Richmond’s Jack McCaffery Diagnosed With Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Jack McCaffery, a forward for the Richmond men’s basketball team, will take an indefinite medical leave following his Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis, which was made public by the university on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026.

According to the school, McCaffery was evaluated by medical staff at Richmond earlier in the week. He then traveled home to Philadelphia with his parents and was admitted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

McCaffery has begun a course of treatment under the care of doctors and nurses at Penn Medicine. The player’s father, Penn men’s basketball head coach Fran McCaffery, shared his appreciation in a statement.

“We are grateful to the Richmond coaching staff and medical team for their prompt response, and to Kevin Mahoney and the doctors and nurses here at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is in great hands and our family feels blessed to be here, where Jack’s care is directed by this world-class care team,” Fran McCaffery said.

Dr. Alison Wakoff Loren of Penn Medicine noted the prognosis for the forward in a statement.

“Any cancer diagnosis is distressing, especially at a young age, but we are confident in Jack’s treatment plan and Penn Medicine’s team of lymphoma experts,” Dr. Alison Wakoff Loren said.

“Hodgkin’s lymphoma mainly affects young people in their 20’s, but it is a highly curable form of cancer, thanks to years of dedicated research. Our goal is to get Jack through his treatments safely and to return him to school and to his teammates on the basketball court as soon as we can.”

McCaffery is in his first season with the Spiders. He transferred from Butler, where he averaged 2.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game across nine appearances during the 2025-26 season before his freshman campaign ended due to an illness and wisdom teeth complications.

Before his college career, McCaffery starred at Iowa City West High School in Iowa City, Iowa. During his senior year, he posted averages of 21.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks per contest, accomplishments that earned him first-team all-state recognition and the Gatorade State Player of the Year accolade. The 6-foot-9 forward was rated as a four-star recruit and ranked among the top 150 prospects nationally in the 2025 class by 247Sports.

Richmond head coach Chris Mooney addressed the team’s support for the player.

“From the moment Jack arrived at Richmond, he’s been an important part of our program,” Chris Mooney said. “He’s a tremendous teammate who has earned the respect of everyone around him through his hard work, character and commitment to doing things the right way, both on the court and in the classroom.

Our entire program will be there for him and his family every step of the way on his path to recovery.”