Jerrod Calhoun to Cincinnati: Bearcats Hire Utah State Coach

Cincinnati has reached an agreement with Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun to become the Bearcats’ next men’s basketball coach, sources confirmed to CBS Sports on Monday. An official announcement is expected within the next 24 hours.

Calhoun, a former Cincinnati player, returns to his alma mater after two successful seasons leading the Aggies. Utah State finished the 2025-26 season with a 29-7 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance, falling to Arizona in the second round on Sunday. He compiled a 55-14 record during his tenure in Logan, Utah, building on a reputation developed during previous head coaching stops.

The hiring marks a swift move for Cincinnati following the firing of Wes Miller on March 13, after five seasons and zero NCAA Tournament appearances. Miller’s dismissal came after a second-round loss to UCF in the Big 12 Tournament, a game the Bearcats led by eight points with just over two minutes remaining. The timing of Miller’s firing was strategically linked to a drop in his buyout clause to $4.7 million on April 1, according to sources.

Calhoun emerged as Cincinnati’s top target almost immediately after Miller’s departure. He reportedly didn’t aggressively pursue an opening at Kansas State earlier this month, signaling his preference for the Cincinnati position. Sources indicated Calhoun communicated his readiness to return to Ohio to Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham last week, with both sides maintaining discretion out of respect for Utah State’s ongoing NCAA Tournament run.

Calhoun’s coaching career began with assistant roles at Cincinnati under Bob Huggins and later at West Virginia, where he worked alongside Huggins from 2007 to 2012. He then served as head coach at Fairmont State (2012-2017), achieving a 124-38 record and leading the program to the Division II national title game in 2017. Prior to Utah State, Calhoun rebuilt the Youngstown State program over seven seasons, culminating in regular season championships and two 20-win seasons.

Cincinnati is anticipating an increased investment in its Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective, with projections exceeding $8 million for the upcoming season. The program is seeking to return to the NCAA Tournament after a five-year absence, with the last appearance coming in 2019 under former coach Mick Cronin, who subsequently left for UCLA.

The agreement with Calhoun is a six-year contract, according to a source.