Fran McCaffery’s departure from Iowa comes after a tough stretch for the Hawkeyes. March 15 saw the winningest coach in program history dismissed following a second consecutive season without an NCAA tournament berth. Although McCaffery had hinted, “I’m going to be coaching somewhere next year,” just days later, the real destination remained a mystery—until now.

The latest report reveals that Fran, a 1982 Wharton graduate, has secured a return to his alma mater to serve as the 21st head coach in team history.
Interesting fact: Fran McCaffrey proudly carries a wealth of experience to his new destination, as far as his 12 NCAA appearances are concerned—most of any Ivy League basketball coach, at the time of hiring, in history.

After 15 seasons leading the Hawkeyes and previous stops at Lehigh, UNC Greensboro, and Siena, the 65-year-old will take over for Steve Donahue, who Penn fired on March 10 after concluding his nine seasons with the Quakers with an 8-19 record in 2024-25. Parker Executive Search played a part in Penn landing its new head coach. As far as how far along this is confirmed news, insider Sam Federman says that a deal is “imminent.” Here’s what he said,

“BREAKING: Penn is nearing a deal with former Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery. A deal is ‘imminent,’ multiple sources told me.” Would coaching at Penn be an altogether new experience for McCaffrey? As it turns out, no.

Shortly after wrapping up his playing career (1979-1982) at Penn, Fran served the next season as an assistant coach for the Quakers before moving to Lehigh, where he was an assistant coach for a year before getting promoted as the head coach till 1988. Considering this is going to be a homecoming, here are some critical stats gawking at Fran before he starts,

• After a dominant run that accounts for 23 Ivy League titles from 1970 to 2006, the Quakers’ three head coaches combined could amass just two conference titles.
• The Quakers have a losing conference record eight times in the same stretch of time.
• Fran McCaffrey will be expected to revitalize the program from the ground up. Penn’s only All-Ivy selection and the Ivy League leader in points per game, Sam Brown, has entered the transfer portal. But we are already a sliver of a hope as Fran’s homecoming made it to the news.

Penn’s efforts to hire a decorated coach are making a difference already. Check these updates out:

•  AJ Levine, a freshman guard, changed his stance from what transpired on Monday when he entered the transfer portal. All credit was duly given to the HC update.
• Quakers’ leading scorer Ethan Roberts, a junior guard, who Penn almost lost to the transfer portal, might just reconsider and give Penn another try. His excitement at McCaffery’s arrival was palpable: “I’m just really excited for this hire,” Roberts said. “I think there’s a few opportunity costs you work with here at Penn, and just having that elite ball knowledge is huge. It’s inspiring. It ignites a fire in you a little bit. That’s why I’m so excited to get back in the gym now and learn from somebody who does produce pros. … I’m just excited to be a Quaker and I’m looking forward to the future.”

While Fran enters a new chapter of his coaching career, his son and Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, landed his first coaching gig with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers as a team assistant.

“It’s a way in. It’s an entry-level job. You’ve got to work hard and work your way up. That’s obviously what I want to do,” he had said back then about the stint. “I’ll play dummy defense, run the scout team, help coaches on film stuff, help on video projects if they need, scouting reports if they need. It’s kind of all-hands on deck, whatever you’re asked to do, be ready to do it,” he had further added. Surely, he worked hard. So last year, he secured his next coaching venture.

In September 2024, Connor joined the Butler men’s basketball program with coach Thad Matta as an assistant. While the McCafferys build their fortune away from Iowa, Caitlin Clark is keeping close to the program.

Caitlin Clark stays connected: From courtside to virtual support

Although Caitlin Clark has moved on to the WNBA, her connection to NCAA women’s basketball remains unshakable. She hasn’t been on the Iowa sidelines since February, but that hasn’t stopped her from staying involved in the game’s biggest moments.

She returned to Iowa City on February 25 to witness the Hawkeyes’ dominant 101-85 win and was back again on March 6 when they took down Michigan State, 74-61—a game that saw coach Jan Jensen pick up a fiery technical foul. After USC star JuJu Watkins suffered a heartbreaking, season-ending ACL injury in the second round against Mississippi State, Clark was quick to offer her support.

“Sending all my thoughts and prayers to JuJu,” she wrote on X. “Kid will come back stronger than ever.” Watkins, a fellow first-team All-American, was one of the brightest stars in college hoops, making her injury a major blow to the sport. Even from afar, Clark remains a force in college basketball, proving that some ties are never truly broken.