Utah State’s Jerrod Calhoun will become the next head coach of the University of Cincinnati, CBS Sports reported Monday afternoon. The Bearcat alum and former student assistant had been Cincinnati’s top target “for weeks.”
Calhoun becomes the first Cincinnati alum to coach the Bearcats since Tony Yates’ departure in 1989. He served as a student assistant with UC in 2003, then as an assistant at Division-II Walsh (2004-07) and West Virginia (2007-12) before accepting his first head coaching post with D-II Fairmont State in 2012.
Calhoun won a Horizon League title as the coach of Youngstown State in 2023 and signed with Utah State the following year.
In his most recent role, Calhoun took the Utah State Aggies to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, won a Mountain West title and was named the 2026 Mountain West Coach of the Year. Over two seasons, his Aggies logged a combined record of 55-15. Calhoun’s first-round win over Villanova on Friday was only Utah State’s third since the NCAA Tournament’s 64-team format was established in 1985.
In recent years, USU has been a launchpad for mid-major coaches. Calhoun’s predecessors: Danny Sprinkle (Washington), Ryan Odom (Virginia) and Craig Smith (former, Utah) spent a combined six seasons with the Aggies before accepting high-major positions. Despite a lack of retention, Utah State has qualified for seven of the last eight NCAA Tournaments.
Calhoun is one of the premier offensive minds in men’s basketball, leading the Aggies to back-to-back top-30 finishes in offensive efficiency. He is also noted for his player development, a departure from outgoing coach Wes Miller, who was described as recruitment-minded. Miller took over as head coach of the UNC-Charlotte 49ers on Monday.
In the NIL era, Cincinnati has struggled to contend in an increasingly competitive Big 12 conference. Once a perennial second weekend team, the Bearcats have not qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 2019. Sports Illustrated currently projects a $10 million NIL budget for Cincinnati’s 2026-27 roster, so Calhoun should feel well-armed to revitalize the program.
The UC athletic department will eat a buyout equivalent to 70 percent of Calhoun’s remaining Utah State salary, or roughly $4.5 million, in acquiring him.
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