Jerrod Calhoun could be Cincinnati basketball’s next coach. What to know of Utah State coach
While much of the rest of the country is focused on the thrilling opening days of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the minds of Cincinnati fans are understandably elsewhere.
The Bearcats have a lengthy and proud history on the hardwood, with two national championships and more than 30 all-time NCAA tournament appearances. The past several years have been unkind to them, though, with no NCAA tournament bids in each of the past six seasons in which the event was held.
Two days before the latest Selection Sunday in which it didn’t hear its name called, Cincinnati took action, firing coach Wes Miller after five seasons, no NCAA tournament appearances and a 100-74 record.
While a number of different names have been thrown out as potential replacements, one has been particularly popular.
For the second-consecutive season, Jerrod Calhoun has Utah State dancing, with a 28-6 record and a No. 9 seed heading into its first-round game against No. 8 seed Villanova on Friday, March 20. His success with the Aggies, along with his ties to the state and his impressive work before that at Youngstown State, has made Calhoun stand out among a crowded field of contenders at Cincinnati.
With the Bearcats’ search ongoing, and heading into Utah State’s NCAA tournament game Friday, here’s a closer look at Calhoun:
Jerrod Calhoun coaching career
Calhoun is in his second season at Utah State, where he has gone 54-14 heading into Friday’s matchup with Villanova.
The Aggies have been a magnet for ascendent coaches in recent years. Calhoun is Utah State’s fourth different coach in the past six seasons, with each of his three immediate predecessors — Craig Smith (Utah), Ryan Odom (VCU) and Danny Sprinkle (Washington) — moving on to bigger jobs.
Prior to that, Calhoun was the head coach for seven seasons at Youngstown State. Though the Penguins never made the NCAA tournament under his watch, his teams went 118-106, a run that included a Horizon League regular-season championship in 2023. Youngstown State is widely regarded as a difficult job, especially since the Penguins have never made the NCAA tournament in their nearly 50 years as a Division I member.
Despite those challenges, Calhoun led them to two postseason appearances and had a winning record in each of his final five seasons, the longest such run in the program’s Division I history.
He arrived at Youngstown State from the Division II ranks, where he coached at Fairmont State in West Virginia. He went 124-38 in five seasons there, four of which ended with an appearance in the Division II Men’s NCAA Tournament. His tenure there might be most notable for one of the assistant coaches he hired: current Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who worked under Calhoun from 2013-16 and replaced him as head coach when Calhoun left for Youngstown State in 2017.
Jerrod Calhoun Cincinnati ties
Calhoun’s coaching accolades have made him one of the most coveted coaches from outside of college basketball’s five power conferences, but what makes him particularly appealing for Cincinnati are his ties to the university and the state of Ohio.
Calhoun grew up in Cleveland and earned his bachelor’s degree from Cincinnati in 2004. It was with the Bearcats that he began his coaching career, serving as a student assistant under Bob Huggins during the 2003-04 season.
From there, he moved on to Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio, where he was an assistant coach from 2004-07. When Huggins accepted the head coaching job at West Virginia, his alma mater, in 2007, he hired his former student assistant to join him. Calhoun spent five seasons working under Huggins with the Mountaineers before moving on to Fairmont State.
Given that background, Calhoun’s a sensible, if not close to ideal, candidate for Cincinnati: an Ohio native who graduated from the school and cut his teeth coaching under arguably the greatest coach in Bearcats history.
Jerrod Calhoun record
Over nine seasons as a Division I head coach, Calhoun is 172-120, going 118-106 at Youngstown State and 54-14 so far at Utah State.
Jerrod Calhoun contract
After going 26-8 in his debut season at Utah State in 2024-25, Calhoun signed a new contract with the university that is set to pay him $7.55 million over four seasons.
Calhoun had been floated as a candidate at several vacancies last offseason, including at West Virginia, which ultimately hired Ross Hodge from North Texas.
Is Jerrod Calhoun related to Jim Calhoun?
Though they share a last name and a line of work, Jerrod Calhoun is not related to legendary former UConn coach Jim Calhoun.
Jerrod Calhoun age
Born Oct. 17, 1981, Calhoun is 44 years old.
