Report: Ben McCollum Staying in Iowa to Takeover Hawkeyes

As WVU nears an end to their coaching search, a top name comes off the board. On Sunday, reports like from 247 Sports suggest Ben McCollum is leaving Drake to stay in the state and take over at Iowa.

This news comes a day after Drake’s exit from the NCAA Tournament.

WV Sports has heard McCollum was a candidate for West Virginia along with Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun.

More about McCollum

McCollum has only been a Division-I coach for one season, but he would shoot to the top of the any watchlist for two reasons. First, he was highly successful in his first year at this level, leading Drake to the NCAA Tournament with a 30-3 record.

Second, his familiarity with Baker. McCollum spent 15 seasons as the head coach of Division-II Northwest Missouri State, where he overlapped with Baker for four years from 2010-13. Baker did not hire McCollum to NWMS — McCollum started there in 2009 — but the two did overlap. Baker has already hired a coach at WVU with ties to his old job as current WVU women’s basketball coach Mark Kellogg was hired by Baker at NWMS in 2012.

Ben McCollum was on WV Sports Now’s initial coaching candidate hot board.