McCollum Cracks Top 5 Big Ten Coaches After Iowa's Elite Eight Run
Ben McCollum ranks No. 5 among Big Ten basketball head coaches after a remarkable first season in Iowa City that saw the Hawkeyes reach the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight. The ranking, published by Sports Illustrated, places McCollum behind Michigan State's Tom Izzo, Purdue's Matt Painter, Illinois's Brad Underwood, and Nebraska's Fred Hoiberg in a wide-open conference following Dusty May's departure from Michigan to the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.
How Did Ben McCollum Transform Iowa Basketball in Year One?
The first year of the McCollum era was something to behold. Iowa finished a dead-even 10-10 in Big Ten play, but the Hawkeyes were one of the most competitive teams in the league. They lost just three conference games by double digits, thanks in large part to lead guard Bennett Stirtz and McCollum's sideline leadership.
McCollum, described as both a culture-builder and an X's-and-O's savant, elevates the floor for his squads astronomically. Meanwhile, the ceiling, which many considered low a year ago, will always be higher than it may appear on paper. That much was evident in Iowa's stunning run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last season.
For Iowa fans, the message is clear. This program is building something real. McCollum's ability to maximize talent and instill a winning culture has already paid dividends, and the Hawkeyes appear poised to climb even higher in the conference pecking order.
Who Else Made the Big Ten's Top Five Coach Rankings?
No. 4: Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska
Nebraska had never won an NCAA Tournament game before Hoiberg took over in Lincoln. Under his guidance last season, the Cornhuskers broke through and won two games in the Big Dance.
His unique defensive scheme, which forces everything baseline and into multiple bodies, suffocates opponents. Nebraska finished the year No. 8 in defensive efficiency, per KenPom. The question now is whether Hoiberg can do enough on the recruiting trail to ensure 2025-26 wasn't a one-off.
No. 3: Brad Underwood, Illinois
While Hoiberg may have a leg up on Underwood from an X's-and-O's standpoint, Underwood leaves Hoiberg in the dust when it comes to talent evaluation and recruiting. There may not be a better coach in the country in that realm.
Underwood doesn't just chase the best players available. He finds pieces that connect to form a masterpiece, which is why the Illini had the No. 1 offense in the nation most of last season. His free-flowing, NBA-style scheme consistently attracts players gifted enough to flourish in it. If Illinois can shore up defensively, the Illini could become mainstays in the late rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
No. 2: Matt Painter, Purdue
In the transfer-portal era, roster retention is the ultimate measure of a coach players rally behind. Painter, unlike practically every other coach in the country, has made a habit of routinely bringing back his eligible players.
Painter is the full package. He is an exceptional talent evaluator, an impressive developer, and a coach who ensures his guys actually stick around in West Lafayette. On the court, he adapted from playing through 7-footer Zach Edey to running through 5-foot-10 guard Braden Smith, boasting the No. 1 offense in the country. Both Edey and Smith were under-recruited three-star prospects coming out of high school.
It has been more than a decade since Purdue earned anything lower than a four seed in the NCAA Tournament. Painter hasn't won a national title yet, but neither has anyone else on this list. Well, except for one.
No. 1: Tom Izzo, Michigan State
It has been 26 years since Izzo won his lone national title. In the meantime, he has accumulated six Final Four appearances, bringing his career total to eight. For those counting at home, Izzo has four times as many Final Four appearances as the other four coaches on this list combined.
At the end of the day, it comes down to wins and losses. There isn't a coach in the top five who has delivered more of the former, and in bigger moments, than Izzo. He is a severely underrated recruiter, a defensive genius, and a motivational mastermind.
Izzo's ability to consistently spark his troops has undoubtedly played an influential role in his teams being one of the top defensive and rebounding squads year after year. Offense may always remain a relative question mark, but Izzo makes up for it elsewhere. He controls every controllable, from X's and O's to working the referees. The most impressive part: Izzo hasn't just had a great career. He's still very much in the midst of it.
What Does the Big Ten Look Like After Dusty May's Exit?
After the two-year turnaround May engineered with the Wolverines, culminating in the 2026 national title, the prevailing consensus was that the Big Ten would run through Ann Arbor for the foreseeable future. Instead, May is off to the Dallas Mavericks, and the conference is again anybody's league.
For Iowa, that means opportunity. With McCollum entrenched as a top-five coach in the conference and the playing field leveled by May's departure, the Hawkeyes have a real chance to make noise in a Big Ten that's up for grabs.
Can Ben McCollum Climb Higher in the Coach Rankings?
McCollum's first season proved he can compete with the conference's best. The question now is whether he can sustain and build on that success. Recruiting will be key. If McCollum can continue to identify and develop talent the way he did with Stirtz, Iowa could find itself moving up this list in the years ahead.
The foundation is set. The culture is established. For Hawkeye fans, the McCollum era is just getting started, and the early returns suggest brighter days ahead for Iowa basketball.