With Fran McCaffery no longer at Iowa, the longtime head coach’s firing has unsurprisingly shaken up the Hawkeyes’ roster. Just days after his release, junior guard Josh Dix became the fifth member of the team to enter the college basketball transfer portal.
Dix will enter the portal with one year of eligibility remaining, per On3 Sports. He also shared the news on his social media with a message to fans. In his post, Dix stated McCaffery’s firing was the direct reason for his decision.
“Dear Hawkeye Nation,” Dix wrote. “I want to thank Coach McCaffery and the entire staff for giving me the opportunity to live out my dream. Wearing the Black and Gold has been a true blessing, and I will forever cherish the memories I made in Iowa City… Due to the recent coaching change and after reflecting with my family, I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal.”
— Josh Dix (@J0shDix) March 19, 2025
Dix will enter the portal as one of the top shooters in the country, owning a career 41.9 percent three-point percentage. He is coming off a breakthrough season in 2024-2025, in which he averaged 14.4 points on 42.2 percent from deep, both career highs. He ended the year as the team’s third-leading scorer and its top threat from behind the arc.
As a former three-star recruit, Dix also received offers from Wisconsin, Wake Forest, Minnesota and Purdue, among others. He opted to remain in-state and commit to Iowa, a campus just three hours away from his hometown of Council Bluffs.
Former Iowa players in college basketball transfer portal
Since the end of the Fran McCaffery era, several players have joined him in leaving the program. In addition to Dix, the Hawkeyes will also lose Owen Freeman, Pryce Sandfort, Brock Harding and Riley Mulvey. In total, the Hawkeyes will lose their top seven players from 2024-2025, with Payton Sandfort and Drew Thelwell also graduating.
Freeman, Dix and Harding will undoubtedly be three of the most sought-after players in the portal once the season officially ends in April. Freeman led Iowa with 16.7 points per game, while Harding topped the team with 5.3 assists per outing.
At the time of his firing, the 65-year-old McCaffery shrugged off retirement rumors and stated he would pursue other coaching opportunities. His next destination would be a potential landing spot for all five of his former players currently in the transfer portal. The Hawkeyes’ all-time winningest head coach has yet to receive public interest from any notable team.
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