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Caitlin Clark’s Boyfriend Reacts to Father Fran McCaffery’s Career News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Mohammad Asif Ansari | Last updated Mar 16, 2026 9:18 AM ET

On Jan. 22, Caitlin Clark turned 24, but her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, had his mind on a different celebration this past Sunday. While Clark was in Puerto Rico to secure a 101-46 victory over New Zealand, Connor was watching a game with much higher stakes for his family. He watched his father, as a coach facing intense pressure, attempt to adapt after a high-profile firing last season.

Head coach Fran McCaffery returned to his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, to find his former flash. The conflict reached a peak on Sunday, during the Ivy League championship. The No. 3 seed Penn Quakers faced the top-seeded Yale Bulldogs. A massive performance by TJ Power, who scored 44 points, turned the game around. Penn defeated Yale 88-84 in overtime. This success prompted Connor to praise the team with a

"HOW BOUT THE QUAKERS" response on X.

HOW BOUT THE QUAKERS
— Connor McCaffery (@connor_m30) March 15, 2026

By the way, the victory means Coach McCaffery has now led five different programs to the NCAA Tournament. After all, he joins elite coaches like Rick Pitino and Steve Alford in this achievement. On the whole, the reason for this success is a specific schematic shift. Coach McCaffery used a Big Ten pace to optimize his offense in a slow-moving league. This tactic removed Yale from its comfort zone.

Critics said the pressure of a major conference was too much, but the Ivy League provided the right intensity. David Eickholt, a Hawkeye Insider, said McCaffery has now led five programs to the Big Dance.

“Fran McCaffery has now led five programs to the NCAA Tournament. In his first year at his alma mater— Penn knocks off Yale to win the Ivy League Tournament Championship,” he wrote on X.

Fran McCaffery has now led five programs to the NCAA Tournament. In his first year at his alma mater— Penn knocks off Yale to win the Ivy League Tournament Championship.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) March 15, 2026

The Penn Quakers will combat No. 3 Illinois at 9:25 p.m. Thursday. This is the 25th appearance for the school and its first since 2018. The school lost to the Fighting Illini once before. That loss was 68-58 on March 17, 2000.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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