“Crying after beating Rutgers is crazy”: CFB fans react as Iowa HC Fran McCaffery gets emotional after the thrilling win

College basketball fans were surprised to see Iowa coach Fran McCaffery get emotional after his team's victory over Rutgers on Wednesday. The Hawkeyes secured an 84-73 victory over the Scarlet Knights, which marked their first conference road win this season.

McCaffery joined Big Ten Network's Andy Katz for a postgame interview. During the conversation, he appeared to get teary-eyed and his voice cracked as he discussed the significance of the win.

"There's times in your career when just, you're really proud of your team," McCaffery said. "The way we fought, really impressive."

"We have had injuries, we've had some setbacks ... but it’s how you respond. At the end of the day, that’s all we could ever ask."

The video of Fran McCaffery's emotional reaction has garnered over 250K views on X with fans sharing mixed thoughts.

"Crying after beating Rutgers is crazy," one user wrote.

"Been a challenging season for sure. I have always appreciated how positive he is when talking about his players, how he appreciates the person not just their game,” a fan gave a positive reaction.

"Gonna have a reason to cry Sunday," another user said, referring to Iowa's upcoming matchup against No. 25 Maryland.

"Nope, you gotta go. All you do is beat bad teams," one user added.

"Fran is our coach. Always supports players. It’s easy to criticize but always a solid job and a coach that players want to play for. Go Hawks!" one fan defended McCaffery.

"always crying. Weak look for your leaders !!!!!" Another chimed in.

Fran McCaffery and Iowa end their three-game losing streak with Rutgers win

Despite the emotional outpouring, Fran McCaffery's reaction is understandable given the context of Iowa's season so far. The Hawkeyes entered Wednesday's game on a three-game losing streak, having dropped contests to Ohio State, No. 7 Purdue and No. 16 Wisconsin.

Except for the Penn State win on Jan. 24, their previous three games, prior to the losing streak — against USC, UCLA and Minnesota — were all losses as well. So, their record going into the Rutgers game was 4-8 in Big Ten play.

Iowa's season has been filled with its fair share of adversity, including injuries to key players like sophomore guard Owen Freeman and senior guard Drew Thelwell.

Junior guard Josh Dix and sophomore forward Payton Sandfort were key contributors to the Scarlet Knights’ win, as they combined for 46 points. The Hawkeyes will face Maryland at Xfinity Center on Tuesday.