Drake University and Ben McCollum speak on the hiring for the men’s program
By Calvin Silvers
On Monday, Northwest Missouri State University men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum announced he would be leaving the Bearcat program and locating back to his home state of Iowa, where he’ll take over the Drake Bulldogs.
McCollum, 42, will begin his journey at the Division I level in the Missouri Valley Conference. His resume at the Division II level was impressive, leading the Bearcats to four Division II national titles since 2017 and won the last 11 MIAA conference championships.
“It is my great pleasure to extend a warm welcome to coach McCollum and his family on behalf of the Drake community,” Drake University President Marty Martin said in a statement. “Coach McCollum’s phenomenal success has been grounded in building and sustaining a culture of excellence for his student athletes and his program, and we are all excited for what that means for the future of our men’s basketball team.”
The hiring is coming one week after coach Darian DeVries left for West Virginia. During his six year tenure, DeVries led the Bulldogs to a 150-55 record with six straight 20-win campaigns. Drake appeared in three of the last four NCAA Tournaments and won the last two Missouri Valley Conference tournament titles.
Not only is McCollum’s resume impressive, but he’s recruited primarily in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, with some footing in the Chicago area. This is important as all areas listed are key areas in the Bulldogs’ recruiting footprint.
“We are thrilled to have Ben and his family to Drake and the Des Moines community. Ben understands what it takes to achieve sustained excellence,” Drake Director of Athletics Brian Hardin said in a statement. “While his incomparable record of success in competition stands out, in talking with people who know Ben, the positive impact he has on the lives of his student-athletes has left a more indelible mark.”
There were no prior connections with McCollum or the program, as he was selected in a pool of potential candidates. Drake will hold an introductory press conference to mark McCollum’s official welcome to Des Moines at 10 a.m. April 9 at the Knapp Center’s Schickler Club.
“I am honored to be a part of the Drake basketball family,” McCollum said in a statement. “We have seen the transition Drake basketball has made over the past few seasons to become one of the most successful mid-majors in that span. My family and I are very excited to continue that tradition with the support of the great Des Moines community. I would also like to thank President Martin and Athletics Director Brian Hardin for allowing me the opportunity to continue the success at Drake.”
