HOUSTON (AP) — Though the stage keeps getting bigger, coach Ben McCollum continues to prove he’s a winner.
McCollum and Iowa’s underdog March Madness run ended with a loss to Illinois on Saturday, but his success in his first season with the Hawkeyes proved he can win at any level.
McCollum won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State before spending one season at Drake. He led the Bulldogs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before moving on to Iowa.
Last season, the Hawkeyes went 17-16 overall and 7-13 in Big Ten play, and Fran McCaffery was fired after 15 seasons. Iowa finished 2025-26 at 24-13.
“It’s got to be the biggest impact a first-year head coach has ever had in Iowa history,” the Hawkeyes' Cooper Koch said. “What he’s done is pretty special, and there’s going to be many years of this to come.”
McCollum reflected on the ride he’s been on since leaving Northwest Missouri State after 15 years.
“You have to make yourself uncomfortable,” he said. “And it’s been uncomfortable for a couple years. But we’re getting there. We’re continuing to build and I certainly appreciate my family, my wife and kids and all that they have sacrificed for us to reach this goal, the goal of getting Iowa basketball to where it belongs. I think we’ve got a good foundation for that and we’ll continue to build it.”
No. 9 seed Iowa opened the tournament with a win over eighth-seeded Clemson before knocking off top seed and defending national champion Florida. The Hawkeyes beat Big Ten rival and No. 4 seed Nebraska on Thursday night. Their three wins in this tournament matches the number of March Madness victories they'd had in the last 20 years.
Next season, Iowa won't have guard Bennett Stirtz, who finished with 24 points on Saturday. Stirtz played for McCollum for two seasons at Northwest Missouri State, then followed him to Drake and finally Iowa.
Stirtz didn't get a single Division I offer out of high school but became a March Madness star.
“I just gave it my all in this Hawkeye uniform,” Stirtz said. “But I just hope that they have continued success and that’s all I want for them. They will do just that. It’s hard to put everything into words right now, but I gave it my all and we all gave it our all and it was a fun run.”
McCollum credited Stirtz, Tavion Banks and the other players who followed him from Drake for Iowa's success.
“Bennett, Tavion, those guys started this,” he said. “It’s pretty cool. I think they will look back at it in 10 years and hopefully we’ll be going to Final Fours and winning championships and they will sit there and say, ‘Man, I did that.’”
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Iowa's Cam Manyawu (3) and Bennett Stirtz (14) hug after an Elite Eight game against Illinois in the NCAA college basketball tournament Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Iowa coach Ben McCollum yells to his players during the first half of an Elite Eight game against Illinois in the NCAA college basketball tournament Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Iowa coach Ben McCollum yells during the first half of an Elite Eight game against Illinois in the NCAA college basketball tournament Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The Denver Summit and the Washington Spirit played to a scoreless draw on Saturday before a record National Women's Soccer League crowd of 63,004 fans at the home of the NFL's Denver Broncos.
In other action around the league, the Utah Royals held on for a 2-1 victory over the Boston Legacy; and the Portland Thorns downed the Kansas City Current 2-0; the Seattle Reign beat Racing Louisville 2-1 in Spokane, Washington; Bay FC dominated the North Carolina Courage on the road 3-1; and the San Diego Wave defeated the visiting Chicago Stars 2-0.
The Summit (1-1-2) broke the NWSL attendance record of 40,091 set last season in a Bay FC match at San Francisco's Oracle Park.
Denver goalkeeper Abby Smith and Spirit counterpart Sandy MacIver each made two saves to preserve their clean sheets. It was Smith's second straight shutout.
The Spirit (0-1-3) have yet to win this season.
Olivia Moultrie converted a penalty kick in the 53rd minute and the Thorns went on to defeat the Current 2-0 at Providence Park in Portland.
Moultrie, 20, became the youngest player to score 20 league goals, breaking Sam Kerr’s record set in 2016.
Reilyn Turner added a goal for the Thorns (3-1-0) in the 63rd minute.
The Current (1-3-0) continue to struggle without two-time NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga, who is out for the season with a hip injury.
Thorns forward Sophia Wilson made her first start of the season in her return from maternity leave.
Tatumn Milazzo returned from a one-game red card suspension to score her second goal of the season and help the Royals beat the winless Legacy.
Milazzo scored on a tap-in in the 33rd minute to give Utah (1-2-1) the lead. Mina Tanaka drew a penalty in the 49th minute and Lara Prasnikar converted to go up 2-0.
Aissata Traoré scored in the 72nd minute to close the gap for Boston (0-3-0).
Maddie Mercado and Nérilia Mondésir scored first-half goals to lead the Seattle Reign (3-1-0) to another win at One Spokane Stadium.
In the 10th minute, Mercado scored for the second consecutive game. Initially, her shot was saved by Racing Louisville goalkeeper Jordyn Bloomer, but it slipped through her hands and rolled into the goal.
Mondésir added a goal in the 42nd minute for her first of the season.
Late in second half stoppage time, Louisville rookie Macy Blackburn scored her first professional goal to close the margin.
Louisville (0-2-1) has allowed two goals this season.
Bay FC (2-0-1) had three first-half goals to hand the Courage (1-1-1) their first loss of the season.
Alex Pfeiffer opened the scoring in the 20th minute on a left-footed shot past Courage goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.
Keira Barry scored her first NWSL goal to double the lead 2-0 in the 30th.
Dorian Bailey headed home the third goal in the 34th minute, with an assist from Pfeiffer.
Manaka Matsukubo scored in the 65th.
It was Bay’s first road win since a 1-0 victory over North Carolina last April 19, which was their only victory away from home last season.
Rookie Lia Godfrey scored for the third straight game to give the San Diego Wave (3-1-0) their third straight win.
San Diego outshot the Stars 12-0 and had 60% possession in the first half.
Godfrey opened the scoring in the 56th minute
Melanie Barcenas came in as a sub in the 62nd minute and scored 10 minutes later.
The Stars (1-3-0) did not record their first shot until the 70th minute.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Washington Spirit forward Claudia Martinez, left, heads the ball as Denver Summit FC midfielder Devin Lynch, front right, and defender Megan Reid cover in the second half of an NWSL soccer match, Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Summit FC forward Melissa Kossler, right, tries to head the ball into the net as Washington Spirit defender Esme Morgan covers in the second half of an NWSL soccer match Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Summit FC forward Yazmeen Ryan, right, drives past Washington Spirit defender Lucia Di Guglielmo in the second half of an NWSL soccer match Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
