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Fran McCaffery hired as Penn’s new men’s basketball coach
Less than two weeks after his dismissal at Iowa following 15 years there, McCaffery becomes the head coach at his Penn alma mater
Mar. 26, 2025 11:03 am, Updated: Mar. 27, 2025 10:25 am
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Fran McCaffery was named the men’s basketball coach at the University of Pennsylvania Thursday.
McCaffery, fired as Iowa’s men’s basketball coach on March 14, is returning to his alma mater in his Philadelphia hometown.
McCaffery, 65, played at Penn from 1979 to 1982 and graduated from Penn’s Wharton School. He was an assistant coach there for a season. He went on to be the head coach at Lehigh and UNC-Greensboro, an assistant coach at Notre Dame, and the head coach at Siena and Iowa/ He took all four schools to NCAA tournaments.
In his 15 years at Iowa, McCaffery had a program-record 297 wins and reached seven NCAA tourneys. His career record is 548-384.
At Penn’s famed 98-year-old Palestra arena, a photo of McCaffery in his playing days at Penn is among the many photos on display on the concourse.
McCaffery replaces Steve Donahue, who was fired on March 10 after his ninth season there. Penn was 4-10 in the Ivy League this season, 9-18 overall.
The Quakers have won 25 Ivy titles since 1970, but only two since 2007. McCaffery played on two of those championship teams. He led Penn in assists and steals in 1981-82.
“My vision is to return Penn to prominence in the Ivy League and beyond and bring an exciting style of play to the Palestra,” McCaffery said.
McCaffery is owed $4.3 million for the two remaining years on his Iowa contract.
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