Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Izzo has spoken out regarding the rumors surrounding Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery. Following the Hawkeyes’ 91-84 loss to the Spartans on Thursday night, which continued their difficult second half of the season, the speculation around McCaffery’s future intensified. Iowa has struggled to a 3-11 record after a 12-4 start and currently sits in 16th place in the Big Ten, putting McCaffery’s job in jeopardy.
Despite the rumors, Izzo came to McCaffery’s defense, cautioning against rushing to judgment. “Watch what you wish for,” Izzo remarked, according to Tyler Tachman of The Des Moines Register. “I’ve seen this happen at a couple of football programs close to us. People better appreciate (him). It’s easy to throw stones.”
Izzo, one of the longest-tenured coaches in the Big Ten along with Purdue’s Matt Painter, pointed out that McCaffery has had a successful tenure at Iowa since taking over in 2010, leading the team to seven NCAA Tournament appearances and a Big Ten title. McCaffery’s overall record stands at 295-206.
Izzo also suggested that McCaffery’s struggles this season were partly due to factors beyond his control. “I just went through a three-year period where everybody wants to ship me out,” Izzo shared. “It’s just the way it is. They don’t have the resources here. I’m going to say what I think. This ain’t what Fran thinks. Everybody has different amounts of resources. They’re not on the middle or high end.”
Throughout his time at Iowa, McCaffery has only had two losing seasons, the most recent being in 2017-18 when the Hawkeyes finished with a 14-19 record. As for McCaffery’s future, his position remains uncertain as the season concludes.
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