"If we get it early, we’ll have a lot more birthdays": Fran McCaffery urges fans to get cancer screening done ahead of CvC game

Fran McCaffery, the head coach of the Iowa men's basketball team, has spent much of his coaching career leading the Iowa program. However, his impact goes beyond the court. Ahead of this year's Coaches vs. Cancer (CvC) game, he delivered a powerful message about early cancer detection.

"I just want as many people to get involved as possible. Help us in any way that you can," Fran McCaffery said.

"But more importantly, go to the doctor. Have blood work fone. Your blood work tells you a lot. Make sure you get your annual checkups. Make sure you get colonoscopies. Start younger," he added. "... So that if we get early, we'll have a lot more birthdays.

Fran McCaffery's concern comes from his personal experience. His son, Patrick, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer as a teenager. It was an experience that reshaped the family's viewpoint on cancer awareness and fundraising. Since arriving in Iowa in 2020, Fran and his wife, Margaret, have successfully raised over $1.25 million for adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients.

In 2015, the McCafferys were awarded the Fighting Spirit Award for their dedication to CvC. Their fundraising efforts have also directly supported the University of Iowa's AYA Cancer Program, which recently received over $137,000 from an event hosted at their home in October.

In 2019, Fran McCaffery's wife, who also serves on the board of directors for the American Cancer Society, emphasized how their work is driven by real-life experience. Moreover, both McCaffery's parents died from cancer.

"It's very different to tell a 14-year-old that they have cancer than it is to tell a 5-year-old. It's not any easier as a parent. But [Patrick] knew what we were talking about, and I know he thought he was going to die because everyone he had known who had cancer had died."

Fran McCaffery's Iowa struggles in CvC matchup against UCLA

NCAA Basketball: Iowa at Ohio State - Source: Imagn

Iowa's Coaches vs Cancer game against UCLA on January 17th ended in disappointment. The Iowa Hawkeyes entered the game after a tough loss to USC (99-89). Yet again, they fell to the Bruins in a lopsided 94-70 defeat. UCLA also entered the game on a four-game losing streak but built a dominant 33-point lead by halftime.

After the loss, Iowa dropped to 12-6 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten Conference. Josh Dix led the team with 19 points, while Owen Freeman added 11 points. However, the Hawkeyes struggled defensively, allowing UCLA to shoot 62%.