After a historic first season as the head coach of the Iowa basketball program, Ben McCollum has been rewarded with a contract extension. The new deal is for six years, through the 2032 season, and gives him an immediate $1 million raise. “I am incredibly thankful to President Wilson and Beth Goetz for their continued belief in what we are building,” Ben McCollum said in a statement . “We have a strong foundation in place, and we have great momentum moving forward. We are eager to build on our success and elevate this program at the highest level.” McCollum led the Hawkeyes to its first Elite Eight appearance since the 1986-87 season and he had been courted by several openings around college basketball, most notably North Carolina, but declined to remain in Iowa City. “This extension reflects not only our recent success, but the strong alignment we have with Coach McCollum’s vision for Iowa basketball,” Beth Goetz, Iowa’s athletic director said in a press release.…