Is Ben McCollum Still an Option for WVU? Deal with Iowa Not Yet Finalized

One of the top coaching candidates could still be in play for the Mountaineers.

Mar 22, 2025; Wichita, KS, USA; Drake Bulldogs head coach Ben McCollum talks with guard Kael Combs (11) during the second half at Intrust Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

West Virginia's search for a new men's head basketball coach has been heavily centered around Utah State's Jerrod Calhoun, Colorado State's Niko Medved, and Drake's Ben McCollum.

On Sunday, David Eickholt of 247 Sports reported that McCollum is "in the process" of finalizing a deal with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

A few hours later, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register tweeted, "A source close to the situation tells me that Ben McCollum and the Iowa job have not reached finalizing steps yet. Could it come together fast? Yes. But certainly not a done deal yet. Anything else is premature given McCollum was still zeroed in on Drake."

As of 7:50 a.m. ET Monday morning, a deal has still not been reached.

Does this mean West Virginia could still be in play?

It could, but in all likelihood, McCollum is headed to Iowa and will be entering the negotiating stages in the near future. The report from Birch suggests that the two sides have talked but aren't near the point of an announcement being imminent.

McCollum is a native of Iowa City, Iowa, which is where the University of Iowa is located. Although West Virginia is in a much better position with NIL and other resources, in addition to having an athletic director (Wren Baker) that he's previously worked for, being able to coach at home is a hard thing to pass up.

Barring something falling through between Iowa and McCollum, West Virginia's search will likely end with Jerrod Calhoun vs. Niko Medved.

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