Long before he stepped onto a professional sideline, Connor McCaffery was studying the game from inside film rooms. Growing up around his father Fran McCaffery’s coaching stops, he developed a reputation as a player who thought like a coach, eventually finishing his Iowa career with a 3.59-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, the second-best mark in NCAA history.

That coaching journey has now brought him back to Indiana. The Noblesville Boom, the Indiana Pacers’ NBA G League affiliate, hired McCaffery as a Player Development Assistant, returning the former Iowa guard to the Pacers’ basketball ecosystem after two seasons on Thad Matta’s staff at Butler.

McCaffery, widely recognized as Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend, started his coaching journey in 2023 as a team assistant with the Pacers after finishing his playing career at Iowa. In simple terms, Indiana is trusting one of its own to develop the young and possibly NBA stars at Boom.

Meanwhile, Boom manager Chris Taylor shared his two cents on Connor McCaffery. He said, “You can’t overlook the impressive basketball bloodline he comes from. I think from getting to know him, I’ve been so impressed with his legitimate commitment to being a coach and a high-level coach. He has lofty aspirations, and he’s still young.”

Taylor further added, “A lot of times, coaches his age, you’re like, ‘Hey, what’s your goal here?’ And they might be just like, ‘I just want to coach.’ But he has very strict and kind of guided goals, which is great.” The manager went on, “His willingness to do anything. He had the player development role, the opportunity over at Butler, now coming back in a G League role, he’s just open to any way he can learn and grow.”

The hire also aligns with the vision of new head coach Bryce Taylor, who has emphasized player development as a central part of the Boom’s culture. Taylor said, “Our focus will be on competing at a high level every day while helping our players reach the next step in their careers.”

McCaffery’s responsibilities with the Boom are expected to include player development, scouting preparation, video work and scout-team implementation. Those duties closely mirror the developmental work he handled during his first stint within the Pacers organization in 2023-24.

Before returning to Indiana’s professional ranks, McCaffery spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Butler under veteran head coach Thad Matta. The role expanded his experience beyond player development and into recruiting, scouting, and day-to-day program operations.

What Connor McCaffery learned during two seasons at Butler

McCaffery’s two seasons at Butler coincided with a period of transition for the program. The Bulldogs finished 15-20 in 2024-25 and improved to 16-16 the following season, but the greater value for McCaffery came behind the scenes. Working under Matta exposed him to recruiting, scouting, player development and the day-to-day responsibilities of running a major college basketball program.

While the Bulldogs posted only modest improvement in the standings, McCaffery’s time under Matta was viewed as a key developmental step. When Butler hired him in 2024, Matta said, “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. Those experiences will be very valuable to our staff.”

Coaching has long been part of McCaffery’s life. His father, Fran McCaffery, built a decades-long head coaching career at Lehigh, UNC Greensboro, Siena and Iowa before taking over at Penn in 2025. Rather than joining his father’s staff, Connor chose to learn under Rick Carlisle with the Pacers and Thad Matta at Butler as he built an independent coaching path.

McCaffery joins the Boom at a time when the Pacers continue to use their G League affiliate as a development ground for both players and coaches. For a former Iowa guard long viewed as a coach on the floor, the move represents another step in a career path that has increasingly pointed toward the sidelines.