Connor McCaffery, son of Penn men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery, attended the Palestra press conference on April 7.
Credit: Lydia TongThe saying goes: “like father, like son.”
As Penn basketball ushers in a new era with the hiring of Fran McCaffery as head coach, what shouldn’t go unnoticed is how deeply basketball runs in the family. All four of Fran McCaffery’s children play sports, with all three of his sons playing college basketball. While many players hang up their sneakers after college, for one son, the game is just beginning.
From the court to the clipboard
Coached by his father, Connor McCaffery played college basketball at the NCAA Division I level at Iowa for six seasons, during which he was part of the Hawkeyes’ Big Ten championship victory in 2022 as well as multiple NCAA tournament games. During his time at Iowa, Connor McCaffery played with his brother, Patrick McCaffery, and amassed numerous records, including the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in NCAA history. Off the court, his years in Iowa City, Iowa were just as meaningful, as this was when he met his current girlfriend, women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark, who now plays for the Indiana Fever.
After his playing career, Connor McCaffery took a job as basketball development coordinator for the Indiana Pacers in 2023, where his role consisted of running the scout team and working out with the active roster. Currently, he serves as an assistant coach at Butler, a position he has held since 2024.
Two paths, one playbook
Like his father, Connor McCaffery also played college basketball before transitioning into coaching. For Fran McCaffery, he played one season at Wake Forest before transferring to play at Penn. From there, he would go on to coach four different programs to the NCAA tournament — Lehigh, UNC Greensboro, Siena, and Iowa.
The parallels between father and son could not be more striking — a shared vision, high basketball intelligence quotient, and relentless competitiveness. When reminiscing about Connor McCaffery’s time playing under his father, former Penn men’s basketball coach Bob Weinhauer noted the similarities between Fran and Connor McCaffery’s game; in particular, one game against Stanford stood out.
“They’ve got the ball, and they’re going to hold for the last shot and try to win the game. He steals it, goes down, gets fouled, makes the foul shot. We win the game,” Weinhauer said. “Those are the things that Franny did, and his son, Connor, played just like it. Yeah, Connor was, to me, the heart of the Iowa basketball program, because he understood the game so well.”
Bloodlines and baselines
There’s no denying that Connor and Fran McCaffery’s close relationship has played a key role in shaping Connor McCaffery’s basketball journey. From coaching him at Iowa to mentoring him beyond the court, Fran McCaffery has been a steady presence every step of the way. And for Connor McCaffery, the admiration is clear — his respect and fondness for his father are woven into both his playing days and his path to coaching.
“It’s exciting. You could see in the press conference how much it means to him. Obviously, he was incredibly emotional, and we still hear stories. Siblings and I joke about it. My mom — we joke about it. He remembers everything that happened in this building,” Connor McCaffery said. “The Cathedral of College Basketball — there’s no better feeling from me seeing him to be able to do that.”
Connor McCaffery also emphasized how much more important it was for his father to play in Philadelphia, and in particular, at the Palestra.
“I always wanted to play here because of all the stories. … We played Penn State here when I was at Iowa, and the feel and the aura of [the Palestra] is special. … You just have an appreciation for Penn basketball,” Connor McCaffery said. “Being in a place of such rich history, I think, is going to be a great place for him to be because ultimately, that’s where he wants to be.”
Anything is on the table
Although Connor McCaffery will be coaching for at least another year at Butler, he acknowledged that anything was on the table for his coaching career, including the possibility of reuniting with his father on the sidelines. Jack McCaffery, Fran McCaffery’s youngest son, will be playing at Butler beginning in the 2025-26 season.
“I’m at Butler now but definitely not closed off to anything at some point,” Connor McCaffery said. “I know [Fran McCaffery’s] got his staff set to this point, but I [got to] hang out with my little brother. He’s coming to Butler, so I [got to] stick with him for now.”
The McCaffery family is a story of legacy, loyalty, and love for the game. Whether Connor McCaffery ultimately chooses to follow directly in his father’s footsteps or continue forging his own path, one thing is clear: The game runs deep in the McCaffery bloodline.
As the eldest son, Connor McCaffery has already begun to echo Fran McCaffery’s journey, building his own coaching career and keeping the possibility of a future reunion open. The McCafferys have proven that basketball isn’t just a profession; rather, it’s a family tradition.
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