Cincinnati Bearcats Officially Move On From Wes Miller, Buyout Figure Revealed

CINCINNATI — The Bearcats officially moved on from Wes Miller on Thursday. Cincinnati Athletics announced they reached a financial agreement to end the contract with their former head basketball coach.

The Athletic's Justin Williams reported Miller is receiving a lump sum $3.1 million buyout, which is much lower than the $9.9 million his contract stated he would receive if terminated before April 1.

It allows Miller to immediately find a new coaching job while getting a nice payday on the way out.

Cincinnati Says Goodbye

Feb 15, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Wes Miller stands on the court during introductions before the game against the Utah Utes at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

John Cunningham released a statement on the situation.

"University of Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham officially announced on Thursday that Wes Miller will not return as the men’s basketball head coach next season," the statement read. "UC and Miller reached a separation agreement effective immediately. Financial terms were not disclosed. A national search is underway for the next head coach of the Bearcats. 'I want to thank Wes Miller for all of his hard work and the passion he brought to his job every single day,' Cunningham said. 'We are excited about the next chapter of Cincinnati basketball.'"

Miller went 100-74 at UC and ended his career as the ninth-winningest coach in UC history. He exited as the 28th coach in team history.

Rumblings across the industry point to him landing the Charlotte 49ers job out of the American Athletic Conference, while Cincinnati is hotly tied to Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun.

Miller dove into why he struggled at Cincinnati with CBS's Matt Norlander last week.

"I'm really proud. Really, really proud of what we've done here: took the job while there was a lawsuit going on with the previous coach," Miller said to begin the reason list. "Our players are getting subpoenaed on game days in Year 1, NIL, the transfer portal happened, and a move to the Big 12. I'm really, really proud. We have never been anything but competitive, and we've been on the bubble multiple years. I'm really proud of the work that we've done.

"We're Cincinnati. We need to be in the NCAA Tournament. I understand that as much as anybody, but we are in the right direction of building something — we built something that I believe is now sustainable. So, I believe in everything we're doing. I believe that over the last two months, we've been one of the best teams in college basketball. And I think we can not just be better, but we can keep assembling. And so, my heart and soul are in this job and the work that we're doing."

The search is fully underway for the 29th head coach in team history. Check out top candidates for UC here.

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