Former NBA No. 1 overall draft pick Greg Oden has left his position as an assistant coach at Butler men’s basketball. Once described as a “once-in-a-decade player” by Steve Kerr, Oden initially set foot at the Hinkle Fieldhouse as the director of basketball operations to be later promoted to join his former Ohio State basketball head coach Thad Matta in 2022 as part of NCAA’s expansion of on-court instructors. The former  Buckeye Matta-Oden duo will now go separate ways as Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend and the current Indiana Pacers assistant coach, Connor McCaffery, is being targeted as a replacement, Indystar has reported on Thursday.

Now, if this move occurs, it will be a chance opportunity for a family reunion. Connor will get to coach his younger brother and cancer survivor, Patrick, who transferred to the Bulldogs for his final NCAA year. Patrick will join the program for the 2024-25 season after signing a financial aid agreement and will have a single-season eligibility there. Interestingly, McCaffery’s other brother, Jack McCaffery is an incoming freshman at Butler in the class of 2025. Jack ranked within the top 150 players in his class and chose the Bulldogs over other names like Virginia Teach. 

Connor McCaffery had joined the Pacers just last summer. In his first basketball job after graduating from the University of Iowa as the program’s all-time leader in assist-to-turnover ratio, he was responsible for helping players practice and opponent scouting. At that point in time, surgery on his left (shooting) wrist, which was first injured the wrist in a 2021 home game vs. Wisconsin, called for an premature end to his 166-game playing career since he couldn’t fully participate in basketball activities McCaffery. Coaching was the next best thing for him. When the news first came out, he had said,

“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.

“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.” The move to coach the Bulldogs would certainly mean a way out to take a higher role at just 26 years old.

Coaching is nothing new for the McCafferys, however. Connor McCaffery’s father, Fran, will head into his 14th season as the Iowa Hawkeyes men’s basketball team’s head coach. He has a 531-368 career record and was also named the 2009 MAAC Coach of the Year at Siena. But what implications will McCaffery’s switch to the Bulldogs have on Clark?

While this is a promising opportunity for McCaffrey, as reported by IndyStar, the couple won’t be in the same facility anymore. But that’s not something to fret about as the couple will still be in the same city and just a few miles apart. In fact, it will be just a 20-minute drive. 

Clark has long enjoyed support from being close to her boyfriend in Indiana. With Indiana Fever and the Pacers sharing the same arena, it has allowed the two to spend time together. They were often spotted practicing shooting together at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Although the couple won’t be forced into a long-distance relationship, their frequent meetups may become less frequent. 

The love birds began dating a year and a half ago. Indiana wasn’t, of course, planned for the two, but it worked out well for Caitlin Clark, who had McCaffrey after she arrived in the state. The pair celebrated their one-year anniversary in April.

“One year of the best mems w my fav person you make everyday better and I can’t wait for many more adventures together… love you,” Clark wrote about her boyfriend on Instagram. She had uploaded a black-and-white photo of her and McCaffery seated on a sofa. In turn, he is Clark’s No. 1 fan while also making a name for himself.

Connor McCaffery: Greg Oden’s exit cleared the way!

Thad Matta is the head coach at Butler. He is about to begin his third season since being hired in 2022. However, his assistant coach Greg Oden announced his decision to exit the team and didn’t provide a reason. What’s interesting is the fact that Oden was one of the first people Matta hired after becoming HC.

His NBA experience was an attractive aspect, but now, Greg Oden’s path ahead is not clear. Regardless, McCaffrey will fill the role soon and it would be interesting to see the dynamics he shares with his brothers, specifically Patrick.

“Patrick has played in multiple NCAA Tournaments and in really high-level games in the Big Ten; that experience will serve our program well over the next season. He brings a high basketball IQ and has obviously been well-coached. As we build our program, players and leaders like Patrick are exactly what we need,” Matta shared in April. Having Connor McCaffery as the assistant coach might help the HC harness Patrick’s potential.

The 24-year-old player is also a thyroid cancer survivor. After his 2014 diagnosis, he went on to defeat the disease before beginning his career at the University of Iowa.