bang.

McCaffery was ejected in the second half of Iowa's 106-94 loss to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament. The ejection and subsequent defeat came amid widespread speculation that the 2024-25 season may be the Hawkeyes' last with McCaffrey at the helm.

In his postgame press conference, McCaffrey was asked if he expects to be the head coach at Iowa next season. His response took just two words.

"I do," McCaffrey said.

Since arriving at Iowa in 2010, McCaffery has compiled a 297-207 record and led the Hawkeyes to seven NCAA Tournament appearances. None of those appearances resulted in trips to the Sweet 16 or beyond, but McCaffery-coached Iowa teams finished with a losing record just twice in 15 seasons.

McCaffery also commented on the future of the team, emphasizing Iowa's top 20 recruiting class and strong group of sophomores. The coach said the Hawkeyes would look to add between one and three athletes in the transfer portal while also addressing current players that may look to leave.

"We have guys that might be offered seven-figure deals, which will challenge their thought process," McCaffery said. "If you were 21 and somebody called you up and said, "Come play for me for a million five," you might think about it. So we're dealing with that, or we will deal with that, but it's a close-knit group. Our coaching staff has a great relationship with our guys. I fully anticipate those guys coming back and playing for us."

When asked about the potential of Iowa playing in Fox's "The Crown" postseason tournament, McCaffery said, "It's going to happen." That would require the Hawkeyes to receive a bid from the tournament committee, and it could elongate McCaffery's tenure in Iowa City.

However, if the Iowa Athletic Department decides it wants to get a head start on searching for a new coach, McCaffery may not even be the one leading the Hawkeyes out of the tunnel. The Crown is set to take place in Las Vegas from March 31 to April 6.