No. 14 Penn may be a new opponent for No. 3 Illinois, but it isn’t a stranger. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood will have a familiar face down the sideline in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, as he faces off with former Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery for the first time since March 13, 2025. Amidst the longtime heated rivalry between Illinois and Iowa, a friendship and respect have remained between the two coaches.
“I think it’s important in the business to compete, but also develop friendships and relationships, and that’s what we have,” McCaffery said. “It’s very special.”
Before returning to his alma mater, Penn this season, McCaffery was a consistent Big Ten opponent for Underwood and Illinois. McCaffery spent 15 years coaching at Iowa, where he finished his tenure with a 297-207 record and became the program’s winningest coach in January 2024. However, Underwood still holds a 9-6 edge over McCaffery in their head-to-head record, winning nine of his last 10 games against him.
“I consider Brad a dear friend,” McCaffery said. “We competed hard but with incredible respect. I coached against his son. He coached against my sons. His son and my sons are really good friends.”
Despite an always competitive spirit when they coach against each other on the sidelines, the friendship between McCaffery and Underwood has continued to flourish outside the confines of the court.
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“I came down and participated in (Underwood’s) Coaches vs. Cancer event along with Tom (Izzo) and Fred (Hoiberg) and Matt (Painter),” McCaffery said. “No hesitation to pick up the phone and say, ‘Would you come down to Champaign? Would you help us?’ He does a fabulous job with that. It’s one of the best events in the country.”
In his final season in Iowa City, Iowa, McCaffery led the Hawkeyes to a 17-16 record, including 7-13 in Big Ten play. Additionally, Iowa also went 0-2 against Illinois, with the second loss coming in the second round of the 2025 Big Ten tournament, 94-106. McCaffery was also ejected from this game, and it became the final one he coached at Iowa.
By the end of March 2025, though, McCaffery found his newest home with a not-so-new program to him. During his playing days, McCaffery spent three years at Penn, even leading the Ivy League in assists and steals in 1982. Now, as its newest head coach, he’s made his mark in year one. McCaffery coached the Quakers to an Ivy League conference tournament title this season, along with an 18-11 overall record.
“What (McCaffery’s) done with that team is just short of amazing,” Underwood said. “ … I see Fran’s thumbprint all over (Penn) and the competitiveness. I don’t think I expected anything else. I figured he would be an impactful coach and have Penn right where they’re at and fight for the league championship every year.”
Thursday night will be the first time McCaffery and Underwood will coach against each other in the last year, but it isn’t the first time the two coaches have met up this season. Illinois played a neutral-site conference game at The Palestra, Penn’s home arena in Philadelphia, in early January. McCaffery stopped by the historic site to see his longtime friend pay a visit to his new home turf. The pair were able to chat before the game, and Underwood could tell how much it meant for McCaffery to coach at his alma mater.
“I told our staff, this is pure joy,” Underwood said. “This is what I saw when I saw Fran. I saw the smile; he was happy. He told us exactly where he sat when he was a kid watching games in The Palestra, got to play there … I can’t imagine there’s maybe anybody in college basketball any more proud than Fran McCaffery is.”
In just his first season, McCaffery and Penn earned their spot in the Big Dance and have the offensive talent to give Illinois a run for its money in the first round. The Quakers’ leading scorer, forward guard TJ Power, erupted in the Ivy League championship game for a 44-point, 14-rebound double-double, including seven made threes, to lift the Quakers past the Yale Bulldogs. Penn’s roster also features four other players who shoot over 35% from three-point territory consistently.
“When you face a Fran McCaffery team, you’re going to get a team that’s electric offensively,” Underwood said. “I think he’s one of the best offensive coaches in all of college basketball.”
McCaffery has faced many Underwood-coached Illini squads over the years, and plenty of them have presented a consistent challenge for him, even in the transfer portal era. On Wednesday, McCaffery complimented Underwood’s recruiting ability and how it has translated to Illinois staying a winning program year after year.
“He gets pieces that fit,” McCaffery said. “He gets pieces that prioritize winning, and his teams continue to win because some teams that build rosters now look good on paper, but they don’t win. His teams win, and there’s a reason for that.”
The newest chapter of Underwood versus McCaffery will be underway on Thursday night in Greenville, South Carolina, as Illinois takes on Penn for a chance to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament at 9:25 p.m. ET.
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