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Fran McCaffery firing: Son Connor trolls Iowa Hawkeyes after firing of his father

by: Alex Byington03/14/25_AlexByington
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NEWARK, NJ - NOVEMBER 16: Connor McCaffery #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes talks to his head coach and father, Fran McCaffery, during the game against the Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center on November 16, 2022 in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)

Connor McCaffery was understandably not happy with Friday’s news regarding his alma mater. Iowa, hours after the season ended, fired McCaffery’s father, longtime Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery, after 15 seasons.

Within minutes of his father’s ouster hitting social media, the younger McCaffery, 26, simply responded with three clown emojis. It was a clear indication of how he’s feeling about Friday’s firing.

Connor McCaffery is in his first season as an assistant coach at Butler after one year working with the Indiana Pacers organization. Connor McCaffery played six seasons (2017-23) at Iowa under his father, appearing in 166 total games to rank second all-time, with 111 career wins to tie Jordan Bohannon for most in program history.

Iowa fires head coach Fran McCaffery after 15 seasons

Fran McCaffery posted a 297-207 record and a 143-141 mark in conference play across 15 seasons at Iowa. The Hawkeyes made it to the NCAA Tournament seven times during that tenure but failed to ever make it past the Round of 32. They also would’ve likely earned another in 2019-20 but that postseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

McCaffery’s best season at the helm of the program was the 2021-22 campaign when the Hawkeyes posted a 26-10 overall record, a 12-8 conference mark and won the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2006. The team was led by Keegan Murray, a Consensus All-American and All-Big Ten selection who went on to be the No. 4 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Unfortunately for McCaffery, he was unable to capture similar success this past season. Iowa finished the regular season 16-15 and 7-13 in conference play before ultimately suffering a season-ending loss in the Big Ten Tournament. The Hawkeyes won their opening matchup against Ohio State but fell to Illinois in the second round. During that game, which now end up being his final one, McCaffery was ejected after receiving two technical fouls.

Afterward, McCaffery was asked whether he expected to be coaching at Iowa next season. He gave a definitive, two-word response: “I do.”

McCaffery’s contract lasted through June 30, 2028. With this, Iowa will now owe McCaffery approximately $4.2 million for its decision to part ways with the head coach early.

McCaffery has also had head coaching stints at Lehigh (1995-98), UNC Greensboro (1999-2005) and Siena (2005-10). As he is now 65 years old, it’s unclear whether McCaffrey will search for a new role or step away from the game.

— On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this report.