Indiana looking at McCollum
- Thread starter intrepodor
- Start date
McCollum will be busy with Drake at least two more weeks. When Iowa fires Fran, people will be reporting Iowa is looking at McCollum. I’m not worried. McCollum is on the way to Iowa City.
Needs to be McCollum. Highest ceiling and connections to the state. Make it happen
McCollum might not see himself at a lot of places, especially a place like IU. 4 and 5 star guys don’t want to get yelled at or immediately get taken out of the game for not playing defense. If you don’t play D you don’t play. Which is why I don’t see big time guys playing for him. He won’t pander to them. IU will go with someone different.
I
Indiana used to be, hasn’t been for a while.
McCollum was at his previous school 15 years. He had chances to move but didn't feel the time was right. He doesn't appear to be a guy who jumps around a lot. He might feel he needs to stay at Drake and his chances of getting into the Big Dance might be better than being at Iowa, anyway. He may pick and choose his opportunities very carefully. I'm sure he's very confident because he wins all the time, but he may enjoy staying in his comfort zone rather than jumping into a shark pool at a bigger school. Watching them play this weekend, it appears the Drake students and alumni love him!
Saw an interaction with his brother where someone asked if he was interested in coming to Iowa.
Brother basically said Ben is focused on Drake & the team this year.
I believe the needle leans fairly heavy towards Iowa.
Brother basically said Ben is focused on Drake & the team this year.
I believe the needle leans fairly heavy towards Iowa.
Actually, his chances of making the ncaa tournament would be greater at Iowa. The Missouri Valley is basically a one bid league.
Not good news...
ByDonovan James|Mar 10, 2025
Indiana Basketball coach search update has Ben McCollum as top contender
Drake Univ. head coach Ben McCollum could emerge as the lead candidate for AD Scott Dolson and Indiana MBBByDonovan James|Mar 10, 2025
I know they still draw well, but they haven’t been a blue blood for quite awhile now, although more recent than Nebraska football.
I still say he has zero interest in Indiana. How many 4-5 star recruits are going to want to play 40 minutes of hard nosed defense? Because if you don’t you will not play. Or you will immediately get taken out of the game. And how many of those recruits want to win 55-50? And score 10 points. Because they all think they’re playing in the NBA. Sampson has done it at Houston with some under recruited guys who totally buy in. I say he’s not even in the running because he doesn’t want it.
The Indiana job is still a good job.
* Huge fan support
* Sold out games
* Billionaire sugar daddy (Mark Cuban) and overall NIL support
A solid coach like McCollum probably does well there.
He's rumored to be very high on Virginia's list as well.
Both of those jobs (IU UVa) are better than the Iowa job in money, NIL, facilities, resources, tradition, etc.
Both of those jobs (IU UVa) are better than the Iowa job in money, NIL, facilities, resources, tradition, etc.
Iowa does have an advantage in that Ben is a hometown boy. I think he would take less money than Indiana and Virginia offer (but still won’t be cheap) to coach at Iowa.
Now is the time to get him. If he goes elsewhere and is successful while Fran continues to flounder…..if you think attendance and NIL is bad now, just wait.
You have a little more support at Indiana but you have to remember the expectations are huge. You could come to Iowa and turn the program around slowly where you had better win and win now at Indiana. IU BB reminds me a little of Nebraska football where their expectations are way over their current place in the CBB world.
How long would you have to take to say yes to at least 10x your current salary? And possibly 20x.
I have a hard time believe he had a bunch of offers over the years and yet jumped at the Drake job.
Drake is pretty damn low on the totem pole.
Iowa may miss out on McCollum. They've continued to dither along with Fran past his expiration date. It would be on brand for them to continue that.
Maybe they'll get lucky and find someone with similarities to McCollum but not with as bright a star attracting bigger schools attention.
Maybe they'll get lucky and find someone with similarities to McCollum but not with as bright a star attracting bigger schools attention.
McCollum will change the culture at Indiana or wherever he goes otherwise these players don't stand a chance of playing for him.
Stirtz could play for any B10 team. As a matter of fact Kentucky fans have started a thread on him to acquire through the portal.
Transfer Portal wish: Bennett Stirtz please
If you can't pull off McCollum or Devries, is it better to just ride with the Fran Man and see what his fancy new recruits can do?
Yachlich is looking for a job. Maybe bring him on as a defensive coordinator. Worked for Beilein (if we also get a trey burke).
Yachlich is looking for a job. Maybe bring him on as a defensive coordinator. Worked for Beilein (if we also get a trey burke).
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This isn't a secret. He wanted an opportunity that he felt was a good fit for him and his family.
Silly.
If you're a coach considering a new job, your first questions -- even before money -- are "can I succeed there?" "Will I be set up for success?"
Can you win at Indiana? Does IU support basketball?
Now substitute Iowa for Indiana and answer the questions. lol
To say with such certainly that McCollum would have "zero interest" in that job seems way out there to me.
Now do the same comparison with Virginia.
I don't know McCollum. You may have some insight into what motivates him and his family that others here may not. But just on a surface level, I don't think Iowa is in as strong a position as you seem to think they are.
He will get a big bump in salary wherever he goes. Believe it or not, money is not everything to everyone.
I have to believe contacts have already been made. If not, Iowa is already behind. That would be a big misstep. She seems more on task than Barta, so I don't think she's waiting around. Unless the plan is to bring Fran back for another year. If that's the case, just think of the courtside seats you can get next year for a song. Heck, you might even get to join Margaret on the sidelines for some in-game strategy with Fran.
He would also need to recruit a higher level of athlete. It’s always been more about the Jimmys and Joes, although coaching is obviously very important.
Drake is already better than us (not that it takes much) with guys he brought from D2.
In Pella we referred to the Christian Reformers as “offischkies” (offies, for short)..for much the same reason. All of them believed their shit did not stink… and most of them knew they were just a cut better than the rest of us….
“Offischkie” is a Dutch slang word for “stand-offish” or superior…not literally translatable….
Growing up you could get into some really good scuffles with “those kids” by calling them “Offies”….
For several years, the local Christian High school had some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the state… they could have bought condoms from my dad to prevent that.
Or he's a pretty smart and calculating guy? He took over a program that had made the tournament 2 years in a row and has been in the conference tournament 5 years in a row. You don't seem to follow college basketball.
I'm not saying Iowa is in a strong position at all over anyone else. I have no idea. Honestly if you were looking at this as an outsider Virginia is the school that makes a lot of sense. They've already won a natty with a coach very similar to him.
Brian Hardin said on a podcast that McC interviewed in 2017 when DeVries was hired and they kept in touch over the years and McC would ask Hardin for advice when he was approached about other jobs since then.
Read another way, he was ready for the move up but wanted it to be the right opportunity.
What was Ralph Milker’s connect to Iowa? What was Lute Olson’s connection to Iowa? What was Tom Davis’ “Iowa connection”?
Gimme a guy who can coach….phuque the Iowa connection. Somewhere out there, there is a guy… and it’s Beth’s job to get him here. But her job initially is to make the basketball job better….and that will take $$ and commitment. Ante up, boyz! Become Beth’s new best friend.
And remember…good coaches hear from ADs all the time…
