Iowa Hawkeyes Lose Big-Time Recruit In Wake of Fran McCaffery Firing

Fran McCaffery is no longer the head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes and that decision has already had ripple effects in Iowa City.

Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery watches the action Wednesday, March 12, 2025, in a first round game at the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was time for Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery to go. After 15 seasons in Iowa City, it simply seemed that McCaffery's message had finally grown stale. It happens to the best of coaches, too. Time is undefeated in many aspects. That doesn't mean the Hawkeyes won't face repercussions of getting rid of their head coach, though.

They've already suffered in the transfer portal with the losses of guard Brock Harding and forward Pryce Sandfort, and now Iowa is getting hit on the recruiting trail.

Joshua Lewis is a 4-star small forward from Tampa, Florida who had been committed to Iowa since January of 2025. Now that McCaffery is out, though, so is Lewis.

"After careful consideration and discussion with my family, I have decided to decommit from the University of Iowa and reopen my recruitment," Lewis told Travis Branham of 247Sports. "I was excited about playing for Coach Fran at the University of Iowa but after the recent changes to the coaching staff I feel it's in my best interest to explore other opportunities."

Lewis had previously been committed to USF and former head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim, who tragically died at the age of 43 due to complications from a medical procedure.

Lewis opened up his recruitment after Lewis' death and he took an official visit to Iowa City in mid-January. He committed a few days later, and he was supposed to be an up-and-coming star for the Hawkeyes.

He's ranked as the No. 11 small forward in the 2025 class and a Top 50 recruit in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Iowa's new coach, whomever that may be, could be able to bring Lewis back into the fray. For now, this goes down as a major recruiting loss for the Hawkeyes, though.