West Virginia’s pursuit of a new men’s basketball head coach has primarily focused on Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun, Colorado State’s Niko Medved, and Drake’s Ben McCollum.
On Sunday, 247 Sports’ David Eickholt reported that McCollum was “in the process” of finalizing a deal with Iowa. However, later that day, Tommy Birch of the ‘Des Moines Register’ stated that, according to a source, no agreement had been reached. While talks were progressing, Birch clarified that McCollum was still focused on Drake, making it premature to assume a deal was imminent.
As of Monday morning at 7:50 a.m. ET, no official agreement had been finalized. Could this leave the door open for West Virginia? Technically, yes, but all signs point to McCollum heading to Iowa soon. Birch’s report indicates that while discussions are ongoing, they haven’t reached the final stages.
McCollum, an Iowa City native, has strong ties to the area, making the opportunity to coach at home a compelling option. Despite West Virginia offering better NIL resources and a familiar working relationship with Athletic Director Wren Baker, the appeal of coaching in his hometown may outweigh those factors. Unless talks between Iowa and McCollum break down, West Virginia’s coaching search will likely come down to a decision between Calhoun and Medved.
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