Fran McCaffery shuts down retirement talk, reveals why Penn was the perfect fit: “I knew I wanted to coach”

Penn coach Fran McCaffery has shot down speculation that he is retiring from college basketball.

In an interview with CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein in the "Inside College Basketball Now" podcast, McCaffery noted he was looking for a new challenge in his career, and the job at Penn came along.

"Not at all. Never. And I made that known to everybody in the profession," McCaffery said (Timestamp: 7:34). "I knew I wanted to coach and then once Penn became available, I knew I wanted to be here."

McCaffery, who played three seasons for the Quakers after transferring from Wake Forest, said it was a perfect fit for him to coach at his alma mater. It was more about giving back to the school that helped him become one of the respected mentors in the sport.

"I take great pride in coming back to my alma mater and trying to do something special because I believe in what this place stands for," McCaffery said (Timestamp 8:00). "So, I'm thankful every day that I get to come here and coach and work with this group."

McCaffery had a great three-season stint with the Quakers. He led the Ivy League in assists and steals as a senior in the 1981-82 season and was voted as the winner of the Bus MacDonald Award as the team's most inspirational player.

He helped Penn win three Ivy League titles and played in the NCAA Tournament during his sophomore and senior seasons.

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Fran McCaffery brings an excellent coaching resume to Penn

Fran McCaffery returns to his alma mater as a decorated coach who has won 548 games and led 12 teams to the NCAA Tournament. He also had five NIT stints. He served as head coach for 29 seasons at Lehigh, UNC Greensboro, Siena and Iowa, where he spent 15 seasons before taking the job at Penn.

In Iowa, he guided the Hawkeyes to seven NCAA Tournaments in his last 11 seasons.

The coaching resume he had through the years may have resonated with the players of his new team, as most of the roster stayed and bought into his philosophy.

"I do think it says something about my coming here that: 'hey, you know, we want to play for this guy,'" McCaffery said (Timestamp 8:37). "And that's a great feeling as a coach."

Penn brings in a stronger lineup this year with former Duke and Virginia guard TJ Power coming in from the transfer portal. The Quakers still have last season's top scorer Ethan Roberts, steals leader AJ Levine and wing Michael Zanoni.

The team hopes to improve its 8-19 (4-10 in the Ivy League) record last season with McCaffery at the helm.