Fran McCaffery opens up on son's mental health leave from team

Iowa guard Patrick McCaffery received an outpouring of support this week when he announced he was stepping away from the program to take care of some mental health issues. His father, Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffery, addressed the decision and shared how he came to the decision.

McCaffery echoed what Patrick said in his statement Wednesday, saying he’s dealt with anxiety for “a while.”

“I think he said it pretty well, in terms of how he feels and how his body feels at any point in time in terms of his eating and sleeping and so forth,” McCaffery said. “His energy level isn’t where it needs to be. He’s pretty transparent about how he feels, and so we’re just trying to help him feel better.”

McCaffery also opened up about how he balances being a coach and a father in this instance. He said he focuses on being a dad, but knows how to look at things from a basketball standpoint. That’s why when Patrick’s health started to impact his performance on the court, he’s been paying close attention and supports the decision to take some time away.

“I think father first,” McCaffery said. “Just concerned about his well-being. But then, if he’s struggling in the game, coach him up, then assess where he is physically. Then that, of course, is going to affect his minutes if his stamina is an issue, which it has been recently. We keep an eye on it.”

Patrick McCaffery taking mental health-related leave of absence from Iowa basketball

Patrick McCaffery released a statement Wednesday explaining his current issues and how they have affected him on the court for the Hawkeyes, revealing that his absence from the court did not have a specific time frame attached to it.

“I have been battling anxiety for a while, and recently it has peaked, which has inhibited my preparation and performance on the court,” he said. “It’s not fair to myself or teammates to be on the court when I am not myself. The anxiety has affected my sleep, appetite, and stamina, which has resulted in not having the energy level necessary to compete at my full capabilities.

“My struggle with anxiety affects every aspect of my well-being and makes it incredibly difficult to function normally. This is what I am battling right now. For this reason, I am taking an indefinite leave to address my situation. It might be two games, it may be four games, it may be more, but I will return when I feel like myself. My leave of absence is not related to my past battle with cancer.”