Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball coach Ben McCollum has announced his acceptance of the head coaching job at Drake University, a Division One institution in Des Moines, Iowa that plays in the Missouri Valley Conference.
McCollum is leaving the Maryville community after 15 years with the Bearcat program, with a career record of 394-91 and four national championships, including a Division 2 unprecedented run of three in a row. He won five NABC D-2 Coach of the Year awards and the 2019 John McLendon National Coach of the Year award.
McCollum, by accepting the job at DU, will be returning to his home state, as he is a native of Storm Lake, Iowa. The Bulldogs went 28-7 a season ago, so McCollum will be taking over a program on the upswing before the departure of former coach Darian DeVries for the head coaching job at West Virginia.
Northwest Athletic Director Andy Peterson expressed gratitude for Coach McCollum’s contributions that included 11 consecutive MIAA championships, highlighting his remarkable success, and lasting impact on “Bearcat Nation” and the positive influence on the lives of his student-athletes.
