Illinois’ Brad Underwood Reacts to Firings of Fran McCaffery and Ben Johnson
Iowa parted ways with Fran McCaffery following a 106-94 loss to Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament, while Minnesota also let go of Ben Johnson after their own exit from the tournament.
In Indianapolis, Illinois coach Brad Underwood was likely in no mood for pleasantries after his team’s own Big Ten Tournament loss to Maryland, but he did make time to comment on the firings of McCaffery and Johnson.
McCaffery’s final game was a defeat to the Illini, where his team was eliminated in the Big Ten Tournament. The game ended McCaffery’s 15-year tenure at Iowa, marked by a dramatic ejection while his team seemed to lose steam.
“I don’t know what goes into all those decisions internally,” Underwood said. “As a coach, you hate to see your peers go through that. I saw Fran in the hallway [after the game], and you could tell he was emotional with [senior star] Payton [Sandfort]. Having 15 years at a place, that’s never easy.”
Underwood reflected on the intense rivalry between him and McCaffery, noting that their battles for championships over the years were memorable.
“Looking back, you remember the epic battles we had. There were some incredible games competing for championships,” he said. “But personally, I know Fran and his family very well. He’s a great person and a great human being.”
Though Underwood didn’t know Johnson as well, he respected his teams for being well-coached and disciplined, and he reached out to offer support to Johnson.
“There’s tremendous respect for both of them,” Underwood said. “Fran had an incredible run and career, and I’m sure Ben will get another chance.”
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