Iowa to Fire Fran McCaffery, Could Target WVU’s Darian DeVries

Iowa basketball is expected to fire its all-time wins leader, with WVU’s Darian DeVries a possible candidate for his replacement.

According to multiple reports early Friday, the Hawkeyes are expected to part ways with 15-year head coach Fran McCaffery, with an official announcement expected later in the day. McCaffery’s 297 wins are the most in Iowa basketball history. Iowa went 17-16 this season, losing in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Following a 12-4 start, Iowa lost 11 of its next 14 games.

A popular name brought up in rumors even before the reports of McCaffery’s exit has been first-year WVU head coach Darian DeVries. Although he has no ties to the university, DeVries is an Iowa native and coached for six seasons in the state at Drake.

DeVries has led the Mountaineers to a surprising 19-win season with marquee wins over three top-10 opponents. West Virginia is expected to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Poaching DeVreis from the Mountaineers would take a large financial commitment from Iowa. USA Today reports that Iowa will owe McCaffery a buyout of $4.2 million.

WVU signed DeVries to a five-year, $15 million contract last offseason. DeVries’s contract includes a buyout clause should he leave for another job before April 30, 2028. The clause stipulates that DeVries would owe WVU 37.5% of his remaining contract. The buyout amount for DeVries to leave this offseason would be approximately $4.575 million.

The cost for Iowa to pay both McCaffery’s and DeVries’s buyouts would be upwards of $8 million, in addition to the new contract it would need to give DeVries.