By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Ben McCollum took Iowa to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament in his first season as men’s basketball coach.

It also earned him a contract extension.

McCollum signed an extension through 2032, the university announced on Monday.

McCollum’s team won 24 games, making the program’s first Elite Eight appearance since 1987. He joined Tom Davis as the only first-year Iowa coaches to win 20 or more games, qualify for the NCAA Tournament and advance to the Elite Eight. The 24 victories were tied for the fifth-most in a single season in program history.

Iowa defeated three higher seeded teams during the tournament, downing No. 8 seed Clemson in the first round, No. 1 seed and defending national champion Florida in the second round, and No. 4 Nebraska in the regional semifinals.

“This extension reflects not only our recent success, but the strong alignment we have with Coach McCollum’s vision for Iowa basketball,” Iowa athletics director Beth Goetz said in the university’s announcement. “The culture he and his staff have developed, the way they represent our institution, and the connection created with the Hawkeye community have been incredibly meaningful. I have tremendous confidence in the direction we are headed under Ben’s leadership. We are excited to continue that momentum and pursue even greater success together.”

“I am incredibly thankful to President Wilson and Beth Goetz for their continued belief in what we are building,” McCollum said. “We have a strong foundation in place, and we have great momentum moving forward. We are eager to build on our success and elevate this program at the highest level.”

McCollum has a 55-17 record with two NCAA Tournament berths and four NCAA Tournament victories in his two seasons at the Division I level. He has a 450-108 career record.

Photo of Iowa coach Ben McCollum by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire