Jerrod Calhoun Strengthening Case for Bearcats Head Coaching Job

As the NCAA Tournament slowly unwinds, it serves as a painful reminder of heights that the Cincinnati Bearcats have not reached since the 2018-19 season under former head coach Mick Cronin.

With the Bearcats recently pulling the plug on head coach Wes Miller, it is time for renewed hopes and dreams of Cinderella runs, as their potential next hiring is actively doing so with Utah State.

Jerrod Calhoun is Proving Why He Deserves a Shot in the Big 12

Calhoun has experienced a steady rise in the coaching ranks through his relatively short career as a head coach. Following stints as an assistant at Cincinnati, Walsh University, and West Virginia, Calhoun landed his first coaching gig at Division II program Fairmont State in 2012.

Calhoun finished with 20 or more wins in all five seasons with the Falcons, leading them to the national title game in 2016-17. They lost 71-61 to Northwest Missouri State.

With a 124-38 record under his belt, Calhoun earned the Youngstown State job prior to the 2017-18 season, where he spent seven seasons rebuilding a middling Horizon League squad into eventual regular season champions with two 20+ win seasons.

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Utah State hired Calhoun, and the 44-year-old has not looked back. He's led the Aggies to a 55-14 record. They've made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances.

Calhoun is keeping dreams alive

Not only did the Aggies make it to the tournament, they beat Villanova in a thrilling 86-76 win on Friday to advance to the round of 32.

The Aggies’ bread and butter is built around a guard-heavy offense, which is currently marshalled by Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt transfer MJ Collins Jr. and junior guard Mason Falslev. The pair average nearly 34 points per game. Falslev was recently awarded the MWC Player of the Year, as his 16.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists paved the way to a 28-6 record heading into the Big Dance.

Collins was nominated to the All-Mountain West Second Team, and to add a cherry on top, Utah State’s Karson Templin was handed the Sixth Man of the Year, as Templin averaged a stubborn 8.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in just about 19 minutes per game.

Calhoun’s squad sits as the nation’s 37th-best scoring offense at 81.8 points per game, with a stellar 49.6% field goal rate ranking 13th-best in the country.

For those wanting to see Utah State firsthand, the Aggies play the No. 1 Arizona Wildcats Sunday evening. Tipoff for that clash is set for 7:50 p.m. ET with streaming available on TruTV. According to ESPN Analytics, the Wildcats currently hold an 82.9% chance of advancing to the Sweet 16. If the Aggies lose to Arizona, all eyes will be on Clifton and the Bearcats with hopes of bringing Calhoun to Cincinnati as Wes Miller's replacement.

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