Tyrese Haliburton lauds Caitlin Clark's boyfriend Connor McCaffery for landing Butler Bulldogs job after Pacers coaching role

Modified Sep 17, 2024 04:08 GMT

Tyrese Haliburton voiced his support for Connor McCaffery after news surfaced of McCaffery's new role as an assistant coach at Butler University. McCaffery is a former basketball development coordinator for the Indiana Pacers and boyfriend of Indiana Fever star rookie Caitlin Clark,

McCaffery's move to Butler keeps him in Indiana, stepping into the assistant coach position left vacant by Greg Oden, who is reportedly shifting focus to his business ventures outside of coaching.

In an Instagram story, Haliburton shared Butler's announcement of McCaffery's hire, adding fire emojis to express his excitement.

Tyrese Haliburton reacts to Butler's hiring of McCaffery

McCaffery previously served as the Pacers' basketball development coordinator during the 2023-24 season, where he led scouting, assisted with video operations and scouting reports, and helped with player workouts.

McCaffery played for Iowa as a college basketball player. Clark, the WNBA Rookie of the Year award favorite, also represented the same institution.

Butler head coach Thad Matta praised McCaffery's background, noting it made him a valuable addition to the team’s coaching staff.

"Following a high-level playing career, Connor has had the opportunity to both contribute and learn alongside one of the best staffs in the NBA," Matta said (per Butler Sports).

"Those experiences will be very valuable to our staff. He obviously comes from a basketball family that I know very well and I'm excited for the impact he is going to have on our program both quickly and in the long run."

McCaffery will be joined at Butler by his brother Patrick, who is part of the school's basketball team for the 2024-25 season.

Caitlin Clark and Connor McCaffery's journey from Iowa to Indiana together

Caitlin Clark, a rising star in women's basketball, and Connor McCaffery, a fellow athlete, have kept their relationship mostly private despite Clark's growing fame.

Their relationship began in spring 2023 when they were both basketball players at the University of Iowa.

Connor completed his Iowa career with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.59, second-best in NCAA history, and played in 166 games for the Hawkeyes, tying the record for most wins in program history.

Clark concluded her college career with impressive averages of 31.6 points and 8.9 assists per game, and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

When Clark joined the Indiana Fever, she mentioned how their relationship was made easier by being in close proximity.

"It's great, obviously it makes the transition a little bit easier," Caitlin Clark said (per IndyStar).

"You've got people that know the city, and obviously Connor being there is tremendous. I couldn't imagine a better place to start my professional career.”

Caitlin Clark has been a key player for the Fever, leading them to their first playoff berth since 2016.