MORGANTOWN, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Iowa has parted ways with longtime head coach Fran McCaffery after 15 seasons, following the team’s 106-94 loss to Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
The Hawkeyes, finishing 17-16, will miss the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year.
With McCaffery out, Iowa has begun its search for a new head coach, and one potential candidate is West Virginia’s Darian DeVries.
DeVries, who just completed his first season with the Mountaineers, has ties to Iowa, having played at Northern Iowa and spent years coaching at Drake before making the jump to the Big 12.
According to CBS Sports, DeVries was a highly sought-after candidate last year after leading Drake to consecutive Missouri Valley Conference titles.
His first season at West Virginia was a mixed bag, as the team finished 19-13 overall and 10-10 in conference play.
The Mountaineers faced challenges, including an injury to DeVries’ son, Tucker, one of the team’s top players.
Iowa has not hired a new head coach since bringing in McCaffery in 2010, and the program may look to a mid-major candidate once again.
While DeVries’ future in Morgantown remains uncertain, his name is expected to be in the conversation as Iowa begins its coaching search.
