Cincinnati Bearcats Make Decision On Wes Miller's Future Following End Of Big 12 Season

CINCINNATI — The Bearcats are moving on from the Wes Miller era amidst an NCAA Tournament drought that's lasted his entire five-year tenure. CBS Sports's Jon Rothstein first reported the firing.

CBS Sports's Matt Norlander noted Cincinnati won't have to pay the full pre-April 1 buyout. Miller will be officially let go on April 1 and paid the $4.7 million post-April 1 buyout. He also noted Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun is the frontrunner for the job.

Cincinnati lost to rival UCF 66-65 brutally in the Second Round of the 2026 Big 12 Tournament to ultimately seal its fate. Miller went 173-100 at UC and ended his career as the ninth-winningest coach in UC history.

The Bearcats have not made the dance this decade with a coach who's 11-47 at UC against Quad 1 opponents. Fans even made the number clear throughout the arena in the final Saturday home game this season, with stealth stat sheets at the Oklahoma State game for why Miller should be let go. Those authors got their wish, and UC now hits the coaching carousel as one of the better jobs in the country for a rising head coach to attack.

He tried to make his case after the final game against UCF for the Bearcats to make the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

"If it's about the best teams at this point, we're one of the best teams in the country, like we're an NCAA tournament team," Miller said after the loss. "If it's about the overall resume, I'm sure that you can make some arguments that we're not, but I think we've won seven out of our last 10 Big 12 games. Is that right? Seven out of 10? When's the last time somebody won seven out of 10 in the Big 12 and didn't play? And didn't play in the NCAA Tournament? Honestly? Like we won seven out of 10 in this league, including a 20-point lead, 20.1 on the road to Kansas.

"I mean, again, I don't know what goes on. I certainly feel that we belong. I know tonight would have helped, but it wasn't like we got run out of the gym tonight. I mean, we have a three or four-possession lead there late in the game. So again, if it's about the best teams, I do believe we'd be in the field. But again, I don't pretend to understand what goes on, so certainly we'll hold out hope. But I realized tonight, tonight was difficult, and I think everybody in our locker room understands that."

Cincinnati now hits the full search for a new head coach.

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