Iowa Hawkeyes Unveil Crucial Details on Ben McCollum's Contract

The Iowa Hawkeyes have released a bunch of key details on Ben McCollum's contract.

Ben McCollum, Iowa's new head men's basketball coach, speaks during his introductory press conference Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After another disappointing college basketball season, the Iowa Hawkeyes knew they had to make a change, so they fired head coach Fran McCaffery and replaced him with Ben McCollum.

The move was widely lauded, as McCollum just led the Drake Bulldogs to a 31-4 record and a first-round NCAA Tournament win. He also captured four Division II championships while coaching Northwest Missouri State for a decade-and-a-half.

Now, contract details are emerging for McCollum, who was hired by the Hawkeyes in late March.

Scott Dochterman of The Athletic has revealed that the 44-year-old has landed a six-year deal with Iowa and that the pact contains $3.35 million in guarantees. That number jumps to $4.1 million in the final year of his contract.

Dochterman also notes that McCollum has a salary pool of $2.095 million for four assistants and other staff members. His features a $5 million buyout starting in 2026 and dips by $1 million for each year afterward.

Iowa went just 17-16 this past season, going an abysmal 7-13 in Big Ten conference play. It was certainly not what everyone expected for the Hawkeyes, especially after getting off to a 12-4 start.

It marked the second straight year that Iowa missed the Big Dance, which came on the heels of the Hawkeyes qualifying three seasons in a row. That resulted in Iowa parting ways with McCaffery after he spent 15 years with the school.

Obviously, the jury is still out on McCollum, but he has already placed his fingerprints all over the program by making some serious noise in the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail.

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