Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery Explains What Led to His Ejection
Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery was ejected from the game against Illinois with 13:13 remaining in the second half of the Big Ten Tournament. Down by nine points, McCaffery’s interaction with the referee began calmly but quickly escalated. After making a comment to the official, McCaffery was given a technical foul. He then shouted an expletive at the referee, earning a second technical and resulting in his ejection.
In his postgame press conference, McCaffery explained what led to the incident. “I think I pointed out the foul discrepancy,” he said. “I mentioned it was five-to-one, and I didn’t think that was a big deal.”
Illinois attempted 30 free throws, compared to Iowa’s 10, with four of those coming from McCaffery’s double technical, shot by Illinois freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis.
After the game, as several Hawkeye seniors were leaving the floor for the final time, McCaffery reflected on the emotional moment in the locker room. He shared a moment with his players, including Payton Sandfort, whom McCaffery praised as one of the best leaders he had been around. While he wished he could have been there for his team during the emotional moment, McCaffery stood by his actions.
“I would want to be there, but I’m always going to advocate for my guys,” McCaffery said. “That’s my job, and I’m the only one who can do it. So I did it, and we had some very emotional moments in the locker room.”
Iowa’s loss to Illinois marked the end of their season at 17-16, potentially signaling the conclusion of Fran McCaffery’s tenure as head coach.
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