'I definitely outshoot him': Caitlin Clark on Connor McCaffery's new coaching job, their bond over basketball

The two Iowa natives have made Indy their home. Just a few completely understand what it's like to be Caitlin Clark, but Connor McCaffery can help. And he started in his new role at Butler this week.

When you’re Caitlin Clark, few truly understand what it’s like to be you and the circle of trust is tight. She hasn’t had significant time off from basketball in a year, since the start of her senior season at the University of Iowa.

The Des Moines native had a week after the draft, then about 10 days following the All-Star break leading into three weeks of practices and team building over the Olympic break.

The one person by her side through all of this was conveniently already living in Indy when she was the Indiana Fever’s selection at No. 1 in mid-April.

Connor McCaffery — her boyfriend — spent the last year as an intern for the Indiana Pacers. He was recently promoted to a full-time position (basketball development coordinator), but then he elected to take an intriguing assistant coaching position with the Butler men’s basketball program. They are part of the Big East Conference.

This was possible after a sudden opening due to 2006 Indiana Mr. Basketball Greg Oden deciding to focus his attention on business interests.

As I reported last week (and was made official on Monday), McCaffery is now on Thad Matta’s coaching staff. He has one brother who previously transferred in (Patrick) and another (Jack) committed for next season.

It’s an Indy takeover by the McCafferys — and Clark.

“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 in a statement. “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.”:

And as the son of a head coach, Fran McCaffery, he’s been involved in college basketball his entire life. He grew up in Iowa City. (And Fran recently sat courtside at a Fever game.)

“I'm super excited for him,” Clark said. “Obviously his basketball knowledge is pretty good and it makes it fun. You can bounce ideas off of each other. He worked super hard for that.”