Utah State Coach Jerrod Calhoun Returns Home to Lead Cincinnati Basketball

Cincinnati has named Utah State's Jerrod Calhoun as their new head basketball coach, bringing the 2004 Cincinnati graduate back to his alma mater. The 44-year-old Ohio native signed a six-year deal worth $3.7 million in the first year after leading Utah State to a 55-15 record over two seasons.

The University of Cincinnati announced Tuesday that Utah State head basketball coach Jerrod Calhoun has accepted a six-year contract to return to his alma mater as the Bearcats’ new head coach.

The agreement, which requires board approval, will compensate Calhoun $3.7 million in year one with annual increases of $100,000, according to the university. The 2004 Cincinnati graduate is departing Utah State, which ESPN reports will receive nearly $3.9 million from his contract buyout.

The Ohio-born 44-year-old is departing a Utah State program where he compiled a remarkable 55-15 record across two seasons. Under Calhoun’s leadership, the Aggies earned NCAA Tournament berths and achieved AP Top 25 rankings for at least one week during both campaigns.

Utah State, seeded ninth with a 29-7 record, knocked out eighth-seeded Villanova in the NCAA Tournament’s opening round on Friday but lost to top-seeded Arizona 78-66 on Sunday.

Calhoun takes over for Wes Miller, whose contract Cincinnati terminated after five seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance. Miller accepted the head coaching position at Charlotte on Monday.

“It is a tremendous honor to have the opportunity to lead the Bearcats’ program — one that I know intimately as an alum and hold in the highest regard,” Calhoun stated. “I am deeply grateful to (athletic director) John Cunningham and President Neville Pinto for their trust and confidence in me to elevate this program and guide our student-athletes as we pursue championships. Our goal is to build a program that consistently makes Bearcats fans proud, both on and off the court. Sarah, our children and I are excited to get to work at a place that means so much to our family.”

During the 2003-04 season, Calhoun worked as a student assistant under Bob Huggins at Cincinnati. He later joined Huggins’ coaching staff at West Virginia from 2007-12 before launching his head coaching career. His resume includes head coaching positions at Division II Fairmont State (2012-17), Youngstown State (2017-24), and Utah State.

After leading his team to both regular-season and tournament titles, Calhoun earned 2026 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year honors. The 2023 Horizon League Coach of the Year has guided teams to nine 20-win seasons and captured conference championships in three different leagues, accumulating a 297-159 overall coaching record, with 173-121 at the Division I level.

“Jerrod is a tireless worker, has an incredible passion and talent for developing not just players, but people, and has won at every stop along the way,” Cunningham commented. “He’s one of the best offensive minds in college basketball and has the pedigree to take Cincinnati basketball to the next level in the Big 12 and nationally. I’m looking forward to welcoming his wife, Sarah, and children, Jordan, Kennedy, Kendall and Quinn to the Cincinnati family.”