Ben McCollum

Last updated

Ben McCollum
Current position
TitleHead coach
Team Drake
Conference MVC
Record10–0 (1.000)
Biographical details
Born (1981-04-12) April 12, 1981 (age 43)
Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.
Playing career
1999–2001 North Iowa Area CC
2001–2003 Northwest Missouri State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2003–2005 Northwest Missouri State (GA)
2005–2009 Emporia State (assistant)
2009–2024Northwest Missouri State
2024–present Drake
Head coaching record
Overall405–91 (.817)
Tournaments32–7 (NCAA Division II)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
NCAA Division II national (2017, 2019, 2021, 2022)
12× MIAA regular season (2012, 2014–2024)
MIAA tournament (2016–2020, 2022–2024)
Awards
NABC Division II Coach of the Year (2017, 2019–2022)
NABC Division II Central District Coach of the Year (2017, 2019–2022)
Basketball Times Division II Coach of the Year (2019)
John McLendon Collegiate Basketball Coach of the Year (2019)
Burns & McDonnell Coach of the Year (2019)
3× HoopDirt.com Division II Coach of the Year (2017, 2019, 2021)
Clarence Gaines National Coach of the Year (2012, 2020, 2022)
MIAA Coach of the Year (2012, 2015–2017, 2019–2021, 2023)

Benjamin M. McCollum (born April 12, 1981) is the men's basketball head coach at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Contents

Biography

McCollum was born in Iowa City, Iowa, and grew up in Storm Lake, Iowa, where he graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1999. He played basketball for two years at North Iowa Area Community College before transferring in 2001 to Northwest Missouri State, where he played for Steve Tappmeyer as the school made its first Elite Eight appearance. He graduated from Northwest in 2003 with a degree in business finance and received a master's degree in athletic administration from the school in 2004. He was an assistant coach at Emporia State University from 2004 to 2008, then joined Northwest Missouri State as its head coach in 2009. [1]

McCollum's team struggled the first two seasons with records of 12–15 in 2009–10 and 10–16 in 2010–11. In the 2011–12 season, his team went 22–7, won the regular-season MIAA crown and played in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In 2012, he was honored for the turnaround with the Clarence Gaines Award as the best NCAA Division II coach. [2]

McCollum was hired as head coach of the Drake Bulldogs in 2024. [3]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
Northwest Missouri State Bearcats (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association)(2009–2024)
2009–10Northwest Missouri State 12–157–139th
2010–11Northwest Missouri State 10–168–1410th
2011–12Northwest Missouri State 22–715–5T–1st NCAA Division II First Round
2012–13Northwest Missouri State 21–1011–76th
2013–14Northwest Missouri State 24–916–3T–1st NCAA Division II Sweet 16
2014–15Northwest Missouri State 25–715–41st NCAA Division II Sweet 16
2015–16Northwest Missouri State 27–619–31st NCAA Division II Sweet 16
2016–17Northwest Missouri State 35–118–11st NCAA Division II National Champion
2017–18Northwest Missouri State 27–416–31st NCAA Division II First Round
2018–19Northwest Missouri State 38–019–01st NCAA Division II National Champion
2019–20Northwest Missouri State 31–118–11st NCAA Division II canceled
2020–21Northwest Missouri State 28–221–11st NCAA Division II National Champion
2021–22Northwest Missouri State 34–518–4T–1st NCAA Division II National Champion
2022–23Northwest Missouri State 31–320–21st NCAA Division II Second Round
2023–24Northwest Missouri State 29–520–21st NCAA Division II Sweet 16
Northwest Missouri State:395–91 (.813)241–63 (.793)
Drake Bulldogs (Missouri Valley Conference)(2024–present)
2024–25 Drake 10–01–0
Drake:10–0 (1.000)1–0 (1.000)
Total:405–91 (.817)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

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References

  1. "Northwest hires new basketball coach". March 31, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Hertel, Alyssa (April 1, 2024). "Drake basketball tabs Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri State coach, to lead program". Des Moines Register . Retrieved April 1, 2024.