Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery’s youngest son, Jack, revealed yesterday with 247Sports that he doesn’t intend to attend the University of Iowa.
Naturally, that sent shockwaves through Hawkeye Nation. Jack is a four-star small forward recruit in the 2025 class at Iowa City West and many had already made the connection that he would follow his brothers and Dad to the Hawkeyes.
Instead, Jack is looking into interest from Notre Dame and Ohio State at the next level.
“I don’t think I will go there. I made that up in my mind a while ago. I want to get away from home. I talked to my parents and brothers about it and I think that’s the best thing for me,” Jack McCaffery told 247Sports.
It makes sense that Jack might be searching for something different to carve out his own legacy. All the same, it’s a legitimate recruiting miss for the Hawkeyes.
247Sports rates the 6-foot-8 small forward as a four-star recruit, as the nation’s No. 51 overall player in the 2025 class, as the No. 12 small forward and as the top player from Iowa. On3 also ranks McCaffery as a four-star recruit, as the No. 68 player nationally, as the No. 17 small forward and as the No. 1 player from the Hawkeye State.
As the news broke yesterday, it had Iowa fans scrambling to make sense of all of this. One of the prevailing thoughts from Hawkeye fans was that it might signal something about Fran McCaffery’s future at Iowa.
Patrick says this is his last go around. Jack going elsewhere…. wouldnt be shocked if Iowa's looking for a new basketball coach next offseason.
— Felts (PAIN) (@Zhawk44) June 15, 2023
After all, Iowa will soon have a new athletics director, Fran is entering his 14th season leading the Hawkeyes at the age of 64, and none of his sons would still be playing at Iowa the following season.
One of Jack’s two older brothers and current Hawkeye, Patrick McCaffery, pushed back against the idea that Fran’s future had anything to do with Jack’s college decision, though.
“10 toes down w my baby brother ALWAYS! this is a decision he made for himself. has nothing to do w my father retiring or going anywhere else,” Patrick McCaffery wrote on social media.
10 toes down w my baby brother ALWAYS! this is a decision he made for himself. has nothing to do w my father retiring or going anywhere else. https://t.co/ryTHbxDJXw
— Patrick McCaffery (@patrickmccaff22) June 16, 2023
This is encouraging news for Iowa fans that were connecting the dots between Jack’s upcoming college decision and what it might mean for Fran’s future in Iowa City. Fran McCaffery has built Iowa basketball into one of the Big Ten’s best programs.
In the 2021-22 men’s basketball season, Iowa won four games in four consecutive days to capture the Big Ten Tournament. Then, this past season, Iowa tracked down its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. The Hawkeyes are one of just 10 programs nationally that can boast that feat.
Individually, Fran McCaffery is nearing some Hawkeye history. Entering this season, Fran McCaffery holds an overall mark of 261-176 leading Iowa.
It also means Fran is 10 wins shy of tying Iowa’s all-time head coaching wins mark of 271. Eleven wins in 2023-24 and Fran would surpass former Hawkeye coach Tom Davis for the most wins in program history.
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