When there is a head coaching shake-up, it offers a program many facets to reset. Beth Goetz hiring Ben McCollum provides an ability to zag away from the staleness which permeated the late stage Fran McCaffery era. McCollum offers youth and geographic connectivity to Iowa’s program in a way that Fran’s early staffs did not.
Two of Fran’s initial hires were Sherman Dillard & Kirk Speraw. Between the two, they had 27 years of head coaching experience. They aligned with McCaffery’s timeline, as all three were in their early 50s at the time of their hiring. Both stayed on staff an incredibly long time – with Dillard lasting until the end & Speraw retiring in 2022.
McCaffery’s initial staff also included Andrew Francis, who he brought over from Siena, and Ryan Bowen (!!!) as video coordinator…